diff --git a/src/amdis/AMDiS.cpp b/src/amdis/AMDiS.cpp
index 6800a72155dfa162c30a032fe691ab276fb5c56b..5965d68b8f4e871b47bf4b9a8e32c0c2e0e2810e 100644
--- a/src/amdis/AMDiS.cpp
+++ b/src/amdis/AMDiS.cpp
@@ -9,15 +9,16 @@ namespace AMDiS
   Dune::MPIHelper& init(int& argc, char**& argv, std::string const& initFileName)
   {
     // Maybe initialize MPI
-    Dune::MPIHelper& mpiHelper = Dune::MPIHelper::instance(argc, argv);
+    static Dune::MPIHelper& mpiHelper = Dune::MPIHelper::instance(argc, argv);
 
     Parameters::clearData();
 
-    if (initFileName == "") {
-      test_exit(argc > 1, "No init file specified!\n");
+    if (initFileName.empty() && argc > 1) {
       Parameters::init(argv[1]);
-    } else {
+    } else if (!initFileName.empty()) {
       Parameters::init(initFileName);
+    } else {
+      warning("No initfile specified. Using default values for all parameters.");
     }
 
     return mpiHelper;
diff --git a/src/amdis/ProblemStat.hpp b/src/amdis/ProblemStat.hpp
index 74eb5c109c9255f7cf4068a15ce7cf7a5b931ad8..20c212d681e35ff0fa074066167796d893fed1ae 100644
--- a/src/amdis/ProblemStat.hpp
+++ b/src/amdis/ProblemStat.hpp
@@ -280,10 +280,7 @@ namespace AMDiS
 
     void createGrid()
     {
-      gridName_ = "";
       Parameters::get(name_ + "->mesh", gridName_);
-      test_exit(!gridName_.empty(), "No grid name specified for '{}->mesh'!", name_);
-
       grid_ = MeshCreator<Grid>::create(gridName_);
 
       msg("Create grid:");
@@ -367,7 +364,7 @@ namespace AMDiS
     int nGrids = 1;
 
     /// Name of the grid
-    std::string gridName_ = "none";
+    std::string gridName_ = "mesh";
 
     /// FE spaces of this problem.
     std::shared_ptr<GlobalBasis> globalBasis_;
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index a18847f2d39daccece5343aa6a264d16ff6c591f..2f101a3540bb3b3c679875ac32ea087c13a698b1 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@ dune_add_test(SOURCES DOFVectorTest.cpp
   LINK_LIBRARIES amdis)
 
 dune_add_test(SOURCES ExpressionsTest.cpp
-  LINK_LIBRARIES amdis
-  CMD_ARGS "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/examples/init/ellipt.dat.2d")
+  LINK_LIBRARIES amdis)
 
 dune_add_test(SOURCES FieldMatVecTest.cpp
   LINK_LIBRARIES amdis)
@@ -25,8 +24,7 @@ dune_add_test(SOURCES FilesystemTest.cpp
   LINK_LIBRARIES amdis)
 
 dune_add_test(SOURCES MarkerTest.cpp
-  LINK_LIBRARIES amdis
-  CMD_ARGS "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/examples/init/marker.dat.2d")
+  LINK_LIBRARIES amdis)
 
 dune_add_test(SOURCES MultiTypeVectorTest.cpp
   LINK_LIBRARIES amdis)