diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxlu_cfg.c b/tools/libxl/libxlu_cfg.c
index c19c6ab..f9263a6 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxlu_cfg.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxlu_cfg.c
@@ -127,19 +127,13 @@ static XLU_ConfigSetting *find(const XLU_Config *cfg, const char *n) {
 int xlu_cfg_get_type(const XLU_Config *cfg, const char *n)
 {
     XLU_ConfigSetting *set;
-    char *endptr;
-    long l;
 
     set = find(cfg, n);
     if (set == NULL)
         return XLU_CFG_NOTFOUND;
     if (set->avalues > 1)
         return XLU_CFG_LIST;
-    errno = 0;
-    l = strtol(set->values[0], &endptr, 0);
-    if (errno == EINVAL || endptr == set->values[0])
-        return XLU_CFG_STRING;
-    return XLU_CFG_LONG;
+    return XLU_CFG_ATOM;
 }
 
 static int find_atom(const XLU_Config *cfg, const char *n,
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxlutil.h b/tools/libxl/libxlutil.h
index adf144e..e6a75d5 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxlutil.h
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxlutil.h
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@ typedef struct XLU_ConfigList XLU_ConfigList;
 
 #define XLU_CFG_NOTFOUND 0
 #define XLU_CFG_LIST     1
-#define XLU_CFG_LONG     2
-#define XLU_CFG_STRING   3
+#define XLU_CFG_ATOM     2
 
 XLU_Config *xlu_cfg_init(FILE *report, const char *report_filename);
   /* 0 means we got ENOMEM. */
diff --git a/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c b/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c
index ee7f36a..2c90c2b 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/xl_cmdimpl.c
@@ -1046,7 +1046,7 @@ skip_vfb:
             }
         }
         break;
-    case XLU_CFG_STRING:
+    case XLU_CFG_ATOM:
         if (!xlu_cfg_get_string(config, "cpuid", &buf)) {
             char *buf2, *p, *errstr, *strtok_ptr;