diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseConfig.hpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseConfig.hpp
index 313e010cf..90c12c541 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseConfig.hpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseConfig.hpp
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@ namespace Opm {
 
         static EclipseConfig serializeObject();
 
-        const InitConfig& init() const;
+        InitConfig& init();
         IOConfig& io();
         const IOConfig& io() const;
+        const InitConfig& init() const;
         const InitConfig& getInitConfig() const;
 
         bool operator==(const EclipseConfig& data) const;
diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseState.hpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseState.hpp
index e2db5a7ff..0b120100c 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseState.hpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseState.hpp
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ namespace Opm {
         IOConfig& getIOConfig();
 
         const InitConfig& getInitConfig() const;
+        InitConfig& getInitConfig();
+        
         const SimulationConfig& getSimulationConfig() const;
         virtual const EclipseGrid& getInputGrid() const;
 
diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/IOConfig/IOConfig.hpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/IOConfig/IOConfig.hpp
index 021244680..c94004fbb 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/IOConfig/IOConfig.hpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/IOConfig/IOConfig.hpp
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ namespace Opm {
         const std::string& getEclipseInputPath() const;
 
         void overrideNOSIM(bool nosim);
-
+        void consistentFileFlags();
 
         std::string getRestartFileName(const std::string& restart_base, int report_step, bool output) const;
 
diff --git a/python/cxx/eclipse_config.cpp b/python/cxx/eclipse_config.cpp
index 4bdf062b8..9d07d67f2 100644
--- a/python/cxx/eclipse_config.cpp
+++ b/python/cxx/eclipse_config.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 void python::common::export_EclipseConfig(py::module& module)
 {
     py::class_< EclipseConfig >( module, "EclipseConfig" )
-        .def( "init",            &EclipseConfig::init, ref_internal);
+        .def( "init",            py::overload_cast<>(&EclipseConfig::init, py::const_));
 
     py::class_< SummaryConfig >( module, "SummaryConfig")
         .def(py::init([](const Deck& deck, const EclipseState& state, const Schedule& schedule) {
diff --git a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseConfig.cpp b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseConfig.cpp
index 97d425397..959bf9dd0 100644
--- a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseConfig.cpp
@@ -50,14 +50,17 @@ namespace Opm {
 
         return result;
     }
-
-
-    const InitConfig& EclipseConfig::init() const {
-        return m_initConfig;
+    
+    InitConfig& EclipseConfig::init() {
+        return const_cast<InitConfig &>(this->m_initConfig);
     }
 
+    const InitConfig& EclipseConfig::init() const{
+        return m_initConfig;
+    }
+    
     // [[deprecated]] --- use init()
-    const InitConfig& EclipseConfig::getInitConfig() const {
+    const InitConfig& EclipseConfig::getInitConfig() const{
         return init();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseState.cpp b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseState.cpp
index 5622c0590..26b505d99 100644
--- a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseState.cpp
+++ b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/EclipseState.cpp
@@ -129,6 +129,10 @@ namespace Opm {
         return m_eclipseConfig.getInitConfig();
     }
 
+    /// [[deprecated]] --- use cfg().init()
+    InitConfig& EclipseState::getInitConfig() {
+        return m_eclipseConfig.init();
+    }
     /// [[deprecated]] --- use cfg()
     const EclipseConfig& EclipseState::getEclipseConfig() const {
         return cfg();
diff --git a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/IOConfig/IOConfig.cpp b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/IOConfig/IOConfig.cpp
index 5384d7d06..7b893f808 100644
--- a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/IOConfig/IOConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/IOConfig/IOConfig.cpp
@@ -193,6 +193,11 @@ namespace Opm {
         return m_UNIFOUT;
     }
 
+    void IOConfig::consistentFileFlags(){
+        m_UNIFIN = getUNIFOUT();
+        m_FMTIN = getFMTOUT();
+    }
+
     bool IOConfig::getFMTIN() const {
         return m_FMTIN;
     }