diff --git a/perl-xCAT/xCAT/NodeRange.pm b/perl-xCAT/xCAT/NodeRange.pm
index 406158200..aa4273468 100644
--- a/perl-xCAT/xCAT/NodeRange.pm
+++ b/perl-xCAT/xCAT/NodeRange.pm
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ sub expandatom {
 
   # check to see if atom is a defined group name that didn't have any current members                                               
   if ( scalar @nodes == 0 ) {                                                                                                       
-    for my $row ( $nodegroup->getAllAttribs('groupname') ) {                                                                        
+    #for my $row ( $nodegroup->getAllAttribs('groupname') ) {                                                                        
+    for my $row ( $grptab->getAllAttribs('groupname') ) {                                                                        
       if ( $row->{groupname} eq $atom ) {                                                                                           
         return ();                                                                                                                  
       }