diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/networking/macmap.py b/confluent_server/confluent/networking/macmap.py
index 1bff9e5f..5545e09a 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/networking/macmap.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/networking/macmap.py
@@ -535,7 +535,10 @@ def _full_updatemacmap(configmanager):
             if incollective:
                 candmgrs = cfg.get('collective.managercandidates', {}).get('value', None)
                 if candmgrs:
-                    candmgrs = noderange.NodeRange(candmgrs, configmanager).nodes
+                    try:
+                        candmgrs = noderange.NodeRange(candmgrs, configmanager).nodes
+                    except Exception:
+                        candmgrs = noderange.NodeRange(candmgrs).nodes
                     if mycollectivename not in candmgrs:
                         # do not think about trying to find nodes that we aren't possibly
                         # supposed to be a manager for in a collective
diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/networking/netutil.py b/confluent_server/confluent/networking/netutil.py
index a1fd6d08..48b2f028 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/networking/netutil.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/networking/netutil.py
@@ -29,7 +29,10 @@ def get_switchcreds(configmanager, switches):
             continue
         candmgrs = switchcfg.get(switch, {}).get('collective.managercandidates', {}).get('value', None)
         if candmgrs:
-            candmgrs = noderange.NodeRange(candmgrs, configmanager).nodes
+            try:
+                candmgrs = noderange.NodeRange(candmgrs, configmanager).nodes
+            except Exception:
+                candmgrs = noderange.NodeRange(candmgrs).nodes
             if collective.get_myname() not in candmgrs:
                 continue
         switchparms = switchcfg.get(switch, {})
@@ -81,4 +84,4 @@ def get_portnamemap(conn):
             ifidx, ifname = vb
             ifidx = int(str(ifidx).rsplit('.', 1)[1])
             ifnamemap[ifidx] = str(ifname)
-    return ifnamemap
\ No newline at end of file
+    return ifnamemap