diff --git a/src/config.f90 b/src/config.f90
index c6c69ed48..96dc7f36d 100644
--- a/src/config.f90
+++ b/src/config.f90
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ module config
     worldrank                  = 0, &                                                               !< MPI worldrank (/=0 for MPI simulations only)
     worldsize                  = 1                                                                  !< MPI worldsize (/=1 for MPI simulations only)
   integer(4), protected, public :: &
-    DAMASK_NumThreadsInt       =  0                                                                 !< value stored in environment variable DAMASK_NUM_THREADS, set to zero if no OpenMP directive
-
+    DAMASK_NumThreadsInt       = 0                                                                  !< value stored in environment variable DAMASK_NUM_THREADS, set to zero if no OpenMP directive
 
   public :: &
     config_init, &
@@ -49,7 +48,6 @@ subroutine config_init
   call parse_numerics
   call parse_debug
 
-  
 end subroutine config_init
 
 
@@ -59,7 +57,7 @@ end subroutine config_init
 subroutine parse_material
 
   logical :: fileExists
-  character(len=:), allocatable :: fname,flow
+  character(len=:), allocatable :: fname
 
   fname = getSolverJobName()//'.yaml'
   inquire(file=fname,exist=fileExists)
@@ -68,10 +66,8 @@ subroutine parse_material
     inquire(file=fname,exist=fileExists)
     if(.not. fileExists) call IO_error(100,ext_msg=fname)
   endif
-
-  write(6,'(/,a)') ' reading '//fname; flush(6)
-  flow = to_flow(IO_read(fname))
-  material_root => parse_flow(flow)
+  write(6,*) 'reading '//fname; flush(6)
+  material_root => parse_flow(to_flow(IO_read(fname)))
 
 end subroutine parse_material
 
@@ -82,11 +78,9 @@ end subroutine parse_material
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 subroutine parse_numerics
 
-!$ integer :: gotDAMASK_NUM_THREADS = 1
-  integer :: ierr
-  character(len=:), allocatable :: &
-    numerics_inFlow
   logical :: fexist
+  integer :: ierr
+!$ integer :: gotDAMASK_NUM_THREADS = 1
 !$ character(len=6) DAMASK_NumThreadsString                                                         ! environment variable DAMASK_NUM_THREADS
 
 #ifdef PETSc
@@ -106,12 +100,9 @@ subroutine parse_numerics
 
   numerics_root => emptyDict
   inquire(file='numerics.yaml', exist=fexist)
-  
   if (fexist) then
-    write(6,'(a,/)') ' using values from config.yaml file'
-    flush(6)
-    numerics_inFlow = to_flow(IO_read('numerics.yaml'))
-    numerics_root =>  parse_flow(numerics_inFlow)
+    write(6,*) 'reading numerics.yaml'; flush(6)
+    numerics_root =>  parse_flow(to_flow(IO_read('numerics.yaml')))
   endif
 
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -126,18 +117,13 @@ end subroutine parse_numerics
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 subroutine parse_debug
 
-  character(len=:), allocatable :: debug_inFlow
   logical :: fexist 
 
-#ifdef DEBUG
-  write(6,'(a)') achar(27)//'[31m <<<+-  DEBUG version  -+>>>'//achar(27)//'[0m'
-#endif
-
   debug_root => emptyDict
   inquire(file='debug.yaml', exist=fexist)
   fileExists: if (fexist) then
-    debug_inFlow = to_flow(IO_read('debug.yaml'))
-    debug_root   => parse_flow(debug_inFlow)
+    write(6,*) 'reading debug.yaml'; flush(6)
+    debug_root  => parse_flow(to_flow(IO_read('debug.yaml')))
   endif fileExists
 
 end subroutine parse_debug
@@ -148,8 +134,8 @@ end subroutine parse_debug
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 subroutine config_deallocate
 
-  deallocate(material_root)                            !ToDo: deallocation of numerics and debug (slightly different for optional files)
-  
+  deallocate(material_root)                                                                         !ToDo: deallocation of numerics debug (optional)
+
 end subroutine config_deallocate
 
 end module config