diff --git a/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping_impl.hpp b/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping_impl.hpp
index 0ac481ac2..33d92d904 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping_impl.hpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping_impl.hpp
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ namespace Opm {
         , solver_restart_max_( param.getDefault("solver.restart", int(10) ) )
         , solver_verbose_( param.getDefault("solver.verbose", bool(true) ) && terminal_output )
         , timestep_verbose_( param.getDefault("timestep.verbose", bool(true) ) && terminal_output )
-        , suggested_next_timestep_( unit::convert::from(param.getDefault("timestep.initial_step_length", double(1.0) ), unit::day) )
+        , suggested_next_timestep_( -1.0 )
         , full_timestep_initially_( param.getDefault("full_timestep_initially", bool(false) ) )
     {
         // valid are "pid" and "pid+iteration"
diff --git a/opm/simulators/timestepping/TimeStepControl.cpp b/opm/simulators/timestepping/TimeStepControl.cpp
index 0c01b24e3..91cb478c0 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/timestepping/TimeStepControl.cpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/timestepping/TimeStepControl.cpp
@@ -84,29 +84,25 @@ namespace Opm
     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
     HardcodedTimeStepControl::
-    HardcodedTimeStepControl( const std::string filename)
+    HardcodedTimeStepControl( const std::string& filename)
     {
         std::ifstream infile (filename);
-        double time;
+        std::string::size_type sz;
         std::string line;
-        std::getline(infile, line); //assumes two lines before the timing starts.
-        std::getline(infile, line);
+        while ( std::getline(infile, line)) {
+            if( line[0] != '-') { // ignore lines starting with '-'
+                const double time = std::stod(line,&sz); // read the first number i.e. the actual substep time
+                subStepTime_.push_back( time * unit::day );
+            }
 
-        while (!infile.eof() ) {
-            infile >> time; // read the time in days
-            std::string line;
-            std::getline(infile, line); // skip the rest of the line
-            timesteps_.push_back( time * unit::day );
         }
-
     }
 
     double HardcodedTimeStepControl::
     computeTimeStepSize( const double /*dt */, const int /*iterations */, const RelativeChangeInterface& /* relativeChange */ , const double simulationTimeElapsed) const
     {
-        auto nextTime = std::upper_bound(timesteps_.begin(), timesteps_.end(), simulationTimeElapsed);
-        double dtEstimate = (*nextTime - simulationTimeElapsed);
-        return dtEstimate;
+        auto nextTime = std::upper_bound(subStepTime_.begin(), subStepTime_.end(), simulationTimeElapsed);
+        return (*nextTime - simulationTimeElapsed);
     }
 
 
diff --git a/opm/simulators/timestepping/TimeStepControl.hpp b/opm/simulators/timestepping/TimeStepControl.hpp
index 40f5db6e0..00a82d743 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/timestepping/TimeStepControl.hpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/timestepping/TimeStepControl.hpp
@@ -121,21 +121,24 @@ namespace Opm
     ///
     ///  HardcodedTimeStepControl
     ///  Input generated from summary file using the ert application:
+    ///
     ///  ecl_summary DECK TIME > filename
-    //
+    ///
+    ///  Assumes time is given in days
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     class HardcodedTimeStepControl : public TimeStepControlInterface
     {
     public:
         /// \brief constructor
         /// \param filename   filename contaning the timesteps
-        HardcodedTimeStepControl( const std::string filename);
+        explicit HardcodedTimeStepControl( const std::string& filename);
 
         /// \brief \copydoc TimeStepControlInterface::computeTimeStepSize
         double computeTimeStepSize( const double dt, const int /* iterations */, const RelativeChangeInterface& /*relativeChange */, const double simulationTimeElapsed) const;
 
     protected:
-        std::vector<double> timesteps_;
+        // store the time (in days) of the substeps the simulator should use
+        std::vector<double> subStepTime_;
     };