diff --git a/modules/cpr/src/main/java/org/atmosphere/util/AtmosphereConfigReader.java b/modules/cpr/src/main/java/org/atmosphere/util/AtmosphereConfigReader.java
index f6317a75e65..05334fa903d 100644
--- a/modules/cpr/src/main/java/org/atmosphere/util/AtmosphereConfigReader.java
+++ b/modules/cpr/src/main/java/org/atmosphere/util/AtmosphereConfigReader.java
@@ -184,10 +184,10 @@ private AtmosphereConfig parse(AtmosphereConfig config, Document document) {
                         Node n2 = n.getChildNodes().item(k);
 
                         if (n2.getNodeName().equals("param-name")) {
-                            param = n2.getNodeValue();
+                            param = n2.getFirstChild().getNodeValue();
                         } else if (n2.getNodeName().equals("param-value")) {
                             if (n2 != null) {
-                                value = n2.getNodeValue();
+                                value = n2.getFirstChild().getNodeValue();;
                             }
                         }
 
@@ -205,10 +205,10 @@ private AtmosphereConfig parse(AtmosphereConfig config, Document document) {
                         Node n2 = n.getChildNodes().item(k);
 
                         if (n2.getNodeName().equals("param-name")) {
-                            param = n2.getNodeValue();
+                            param = n2.getFirstChild().getNodeValue();
                         } else if (n2.getNodeName().equals("param-value")) {
                             if (n2 != null) {
-                                value = n2.getNodeValue();
+                                value = n2.getFirstChild().getNodeValue();
                             }
                         }