diff --git a/numa.c b/numa.c
index 6e00243..0d93091 100644
--- a/numa.c
+++ b/numa.c
@@ -84,6 +84,14 @@ void build_numa_node_list(void)
 	DIR *dir = opendir(SYSFS_NODE_PATH);
 	struct dirent *entry;
 
+	/*
+	 * Add the unspecified node
+	 */
+	numa_nodes = g_list_append(numa_nodes, &unspecified_node);
+
+	if (!dir)
+		return;
+
 	do {
 		entry = readdir(dir);
 		if (!entry)
@@ -96,6 +104,9 @@ void build_numa_node_list(void)
 
 static void free_numa_node(gpointer data)
 {
+	if (data == (void *)(&unspecified_node))
+		return;
+
 	free(data);
 }
 
diff --git a/placement.c b/placement.c
index a5b976b..113891b 100644
--- a/placement.c
+++ b/placement.c
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ static void find_best_object(struct topo_obj *d, void *data)
 	cpumask_t subset;
 
 	/*
+ 	 * Don't consider the unspecified numa node here
+ 	 */
+	if ((d->obj_type == OBJ_TYPE_NODE) && (d->number == -1))
+		return;
+
+	/*
  	 * If the hint policy is subset, then we only want 
  	 * to consider objects that are within the irqs hint, but
  	 * only if that irq in fact has published a hint