diff --git a/DDSim/DD4hepSimulation.py b/DDSim/DD4hepSimulation.py
index 5f267174a4c2c617c5ada0df8443618d01a1e340..1e3c78e275e840613e146385ede3dd9ec82a64bd 100644
--- a/DDSim/DD4hepSimulation.py
+++ b/DDSim/DD4hepSimulation.py
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ class DD4hepSimulation(object):
       self.steeringFile = parsed.steeringFile
       self.readSteeringFile()
 
+    ## readSteeringFile will set self._argv to None if there is a steering file
+    if self._argv is None:
+      self._argv = list(argv) if argv else list(sys.argv)
+
+
     parser.add_argument("--compactFile", action="store", default=self.compactFile,
                         help="The compact XML file")