diff --git a/dart/api/core.py b/dart/api/core.py
index 4bd4eba909ed11ef2b6330e6ef27f4935ebf14f2..332baa13de382e45700a1b5915a837d42e291202 100644
--- a/dart/api/core.py
+++ b/dart/api/core.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 ## Initialize DART
 # Adrien Crovato
 
-def initDart(cfg, scenario='aerodynamic', task='analysis', viscous=False):
+def init_dart(cfg, scenario='aerodynamic', task='analysis', viscous=False):
     """Initlialize DART for various API
 
     Parameters
@@ -124,7 +124,8 @@ def initDart(cfg, scenario='aerodynamic', task='analysis', viscous=False):
         _qinf = None
 
     # Mesh creation
-    _msh = gmsh.MeshLoader(cfg['File']).execute(**cfg['Pars'])
+    pars = {} if 'Pars' not in cfg else cfg['Pars']
+    _msh = gmsh.MeshLoader(cfg['File']).execute(**pars)
     # add the wake
     if _dim == 2:
         mshCrck = tbox.MshCrack(_msh, _dim)
diff --git a/dart/api/cupydo.py b/dart/api/cupydo.py
index 9a7bc6a29befd7c4afcd661526f0ab86e8a96105..07646e9d4599b3c78565bb52c3307ef8d1c42e99 100644
--- a/dart/api/cupydo.py
+++ b/dart/api/cupydo.py
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ class Dart(FluidSolver):
         module = __import__(_module)
         params = module.getParams()
         params['Threads'] = _nthreads
-        from dart.api.core import initDart
-        _dart = initDart(params, scenario='aerostructural', task='analysis')
+        from .core import init_dart
+        _dart = init_dart(params, scenario='aerostructural', task='analysis')
         self.qinf, self.msh, self.writer, self.morpher, self.boundary, self.solver = (_dart.get(key) for key in ['qinf', 'msh', 'wrt', 'mrf', 'bnd', 'sol'])
 
         # count fsi nodes and get their positions
diff --git a/dart/api/internal/polar.py b/dart/api/internal/polar.py
index a780f3101aa71166ef384e0767eb82a4c9542dea..1922425785526f6b1308f9f582f01cfd271f8638 100644
--- a/dart/api/internal/polar.py
+++ b/dart/api/internal/polar.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import dart.utils as dU
 import tbox.utils as tU
 import fwk
 from fwk.coloring import ccolors
-from ..core import initDart
+from ..core import init_dart
 
 class Polar:
     """Utility to compute the polar of a lifting surface
@@ -65,13 +65,8 @@ class Polar:
         # basic init
         self.tms = fwk.Timers()
         self.tms["total"].start()
-        _dart = initDart(p, scenario='aerodynamic', task='analysis')
-        self.dim = _dart['dim']
-        self.msh = _dart['msh']
-        self.wrt = _dart['wrt']
-        self.pbl = _dart['pbl']
-        self.bnd = _dart['bnd']
-        self.sol = _dart['sol']
+        _dart = init_dart(p, scenario='aerodynamic', task='analysis')
+        self.dim, self.msh, self.wrt, self.pbl, self.bnd, self.sol = (_dart.get(key) for key in ['dim', 'msh', 'wrt', 'pbl', 'bnd', 'sol'])
         # save some parameters for later use
         self.format = p['Format']
         try:
diff --git a/dart/api/internal/trim.py b/dart/api/internal/trim.py
index 976e882f7644b26645f15ab1d7bee4303689554f..6fbe7e7bb353264f40ea69177c95fcf8f2f99d76 100644
--- a/dart/api/internal/trim.py
+++ b/dart/api/internal/trim.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import dart.utils as dU
 import tbox.utils as tU
 import fwk
 from fwk.coloring import ccolors
-from ..core import initDart
+from ..core import init_dart
 
 class Trim:
     """Utility to perform the trim analysis of a given lifting configuration
@@ -64,13 +64,8 @@ class Trim:
         # basic init
         self.tms = fwk.Timers()
         self.tms["total"].start()
-        _dart = initDart(p, scenario='aerodynamic', task='analysis')
-        self.dim = _dart['dim']
-        self.msh = _dart['msh']
-        self.wrt = _dart['wrt']
-        self.pbl = _dart['pbl']
-        self.bnd = _dart['bnd']
-        self.sol = _dart['sol']
+        _dart = init_dart(p, scenario='aerodynamic', task='analysis')
+        self.dim, self.msh, self.wrt, self.pbl, self.bnd, self.sol = (_dart.get(key) for key in ['dim', 'msh', 'wrt', 'pbl', 'bnd', 'sol'])
         # save some parameters for later use
         self.format = p['Format']
         try:
diff --git a/dart/api/mphys.py b/dart/api/mphys.py
index d61d932850e43ae5a587ab9d67e6de0763784288..46414727f42af5aecd6384ac13755fb3aefafc28 100644
--- a/dart/api/mphys.py
+++ b/dart/api/mphys.py
@@ -528,9 +528,9 @@ class DartBuilder(Builder):
         comm: mpi4py.MPI.Comm object
             MPI communicator
         """
-        from .core import initDart
+        from .core import init_dart
         def _init():
-            self.__dart = initDart(self.__cfg, scenario=self.__scn, task=self.__tsk)
+            self.__dart = init_dart(self.__cfg, scenario=self.__scn, task=self.__tsk)
         # If n MPI processes, init DART on rank=0,...,n-1 sequentially to avoid issues with mesh IO
         # If mpi4py is not available or only 1 MPI process, init DART as usual
         try:
diff --git a/dart/validation/crm.py b/dart/validation/crm.py
index dbc5234fa91691fdfa5618d1d01ac1c4ff2d9247..27ebf2bd417ff7e7aca0582a29d6f6498c1b17cb 100644
--- a/dart/validation/crm.py
+++ b/dart/validation/crm.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ def cfg():
     }
 
 def main():
-    from dart.api.core import initDart
+    from dart.api.core import init_dart
     from dart import utils
     from fwk import Timers
     from fwk.testing import CTest, CTests
@@ -93,10 +93,8 @@ def main():
     # pre
     tms = Timers()
     tms['pre'].start()
-    _dart = initDart(cfg(), scenario='aerodynamic', task='analysis')
-    msh = _dart['msh']
-    sol = _dart['sol']
-    wrt = _dart['wrt']
+    _dart = init_dart(cfg(), scenario='aerodynamic', task='analysis')
+    msh, wrt, sol = (_dart.get(key) for key in ['msh', 'wrt', 'sol'])
     tms['pre'].stop()
     # solve
     tms['sol'].start()
diff --git a/vii/api/core.py b/vii/api/core.py
index 31bda7246822c18ca9bff07da3b3cf61f9e8791b..ff23fe5ccc7428b29e96472188350da13bc624e1 100644
--- a/vii/api/core.py
+++ b/vii/api/core.py
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ def initVII(cfg, icfg, iSolverName='DART'):
 
     if iSolverName == 'DART':
         from vii.interfaces.dart.DartInterface import DartInterface as interface
-        from dart.api.core import initDart
-        iSolverObjects = initDart(icfg, scenario=icfg['scenario'], task=icfg['task'], viscous = 1)
+        from dart.api.core import init_dart
+        iSolverObjects = init_dart(icfg, scenario=icfg['scenario'], task=icfg['task'], viscous = 1)
 
     # Check viscous solver parameters.
     if 'Re' in cfg and cfg['Re'] > 0: