diff --git a/parm/config/gefs/config.base b/parm/config/gefs/config.base
index 1f34d5481f..e5a4315ff5 100644
--- a/parm/config/gefs/config.base
+++ b/parm/config/gefs/config.base
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ export MAKE_NSSTBUFR="@MAKE_NSSTBUFR@"
 export MAKE_ACFTBUFR="@MAKE_ACFTBUFR@"
 
 # Verification options
-export DO_METP="@DO_METP@"  # Run METPLUS jobs - set METPLUS settings in config.metp
+export DO_METP="NO"         # Run METPLUS jobs - set METPLUS settings in config.metp
 export DO_FIT2OBS="NO"      # Run fit to observations package
 
 # Archiving options
diff --git a/workflow/hosts/wcoss2.yaml b/workflow/hosts/wcoss2.yaml
index 19b186c63d..4fb4b1d64a 100644
--- a/workflow/hosts/wcoss2.yaml
+++ b/workflow/hosts/wcoss2.yaml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ RESERVATION: ''
 CHGRP_RSTPROD: 'YES'
 CLUSTERS: ''
 CHGRP_CMD: 'chgrp rstprod'
-HPSSARCH: 'YES'
+HPSSARCH: 'NO'
 HPSS_PROJECT: emc-global
 LOCALARCH: 'NO'
 ATARDIR: '/NCEPDEV/${HPSS_PROJECT}/1year/${USER}/${machine}/scratch/${PSLOT}'
diff --git a/workflow/setup_expt.py b/workflow/setup_expt.py
index b5bc96bc07..a27cfa0c53 100755
--- a/workflow/setup_expt.py
+++ b/workflow/setup_expt.py
@@ -55,11 +55,12 @@ def _update_defaults(dict_in: dict) -> dict:
         # Replace values in ['defaults']['config_name']['var1'] with ['config_name']['var1']
         # and return the ['defaults'] subdictionary as its own new dictionary.
         defaults = dict_in.pop('defaults', AttrDict())
+        if 'defaults' in defaults:
+            _update_defaults(defaults)
         defaults.update(dict_in)
         return defaults
 
     # Convert the inputs to an AttrDict
-    # data = AttrDict(**inputs.__dict__)
     data = AttrDict(host.info, **inputs.__dict__)
 
     # Read in the YAML file to fill out templates