diff --git a/src/configs/limits.yaml b/src/configs/limits.yaml
index 127312f..308b46f 100644
--- a/src/configs/limits.yaml
+++ b/src/configs/limits.yaml
@@ -47,3 +47,33 @@ limits:
         - normal
     resname: slots
     value: 8
+
+    # migrated from src/controller/sched.c xcesched_push_configs()'s
+    # hardcoded limit1_config literal (all users except rshen, shared
+    # 3-slot cap)
+  - name: limit1
+    users:
+      members:
+        - all
+      exclude_members:
+        - rshen
+    resname: slots
+    value: 3.0
+
+    # migrated from src/controller/sched.c xcesched_push_configs()'s
+    # hardcoded limit2_config literal (rshen on the xce queue, per-user/
+    # per-queue/per-project/per-host 20% mem cap)
+  - name: limits2
+    per_user: true
+    per_queue: true
+    per_project: true
+    per_host: true
+    users:
+      members:
+        - rshen
+    queues:
+      members:
+        - xce
+    resname: mem
+    value: 0.2
+    percent: true
diff --git a/src/controller/cluster.c b/src/controller/cluster.c
index dbcdb5f..a19ba82 100644
--- a/src/controller/cluster.c
+++ b/src/controller/cluster.c
@@ -1303,7 +1303,14 @@ int cluster_init_phase2(cluster_t* c)
         return -EINVAL;
 
     if (c->myconf->cluster_config == NULL) {
-        ERROR("cluster_init_phase2: cluster_config not loaded");
+        /* Normal during cold boot: a standby reaches phase2 (post-election)
+         * before the primary's config-push has delivered bytes yet. Not a
+         * divergence or a hard failure — matches load_primary_config's own
+         * "will fetch from primary after election" INFO-level framing for
+         * the same underlying condition. The caller retries. */
+        INFO("cluster_init_phase2: cluster_config not loaded yet — normal "
+             "during cold boot while awaiting the primary's config-push; "
+             "will retry once it arrives");
         return -EINVAL;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/controller/sched.c b/src/controller/sched.c
index f17ebba..7458b5d 100644
--- a/src/controller/sched.c
+++ b/src/controller/sched.c
@@ -138,47 +138,11 @@ static int xcesched_push_workerlist(cluster_t* c, xlist_t* l)
 static int xcesched_push_configs(cluster_t* c)
 {
     xce_configdata_t   configdata;
-    int                rc            = 0;
-    xce_limit_config_t limit1_config = {
-        .name        = "limit1",
-        .per_user    = 0,
-        .per_queue   = 0,
-        .per_project = 0,
-        .per_host    = 0,
-        .users
-        = &(xce_group_config_t) { .members
-                                  = { .count = 1, .data = (char*[]) { "all" } },
-                                 .ex_members
-                                  = { .count = 1,
-                                      .data  = (char*[]) { "rshen" } } },
-        .queues   = NULL,
-        .projects = NULL,
-        .hosts    = NULL,
-        .val
-        = &(xce_limit_val_t) { .resname = "slots", .percent = 0, .val = 3.0 }
-    };
-    xce_limit_config_t limit2_config = {
-        .name        = "limits2",
-        .per_user    = 1,
-        .per_queue   = 1,
-        .per_project = 1,
-        .per_host    = 1,
-        .users       = &(xce_group_config_t) { .members
-                                               = { .count = 1,
-                                                   .data  = (char*[]) { "rshen" } } },
-        .queues
-        = &(xce_group_config_t) { .members = { .count = 1,
-                                               .data  = (char*[]) { "xce" } } },
-        .projects = NULL,
-        .hosts    = NULL,
-        .val = &(xce_limit_val_t) { .resname = "mem", .percent = 1, .val = 0.2 }
-    };
-    xce_limit_config_t* limits[] = { &limit1_config, &limit2_config };
-    int                 nlimits  = 2;
-    xlist_t             clist;
-    xlist_t             qlist;
-    xlist_t             rlist;
-    xlist_t             xreslist;
+    int                rc = 0;
+    xlist_t            clist;
+    xlist_t            qlist;
+    xlist_t            rlist;
+    xlist_t            xreslist;
 
     memset(&configdata, 0x0, sizeof(configdata));
 
@@ -209,13 +173,8 @@ static int xcesched_push_configs(cluster_t* c)
     configdata.data.conf4sched->ugroups   = c->myconf->cluster_config->ugroups;
     configdata.data.conf4sched->n_hgroups = c->myconf->cluster_config->nhgroups;
     configdata.data.conf4sched->hgroups   = c->myconf->cluster_config->hgroups;
-#if 0 /* FIXME:  we use builtin limit currently */
-        configdata.data.conf4sched->nlimits   = c->myconf->cluster_config->nlimits;
-        configdata.data.conf4sched->limits    = c->myconf->cluster_config->limits;
-#else
-    configdata.data.conf4sched->nlimits = nlimits;
-    configdata.data.conf4sched->limits  = &(limits[0]);
-#endif
+    configdata.data.conf4sched->nlimits = c->myconf->cluster_config->nlimits;
+    configdata.data.conf4sched->limits  = c->myconf->cluster_config->limits;
     configdata.data.conf4sched->nhproviders
         = c->myconf->cluster_config->nhproviders;
     configdata.data.conf4sched->hproviders