diff --git a/bld/CLMBuildNamelist.pm b/bld/CLMBuildNamelist.pm
index 14a3a2ddb5..555f0d5f98 100755
--- a/bld/CLMBuildNamelist.pm
+++ b/bld/CLMBuildNamelist.pm
@@ -2262,6 +2262,7 @@ sub setup_logic_crop_inparm {
                  'use_crop'=>$nl->get_value('use_crop') );
      
      my $crop_residue_removal_frac = $nl->get_value('crop_residue_removal_frac');
+     add_default($opts, $nl_flags->{'inputdata_rootdir'}, $definition, $defaults, $nl, 'crop_residue_removal_frac' );
      if ( $crop_residue_removal_frac < 0.0 or $crop_residue_removal_frac > 1.0 ) {
         $log->fatal_error("crop_residue_removal_frac must be in range [0, 1]");
      }
@@ -2276,6 +2277,8 @@ sub setup_logic_crop_inparm {
 sub setup_logic_tillage {
   my ($opts, $nl_flags, $definition, $defaults, $nl) = @_;
 
+  add_default($opts, $nl_flags->{'inputdata_rootdir'}, $definition, $defaults, $nl, 'tillage_mode' );
+
   my $tillage_mode = remove_leading_and_trailing_quotes( $nl->get_value( "tillage_mode" ) );
   if ( $tillage_mode ne "off" && $tillage_mode ne "" && not &value_is_true($nl->get_value('use_crop')) ) {
       $log->fatal_error( "Tillage only works on crop columns, so use_crop must be true if tillage is enabled." );
diff --git a/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_ctsm.xml b/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_ctsm.xml
index fd5b18f132..5ae01ef2ae 100644
--- a/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_ctsm.xml
+++ b/bld/namelist_files/namelist_defaults_ctsm.xml
@@ -555,6 +555,7 @@ attributes from the config_cache.xml file (with keys converted to upper-case).
 <use_grainproduct use_crop=".true." phys="clm5_1" >.true.</use_grainproduct> <!-- 1-year grain product pool default to on for clm50 if crop is turned on -->
 
 <crop_residue_removal_frac>0.d+0</crop_residue_removal_frac>
+<crop_residue_removal_frac phys="clm5_1">0.5d00</crop_residue_removal_frac>
 
 <!-- Crop model options -->
 <baset_mapping           use_crop=".true." phys="clm4_5" >constant</baset_mapping>
@@ -2814,6 +2815,8 @@ use_crop=".true.">lnd/clm2/surfdata_map/ctsm5.1.dev052/landuse.timeseries_mpasa1
 <!-- =========================================  -->
 
 <tillage_mode>off</tillage_mode>
+<tillage_mode phys="clm5_1">low</tillage_mode>
+
 <use_original_tillage_phases>.false.</use_original_tillage_phases>
 <max_tillage_depth>0.26d00</max_tillage_depth>