diff --git a/opm/models/utils/parametersystem.cpp b/opm/models/utils/parametersystem.cpp
index c3144c32c..9af377750 100644
--- a/opm/models/utils/parametersystem.cpp
+++ b/opm/models/utils/parametersystem.cpp
@@ -556,8 +556,8 @@ void getLists(std::vector<Parameter>& usedParams,
 }
 
 void printUsage(const std::string& helpPreamble,
-                const std::string& errorMsg,
                 std::ostream& os,
+                const std::string& errorMsg,
                 const bool showAll)
 {
     if (!errorMsg.empty()) {
@@ -654,11 +654,11 @@ std::string parseCommandLineOptions(int argc,
         for (int i = 1; i < argc; ++i) {
             if (std::string("-h") == argv[i]
                 || std::string("--help") == argv[i]) {
-                printUsage(helpPreamble, /*errorMsg=*/"", std::cout);
+                printUsage(helpPreamble, std::cout, /*errorMsg=*/"");
                 return "Help called";
             }
             if (std::string("--help-all") == argv[i]) {
-                printUsage(helpPreamble, /*errorMsg=*/"", std::cout, true);
+                printUsage(helpPreamble, std::cout, /*errorMsg=*/"",  true);
                 return "Help called";
             }
         }
@@ -682,8 +682,9 @@ std::string parseCommandLineOptions(int argc,
             if (numHandled < 1) {
                 std::ostringstream oss;
 
-                if (!helpPreamble.empty())
-                    printUsage(helpPreamble, errorMsg, std::cerr);
+                if (!helpPreamble.empty()) {
+                    printUsage(helpPreamble, std::cerr, errorMsg);
+                }
 
                 return errorMsg;
             }
@@ -707,8 +708,9 @@ std::string parseCommandLineOptions(int argc,
                 << " ('" << argv[i] << "') "
                 << "is invalid because it does not start with a letter.";
 
-            if (!helpPreamble.empty())
-                printUsage(helpPreamble, oss.str(), std::cerr);
+            if (!helpPreamble.empty()) {
+                printUsage(helpPreamble, std::cerr, oss.str());
+            }
 
             return oss.str();
         }
@@ -723,8 +725,9 @@ std::string parseCommandLineOptions(int argc,
                 std::string("Parameter '")+paramName+"' specified multiple times as a "
                 "command line parameter";
 
-            if (!helpPreamble.empty())
-                printUsage(helpPreamble, msg, std::cerr);
+            if (!helpPreamble.empty()) {
+                printUsage(helpPreamble, std::cerr, msg);
+            }
             return msg;
         }
         seenKeys.insert(paramName);
@@ -734,8 +737,9 @@ std::string parseCommandLineOptions(int argc,
                 std::string("Parameter '")+paramName+"' is missing a value. "
                 +" Please use "+argv[i]+"=value.";
 
-            if (!helpPreamble.empty())
-                printUsage(helpPreamble, msg, std::cerr);
+            if (!helpPreamble.empty()) {
+                printUsage(helpPreamble, std::cerr, msg);
+            }
             return msg;
         }
 
diff --git a/opm/models/utils/parametersystem.hpp b/opm/models/utils/parametersystem.hpp
index 4c3b618f2..7618bde67 100644
--- a/opm/models/utils/parametersystem.hpp
+++ b/opm/models/utils/parametersystem.hpp
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ int getTtyWidth();
  * \param os The \c std::ostream which should be used.
  */
 void printUsage(const std::string& helpPreamble,
+                std::ostream& os,
                 const std::string& errorMsg = "",
-                std::ostream& os = std::cerr,
                 const bool showAll = false);
 
 //! \brief Callback function for command line parsing.
diff --git a/opm/models/utils/start.hh b/opm/models/utils/start.hh
index 99a077282..0a97b32e3 100644
--- a/opm/models/utils/start.hh
+++ b/opm/models/utils/start.hh
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ static inline int setupParameters_(int argc,
             if (myRank == 0) {
                 oss << "Parameter file \"" << paramFileName
                     << "\" does not exist or is not readable.";
-                Parameters::printUsage(argv[0], oss.str());
+                Parameters::printUsage(argv[0], std::cerr, oss.str());
             }
             return /*status=*/1;
         }
@@ -316,18 +316,20 @@ static inline int start(int argc, char **argv,  bool registerParams=true)
         // read the initial time step and the end time
         Scalar endTime = Parameters::Get<Parameters::EndTime<Scalar>>();
         if (endTime < -1e50) {
-            if (myRank == 0)
-                Parameters::printUsage(argv[0],
+            if (myRank == 0) {
+                Parameters::printUsage(argv[0], std::cerr,
                                        "Mandatory parameter '--end-time' not specified!");
+            }
             return 1;
         }
 
         Scalar initialTimeStepSize = Parameters::Get<Parameters::InitialTimeStepSize<Scalar>>();
         if (initialTimeStepSize < -1e50) {
-            if (myRank == 0)
-                Parameters::printUsage(argv[0],
+            if (myRank == 0) {
+                Parameters::printUsage(argv[0], std::cerr,
                                        "Mandatory parameter '--initial-time-step-size' "
                                        "not specified!");
+            }
             return 1;
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/test_parametersystem.cpp b/tests/test_parametersystem.cpp
index ca94fecd3..68726a5cd 100644
--- a/tests/test_parametersystem.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_parametersystem.cpp
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(ParseParameterFile, Fixture)
 BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(PrintUsage, Fixture)
 {
   std::stringstream usage;
-  Opm::Parameters::printUsage("", "", usage);
+  Opm::Parameters::printUsage("", usage);
   BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(trimString(usage.str()),
 trimString(R"(
 Recognized options:
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ Recognized options:
 BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(PrintUsageAll, Fixture)
 {
   std::stringstream usage;
-  Opm::Parameters::printUsage("===foobar===", "", usage, true);
+  Opm::Parameters::printUsage("===foobar===", usage, "", true);
   BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(trimString(usage.str()),
 trimString(R"(===foobar===
 Recognized options: