diff --git a/conf/type/__partition_msdos/gencode-remote b/conf/type/__partition_msdos/gencode-remote
deleted file mode 100755
index 211bc1db..00000000
--- a/conf/type/__partition_msdos/gencode-remote
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-#
-# 2011 Steven Armstrong (steven-cdist at armstrong.cc)
-#
-# This file is part of cdist.
-#
-# cdist is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
-# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
-# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
-# (at your option) any later version.
-#
-# cdist is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
-# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
-# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
-# GNU General Public License for more details.
-#
-# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
-# along with cdist. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-#
-
diff --git a/conf/type/__partition_msdos/man.text b/conf/type/__partition_msdos/man.text
index 611451ed..c9ef0cf1 100644
--- a/conf/type/__partition_msdos/man.text
+++ b/conf/type/__partition_msdos/man.text
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ type::
 
 OPTIONAL PARAMETERS
 -------------------
-device::
+partition::
    defaults to object_id
 bootable::
    mark partition as bootable, true or false, defaults to false
diff --git a/conf/type/__partition_msdos/manifest b/conf/type/__partition_msdos/manifest
index e5b04c02..0d73c405 100755
--- a/conf/type/__partition_msdos/manifest
+++ b/conf/type/__partition_msdos/manifest
@@ -18,8 +18,24 @@
 # along with cdist. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 
-type
+# set defaults
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/partition" ]; then
+   partition="(cat "$__object/parameter/partition")"
+else
+   partition="/$__object_id"
+   echo "$partition" > "$__object/parameter/partition"
+fi
+device="$(echo "$partition" | sed 's/[0-9]//g')"
+echo "$device" > "$__object/parameter/device"
+minor="$(echo "$partition" | sed 's/[^0-9]//g')"
+echo "$minor" > "$__object/parameter/minor"
 
-device
-bootable
-size
+if [ ! -f "$__object/parameter/bootable" ]; then
+   echo "false" > "$__object/parameter/bootable"
+fi
+if [ ! -f "$__object/parameter/size" ]; then
+   echo "+" > "$__object/parameter/size"
+fi
+
+# pull in the type that actually does something with the above parameters
+require="$__self" __partition_msdos_apply
diff --git a/conf/type/__partition_msdos/parameter/optional b/conf/type/__partition_msdos/parameter/optional
index 612fe769..b2b0a4c2 100644
--- a/conf/type/__partition_msdos/parameter/optional
+++ b/conf/type/__partition_msdos/parameter/optional
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-device
+partition
 bootable
 size