diff --git a/lib/mcollective/ddl/discoveryddl.rb b/lib/mcollective/ddl/discoveryddl.rb
index 73cd28ab..8ea09f8b 100644
--- a/lib/mcollective/ddl/discoveryddl.rb
+++ b/lib/mcollective/ddl/discoveryddl.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ module DDL
     #             :timeout     => 2
     #
     # discovery do
-    #     capabilities [:classes, :facts, :identity, :agents, :compound]
+    #     capabilities [:classes, :facts, :identity, :agents, :compound, :federations]
     # end
     class DiscoveryDDL < Base
       def discovery_interface
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ def capabilities(*caps)
         raise "Discovery plugin capabilities can't be empty" if caps.empty?
 
         caps.each do |cap|
-          if [:classes, :facts, :identity, :agents, :compound].include?(cap)
+          if [:classes, :facts, :identity, :agents, :compound, :federations].include?(cap)
             @entities[:discovery][:capabilities] << cap
           else
-            raise "%s is not a valid capability, valid capabilities are :classes, :facts, :identity, :agents and :compound" % cap
+            raise "%s is not a valid capability, valid capabilities are :classes, :facts, :identity, :agents, :compound, and :federations" % cap
           end
         end
       end
diff --git a/lib/mcollective/discovery/external.ddl b/lib/mcollective/discovery/external.ddl
index a9b2a70c..dc2a039d 100644
--- a/lib/mcollective/discovery/external.ddl
+++ b/lib/mcollective/discovery/external.ddl
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ metadata    :name        => "external",
             :timeout     => 2
 
 discovery do
-    capabilities [:classes, :facts, :identity, :agents, :compound]
+    capabilities [:classes, :facts, :identity, :agents, :compound, :federations]
 end
 
 
diff --git a/lib/mcollective/util.rb b/lib/mcollective/util.rb
index f6a80a0a..f4e416b3 100644
--- a/lib/mcollective/util.rb
+++ b/lib/mcollective/util.rb
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ def self.default_options
         :discovery_method => nil,
         :discovery_options => Config.instance.default_discovery_options,
         :filter => empty_filter,
-        :federations => []
+        :federations => Config.instance.federations
       }
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/mcollective/util/playbook/nodes/mcollective_nodes.rb b/lib/mcollective/util/playbook/nodes/mcollective_nodes.rb
index 3f0bb939..fbae609d 100644
--- a/lib/mcollective/util/playbook/nodes/mcollective_nodes.rb
+++ b/lib/mcollective/util/playbook/nodes/mcollective_nodes.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ def initialize
             @facts = []
             @classes = []
             @identity = []
+            @federations = []
             @compound = nil
           end