diff --git a/driver_cpl/bld/build-namelist b/driver_cpl/bld/build-namelist
index f98787b45f2..34b214f59a0 100755
--- a/driver_cpl/bld/build-namelist
+++ b/driver_cpl/bld/build-namelist
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ OPTIONS
 
 NOTE: The precedence for setting the values of namelist variables is (highest to lowest):
       1. values read from the file specified by -infile,
-      2. values from the namelist defaults file 
+      2. values from the namelist defaults file
 EOF
 }
 
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ EOF
 (-f "$perl5lib_dir/Build/Namelist.pm")  or  die <<"EOF";
 ** $ProgName - Cannot find perl module \"Build/Namelist.pm\" in directory \"$perl5lib_dir\" **
 EOF
-my @nl_definition_filenames = ( "namelist_definition_drv.xml", 
+my @nl_definition_filenames = ( "namelist_definition_drv.xml",
                                 "namelist_definition_drv_flds.xml",
                                 "namelist_definition_modio.xml" );
 my @nl_definition_paths;
@@ -287,14 +287,11 @@ foreach my $file (@files) {
     my @e = $xml->elements_by_name('entry');
     while ( my $e = shift @e ) {
 	my %a = $e->get_attributes();
+	my $val = $a{value};
 	$xmlvars{$a{'id'}} = $a{'value'};
     }
 }
-my $DIN_LOC_ROOT = $xmlvars{'DIN_LOC_ROOT'};
-if ($print>=2) { print "inputdata root directory: $DIN_LOC_ROOT$eol"; }
 
-# Note - $USER is not in the config_defintion.xml file - it is only in the environment
-$xmlvars{'USER'} = $ENV{'USER'};
 unshift @INC, "${CIMEROOT}/utils/perl5lib";
 require Config::SetupTools;
 
@@ -304,6 +301,9 @@ foreach my $attr (keys %xmlvars) {
     $xmlvars{$attr} = SetupTools::expand_xml_var($xmlvars{$attr}, \%xmlvars);
 }
 
+my $DIN_LOC_ROOT = $xmlvars{'DIN_LOC_ROOT'};
+if ($print>=2) { print "inputdata root directory: $DIN_LOC_ROOT$eol"; }
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Read in versions fo the drv_flds_in file from different components and merge them together
 # Abort if there is a conflict
@@ -324,14 +324,14 @@ foreach my $fldsin ( @fldsinfiles ) {
        if ($@) {
           die "$ProgName - ERROR: Invalid namelist variable in '-infile' $opts{'infile'}.\n $@";
        }
-   
+
        # Merge input values into namelist.  Die if a conflict is found.
        $nl->merge_nl($nl_infile_valid, die_on_conflict=>1);
    }
 }
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Determine drv namelist 
+# Determine drv namelist
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 #############################################
@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ $definition->validate($nl);
 # (1) Write output namelist files (drv_in, and drv_flds_in)
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-# Write out drv_in namelist groups 
+# Write out drv_in namelist groups
 my @groups = qw(seq_cplflds_inparm
 		seq_cplflds_userspec
 		seq_infodata_inparm
@@ -901,7 +901,7 @@ if ($print>=2) { print "Writing driver namelist to $outfile $eol"; }
 my $outfile = "./drv_flds_in";
 $nl->write($outfile, 'groups'=>\@groups);
 if ($print>=2) { print "Writing driver fields namelist to $outfile $eol"; }
-               
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # (2) Write out seq_map.rc file
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -925,7 +925,7 @@ print $fh <<"EOF";
 #                   if necessary
 #
 # NOTE:  For bfb on different processor counts, set all maptypes to "X".
-################################################################## 
+##################################################################
 EOF
 $fh->close();