diff --git a/pynemo/pynemo_exe.py b/pynemo/pynemo_exe.py
index 3f4e2a888671fe4e0a9db417ef6b55e4d016fbdc..b441a3e09b2f0656ce2a2a304455d49187edcb59 100644
--- a/pynemo/pynemo_exe.py
+++ b/pynemo/pynemo_exe.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def main():
     setup_file = ''
     mask_gui = False
     try:
-        opts, dummy_args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], "h:s:d:g", ["help", "setup=", "download_cmems=", "mask_gui"])
+        opts, dummy_args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], "hsdg", ["help", "setup=", "download_cmems=", "mask_gui"])
     except getopt.GetoptError:
         print("usage: pynemo -g -s -d <namelist.bdy> ")
         sys.exit(2)
diff --git a/pynemo/reader/ncml.py b/pynemo/reader/ncml.py
index aba198d714ffe4aad91f2092785dab9e141cec64..7275f051a09e029a367a34530c5f78da8c7003ab 100644
--- a/pynemo/reader/ncml.py
+++ b/pynemo/reader/ncml.py
@@ -41,16 +41,19 @@ except ImportError:
 
 import sys
 from pynemo import nemo_bdy_setup as setup
-Setup = setup.Setup(sys.argv[2]) # default settings file
-settings = Setup.settings
-if 'use_cmems' in settings:
-    if settings['use_cmems'] == True:
-        time_counter_const = "time"
-    if settings['use_cmems'] == False:
+try:
+    Setup = setup.Setup(sys.argv[2]) # default settings file
+    settings = Setup.settings
+    if 'use_cmems' in settings:
+        if settings['use_cmems'] == True:
+            time_counter_const = "time"
+        if settings['use_cmems'] == False:
+            time_counter_const = "time_counter"
+    if 'use_cmems' not in settings:
         time_counter_const = "time_counter"
-if 'use_cmems' not in settings:
+    del settings, Setup
+except IndexError:
     time_counter_const = "time_counter"
-del settings, Setup
 
 class Reader(object):
     """ This class is the high level of object for the NCML reader, from here using grid type