diff --git a/opm/simulators/flow/FlowGenericVanguard.cpp b/opm/simulators/flow/FlowGenericVanguard.cpp
index f80346de1..c1a5d8d83 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/flow/FlowGenericVanguard.cpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/flow/FlowGenericVanguard.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ void FlowGenericVanguard::readDeck(const std::string& filename)
                   modelParams_.actionState_,
                   modelParams_.wtestState_,
                   modelParams_.eclSummaryConfig_,
-                  nullptr, "normal", "normal", "100", false, false, {});
+                  nullptr, "normal", "normal", "100", false, false, false, {});
     modelParams_.setupTime_ = setupTimer.stop();
 }
 
diff --git a/opm/simulators/flow/Main.cpp b/opm/simulators/flow/Main.cpp
index dea425e68..4e02035c4 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/flow/Main.cpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/flow/Main.cpp
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ void Main::readDeck(const std::string& deckFilename,
                     const std::string& parsingStrictness,
                     const std::string& actionParsingStrictness,
                     const std::string& inputSkipMode,
+                    const bool keepKeywords,
                     const std::size_t numThreads,
                     const int output_param,
                     const std::string& parameters,
@@ -238,6 +239,7 @@ void Main::readDeck(const std::string& deckFilename,
                   inputSkipMode,
                   init_from_restart_file,
                   outputCout_,
+                  keepKeywords,
                   outputInterval);
 
     verifyValidCellGeometry(FlowGenericVanguard::comm(), *this->eclipseState_);
diff --git a/opm/simulators/flow/Main.hpp b/opm/simulators/flow/Main.hpp
index f32906e52..f368bfd6b 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/flow/Main.hpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/flow/Main.hpp
@@ -272,12 +272,13 @@ private:
 protected:
     /// \brief Initialize
     /// \param exitCode The exitCode of the program.
+    /// \param keepKeywords Keep Schedule keywords even if there are no actions
     ///
     /// \return Whether to actually run the simulator. I.e. true if
     /// parsing of command line was successful and no --help,
     /// --print-properties, or --print-parameters have been found.
     template <class TypeTagEarlyBird>
-    bool initialize_(int& exitCode)
+    bool initialize_(int& exitCode, bool keepKeywords = false)
     {
         Dune::Timer externalSetupTimer;
         externalSetupTimer.start();
@@ -404,6 +405,7 @@ protected:
                            Parameters::Get<Parameters::ParsingStrictness>(),
                            Parameters::Get<Parameters::ActionParsingStrictness>(),
                            Parameters::Get<Parameters::InputSkipMode>(),
+                           keepKeywords,
                            getNumThreads(),
                            Parameters::Get<Parameters::EclOutputInterval>(),
                            cmdline_params,
@@ -683,6 +685,7 @@ private:
                   const std::string& parsingStrictness,
                   const std::string& actionParsingStrictness,
                   const std::string& inputSkipMode,
+                  const bool keepKeywords,
                   const std::size_t numThreads,
                   const int output_param,
                   const std::string& parameters,
diff --git a/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.cpp b/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.cpp
index d05edb1b3..0be2ef0f7 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.cpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.cpp
@@ -73,12 +73,10 @@
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <filesystem>
-#include <functional>
 #include <memory>
 #include <regex>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <stdexcept>
-#include <unordered_map>
 #include <utility>
 
 namespace {
@@ -105,6 +103,7 @@ namespace {
                                 const bool                           initFromRestart,
                                 const std::optional<int>&            outputInterval,
                                 const bool                           lowActionParsingStrictness,
+                                const bool                           keepKeywords,
                                 Opm::EclipseState&                   eclipseState,
                                 std::shared_ptr<Opm::Python>         python,
                                 std::shared_ptr<Opm::Schedule>&      schedule,
@@ -152,7 +151,8 @@ namespace {
         if (schedule == nullptr) {
             schedule = std::make_shared<Opm::Schedule>
                 (deck, eclipseState, parseContext, errorGuard,
-                 std::move(python), lowActionParsingStrictness, outputInterval, init_state);
+                 std::move(python), lowActionParsingStrictness,
+                 keepKeywords, outputInterval, init_state);
         }
 
         // Read network pressures from restart
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ namespace {
                                         const Opm::EclipseState&             eclipseState,
                                         const Opm::ParseContext&             parseContext,
                                         const bool                           lowActionParsingStrictness,
+                                        const bool                           keepKeywords,
                                         std::shared_ptr<Opm::Python>         python,
                                         std::shared_ptr<Opm::Schedule>&      schedule,
                                         std::unique_ptr<Opm::UDQState>&      udqState,
@@ -184,7 +185,7 @@ namespace {
         if (schedule == nullptr) {
             schedule = std::make_shared<Opm::Schedule>
                 (deck, eclipseState, parseContext,
-                 errorGuard, std::move(python), lowActionParsingStrictness);
+                 errorGuard, std::move(python), lowActionParsingStrictness, keepKeywords);
         }
 
         udqState = std::make_unique<Opm::UDQState>
@@ -246,6 +247,7 @@ namespace {
                       const bool                           checkDeck,
                       const bool                           treatCriticalAsNonCritical,
                       const bool                           lowActionParsingStrictness,
+                      const bool                           keepKeywords,
                       const std::optional<int>&            outputInterval,
                       Opm::ErrorGuard&                     errorGuard)
     {
@@ -270,14 +272,15 @@ namespace {
         if (eclipseState->getInitConfig().restartRequested()) {
             loadObjectsFromRestart(deck, parser, *parseContext,
                                    initFromRestart, outputInterval,
-                                   lowActionParsingStrictness,
+                                   lowActionParsingStrictness, keepKeywords,
                                    *eclipseState, std::move(python),
                                    schedule, udqState, actionState, wtestState,
                                    errorGuard);
         }
         else {
             createNonRestartDynamicObjects(deck, *eclipseState, *parseContext,
-                                           lowActionParsingStrictness, std::move(python),
+                                           lowActionParsingStrictness, keepKeywords,
+                                           std::move(python),
                                            schedule, udqState, actionState, wtestState,
                                            errorGuard);
         }
@@ -535,6 +538,7 @@ void Opm::readDeck(Opm::Parallel::Communication    comm,
                    const std::string&              inputSkipMode,
                    const bool                      initFromRestart,
                    const bool                      checkDeck,
+                   const bool                      keepKeywords,
                    const std::optional<int>&       outputInterval)
 {
     auto errorGuard = std::make_unique<ErrorGuard>();
@@ -569,7 +573,7 @@ void Opm::readDeck(Opm::Parallel::Communication    comm,
                          eclipseState, schedule, udqState, actionState, wtestState,
                          summaryConfig, std::move(python), initFromRestart,
                          checkDeck, treatCriticalAsNonCritical, lowActionParsingStrictness,
-                         outputInterval, *errorGuard);
+                         keepKeywords, outputInterval, *errorGuard);
 
             // Update schedule so that re-parsing after actions use same strictness
             assert(schedule);
diff --git a/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.hpp b/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.hpp
index 3be4ad036..87da15315 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.hpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.hpp
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ void readDeck(Parallel::Communication         comm,
               const std::string&              inputSkipMode,
               bool                            initFromRestart,
               bool                            checkDeck,
+              bool                            keepKeywords,
               const std::optional<int>&       outputInterval);
 
 void verifyValidCellGeometry(Parallel::Communication comm,
diff --git a/python/simulators/PyMain.hpp b/python/simulators/PyMain.hpp
index fdf547515..55fe00ae9 100644
--- a/python/simulators/PyMain.hpp
+++ b/python/simulators/PyMain.hpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public:
     std::unique_ptr<FlowMainType> initFlowBlackoil(int& exitCode)
     {
         exitCode = EXIT_SUCCESS;
-        if (initialize_<Properties::TTag::FlowEarlyBird>(exitCode)) {
+        if (initialize_<Properties::TTag::FlowEarlyBird>(exitCode, true)) {
             // TODO: check that this deck really represents a blackoil
             // case. E.g. check that number of phases == 3
             this->setupVanguard();