diff --git a/src/IO.f90 b/src/IO.f90
index 399e2e6df..961e92d63 100644
--- a/src/IO.f90
+++ b/src/IO.f90
@@ -119,9 +119,10 @@ function IO_read(fileName) result(fileContent)
   character(len=:), allocatable :: fileContent
 
   integer ::  &
-    fileLength, &
     fileUnit, &
     myStat
+  integer(pI64) ::  &
+    fileLength
 
 
   inquire(file = fileName, size=fileLength)
diff --git a/src/grid/DAMASK_grid.f90 b/src/grid/DAMASK_grid.f90
index 9c31b6f26..800003552 100644
--- a/src/grid/DAMASK_grid.f90
+++ b/src/grid/DAMASK_grid.f90
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ program DAMASK_grid
     step_bc, &
     step_mech, &
     step_discretization
+  character(len=:), allocatable :: &
+    fileContent
 
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ! init DAMASK (all modules)
@@ -127,6 +129,12 @@ program DAMASK_grid
   if (stagItMax < 0)    call IO_error(301,ext_msg='maxStaggeredIter')
   if (maxCutBack < 0)   call IO_error(301,ext_msg='maxCutBack')
 
+  if (worldrank == 0) then
+    fileContent = IO_read(interface_loadFile)
+    call results_openJobFile(parallel=.false.)
+    call results_writeDataset_str(fileContent,'setup',interface_loadFile,'load case definition (grid solver)')
+    call results_closeJobFile
+  endif
   config_load => YAML_parse_file(trim(interface_loadFile))
   solver => config_load%get('solver')
 
diff --git a/src/grid/discretization_grid.f90 b/src/grid/discretization_grid.f90
index f94c9921b..8592f7963 100644
--- a/src/grid/discretization_grid.f90
+++ b/src/grid/discretization_grid.f90
@@ -68,9 +68,6 @@ subroutine discretization_grid_init(restart)
     devNull, z, z_offset
   integer, dimension(worldsize) :: &
     displs, sendcounts
-  integer :: fileUnit, myStat
-  integer(pI64) :: &
-    fileLength
   character(len=:), allocatable :: &
     fileContent
 
@@ -79,13 +76,7 @@ subroutine discretization_grid_init(restart)
 
 
   if(worldrank == 0) then
-    inquire(file = trim(interface_geomFile), size=fileLength)
-    open(newunit=fileUnit, file=trim(interface_geomFile), access='stream',&
-         status='old', position='rewind', action='read',iostat=myStat)
-    if(myStat /= 0) call IO_error(100,ext_msg=trim(interface_geomFile))
-    allocate(character(len=fileLength)::fileContent)
-    read(fileUnit) fileContent
-    close(fileUnit)
+    fileContent = IO_read(interface_geomFile)
     call readVTI(grid,geomSize,origin,materialAt_global,fileContent)
     call results_openJobFile(parallel=.false.)
     call results_writeDataset_str(fileContent,'setup',interface_geomFile,'geometry definition (grid solver)')