diff --git a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.cpp b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.cpp
index 9a371b300..da5b2ae59 100644
--- a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.cpp
+++ b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.cpp
@@ -244,61 +244,65 @@ namespace Opm
             vtkWriter_->writeTimeStep( timer, localState, localWellState, false );
         }
 
-        // collect all solutions to I/O rank
-        const bool isIORank = parallelOutput_->collectToIORank( localState, localWellState );
-
-        if( isIORank )
+        if( parallelOutput_ )
         {
-            const SimulatorState& state = parallelOutput_->globalReservoirState();
-            const WellState& wellState  = parallelOutput_->globalWellState();
-            //std::cout << "number of wells" << wellState.bhp().size() << std::endl;
 
-            // Matlab output
-            if( matlabWriter_ ) {
-                matlabWriter_->writeTimeStep( timer, state, wellState, substep );
-            }
-            // ECL output
-            if ( eclWriter_ ) {
-                eclWriter_->writeTimeStep(timer, state, wellState, substep );
-            }
+            // collect all solutions to I/O rank
+            const bool isIORank = parallelOutput_->collectToIORank( localState, localWellState );
 
-            // write backup file
-            if( backupfile_ )
+            if( isIORank )
             {
-                int reportStep      = timer.reportStepNum();
-                int currentTimeStep = timer.currentStepNum();
-                if( (reportStep == currentTimeStep || // true for SimulatorTimer
-                     currentTimeStep == 0 || // true for AdaptiveSimulatorTimer at reportStep
-                     timer.done() ) // true for AdaptiveSimulatorTimer at reportStep
-                   && lastBackupReportStep_ != reportStep ) // only backup report step once
+                const SimulatorState& state = parallelOutput_->globalReservoirState();
+                const WellState& wellState  = parallelOutput_->globalWellState();
+                //std::cout << "number of wells" << wellState.bhp().size() << std::endl;
+
+                // Matlab output
+                if( matlabWriter_ ) {
+                    matlabWriter_->writeTimeStep( timer, state, wellState, substep );
+                }
+                // ECL output
+                if ( eclWriter_ ) {
+                    eclWriter_->writeTimeStep(timer, state, wellState, substep );
+                }
+
+                // write backup file
+                if( backupfile_ )
                 {
-                    // store report step
-                    lastBackupReportStep_ = reportStep;
-                    // write resport step number
-                    backupfile_.write( (const char *) &reportStep, sizeof(int) );
-
-                    try {
-                        const BlackoilState& boState = dynamic_cast< const BlackoilState& > (state);
-                        backupfile_ << boState;
-
-                        const WellStateFullyImplicitBlackoil& boWellState = static_cast< const WellStateFullyImplicitBlackoil& > (wellState);
-                        backupfile_ << boWellState;
-                    }
-                    catch ( const std::bad_cast& e )
+                    int reportStep      = timer.reportStepNum();
+                    int currentTimeStep = timer.currentStepNum();
+                    if( (reportStep == currentTimeStep || // true for SimulatorTimer
+                         currentTimeStep == 0 || // true for AdaptiveSimulatorTimer at reportStep
+                         timer.done() ) // true for AdaptiveSimulatorTimer at reportStep
+                       && lastBackupReportStep_ != reportStep ) // only backup report step once
                     {
+                        // store report step
+                        lastBackupReportStep_ = reportStep;
+                        // write resport step number
+                        backupfile_.write( (const char *) &reportStep, sizeof(int) );
 
-                    }
+                        try {
+                            const BlackoilState& boState = dynamic_cast< const BlackoilState& > (state);
+                            backupfile_ << boState;
 
-                    /*
-                    const WellStateFullyImplicitBlackoil* boWellState =
-                        dynamic_cast< const WellStateFullyImplicitBlackoil* > (&wellState);
-                    if( boWellState ) {
-                        backupfile_ << (*boWellState);
+                            const WellStateFullyImplicitBlackoil& boWellState = static_cast< const WellStateFullyImplicitBlackoil& > (wellState);
+                            backupfile_ << boWellState;
+                        }
+                        catch ( const std::bad_cast& e )
+                        {
+
+                        }
+
+                        /*
+                        const WellStateFullyImplicitBlackoil* boWellState =
+                            dynamic_cast< const WellStateFullyImplicitBlackoil* > (&wellState);
+                        if( boWellState ) {
+                            backupfile_ << (*boWellState);
+                        }
+                        else
+                            OPM_THROW(std::logic_error,"cast to WellStateFullyImplicitBlackoil failed");
+                        */
+                        backupfile_ << std::flush;
                     }
-                    else
-                        OPM_THROW(std::logic_error,"cast to WellStateFullyImplicitBlackoil failed");
-                    */
-                    backupfile_ << std::flush;
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.hpp b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.hpp
index e5789fcce..c21fde881 100644
--- a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.hpp
+++ b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.hpp
@@ -215,10 +215,10 @@ namespace Opm
                      const int desiredReportStep);
 
     protected:
+        const bool output_;
         std::unique_ptr< ParallelDebugOutputInterface > parallelOutput_;
 
         // Parameters for output.
-        const bool output_;
         const std::string outputDir_;
         const int output_interval_;
 
@@ -243,8 +243,8 @@ namespace Opm
                          const parameter::ParameterGroup& param,
                          Opm::EclipseStateConstPtr eclipseState,
                          const Opm::PhaseUsage &phaseUsage )
-      : parallelOutput_( new ParallelDebugOutput< Grid >( grid, eclipseState, phaseUsage.num_phases ) ),
-        output_( param.getDefault("output", true) ),
+      : output_( param.getDefault("output", true) ),
+        parallelOutput_( output_ ? new ParallelDebugOutput< Grid >( grid, eclipseState, phaseUsage.num_phases ) : 0 ),
         outputDir_( output_ ? param.getDefault("output_dir", std::string("output")) : "." ),
         output_interval_( output_ ? param.getDefault("output_interval", 1): 0 ),
         lastBackupReportStep_( -1 ),