diff --git a/dumux/discretization/staggered/freeflow/velocityoutput.hh b/dumux/discretization/staggered/freeflow/velocityoutput.hh
index d9d5e40672da8bc39499b511ac45115e61cca3fc..57ad84f92112e3782560c270296960f0fc88e91e 100644
--- a/dumux/discretization/staggered/freeflow/velocityoutput.hh
+++ b/dumux/discretization/staggered/freeflow/velocityoutput.hh
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ public:
     , sol_(sol)
     {
         // check if velocity vectors shall be written to the VTK file
-        enableOutput_ = getParamFromGroup<bool>(gridVariables.curGridVolVars().problem().paramGroup(), "Vtk.AddVelocity");
+        // enable per default
+        enableOutput_ = getParamFromGroup<bool>(gridVariables.curGridVolVars().problem().paramGroup(), "Vtk.AddVelocity", true);
     }
 
     //! Returns whether to enable the velocity output or not
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ private:
     const GridVariables& gridVariables_;
     const SolutionVector& sol_;
 
-    bool enableOutput_;
+    bool enableOutput_ = true;
 };
 
 } // end namespace Dumux
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_navierstokes.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_navierstokes.input
index 112b0f2a1d47fa6bb814210743c85d331d2f3bbc..8583ee9652fccac58aac861b4c5567be5bfa5985 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_navierstokes.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_navierstokes.input
@@ -16,5 +16,4 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokes.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokes.input
index 651184566d82b7a8ae13f871dfedbbbcd30a4c22..ed56ca7244765073bde8fd562d9cb9f6ba26b776 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokes.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokes.input
@@ -16,10 +16,8 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
 
-
 [Assembly]
 NumericDifference.BaseEpsilon =  1e-8
 
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokesni_conduction.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokesni_conduction.input
index ebc6488b7575d34694ddd7cd38548610b2409494..cb06ec9a95ec981026f291f18aeed775b469334d 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokesni_conduction.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokesni_conduction.input
@@ -16,5 +16,4 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokesni_convection.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokesni_convection.input
index dbaf6ddb5d40950afbfb651c7d8714d52e647f92..353c4b358286f1d98507288cf168d8b1190ca478 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokesni_convection.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_channel_stokesni_convection.input
@@ -16,5 +16,4 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_hydrostaticpressure.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_hydrostaticpressure.input
index a48eb5fb26b694193d612146c8322f686880890b..4dcaf50ac099bf6febb0216d1ea236648f075fcb 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_hydrostaticpressure.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_hydrostaticpressure.input
@@ -19,5 +19,4 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_liddrivencavity_re1.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_liddrivencavity_re1.input
index 8a7be861e59cc1888271094676a6a3824e57cc14..286d9c374e40237b2e67f79d3cde4ad00d40d5e8 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_liddrivencavity_re1.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_liddrivencavity_re1.input
@@ -20,5 +20,4 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_liddrivencavity_re1000.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_liddrivencavity_re1000.input
index d0204fd129c6001ee600cc3ed6051fd78af79baf..cd5be48163103ec699c0a3a6d4c75654687d96a7 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_liddrivencavity_re1000.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_liddrivencavity_re1000.input
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ MaxRelativeShift = 1e-8
 NumericDifference.BaseEpsilon = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
 
 [Implicit]
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_1d.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_1d.input
index 28c4f696f16bc534bfa8464e4cc3e7d302d3cf27..a6a61d826508d3a3da14a34c5b40a3d524227cbe 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_1d.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_1d.input
@@ -17,4 +17,3 @@ MaxRelativeShift = 1e-9
 
 [Vtk]
 WriteFaceData = false
-AddVelocity = true
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_angeli.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_angeli.input
index 230e41dda782f4fda467451e08112be334bd52d4..787d776fc0f31babd2b6c3c381c844f97f7aeef4 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_angeli.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_angeli.input
@@ -25,4 +25,3 @@ MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
 
 [Vtk]
 WriteFaceData = false
-AddVelocity = true
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_kovasznay.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_kovasznay.input
index 03029c6f4623315826bb61f7d797442e77a78394..1ac0582f42bd170bba6c60edb099d72103080691 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_kovasznay.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_navierstokes_kovasznay.input
@@ -18,4 +18,3 @@ MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
 
 [Vtk]
 WriteFaceData = false
-AddVelocity = true
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_channel_3d.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_channel_3d.input
index ce28a56783b4b492a37b7bad3a5a4aa6c648addb..7193f13d9b169550e0f695113b53d0d9067121da 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_channel_3d.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_channel_3d.input
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
 
 [FluxOverPlane]
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_channel_pseudo3d.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_channel_pseudo3d.input
index 462959a1c6ea09ca25b417ac58fc865659cf79c1..e450d1a3b7a0259b60763e538f19c8350e47af73 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_channel_pseudo3d.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_channel_pseudo3d.input
@@ -22,4 +22,3 @@ NumericDifference.BaseEpsilon = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
 WriteFaceData = false
-AddVelocity = true
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_donea.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_donea.input
index 1304128ffdee14e4d4726d9d1977df12e5af7bb9..cf34501bff789d31c8d358002e03b4ba14a01c17 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_donea.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokes/test_stokes_donea.input
@@ -13,4 +13,3 @@ MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
 
 [Vtk]
 WriteFaceData = false
-AddVelocity = true
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_msfreeflow.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_msfreeflow.input
index 2bd101ed81f279c6e2e395fffc706d896d293d6b..c0eccab791b15eae0956102701bd78d5b0f4633c 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_msfreeflow.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_msfreeflow.input
@@ -20,3 +20,4 @@ MaxRelativeShift = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
 WriteFaceData = false
+AddVelocity = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_advection.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_advection.input
index d3558dec4cc951d7515cdc0c0690064f7242b4ae..7b79ad42474cf32304666bfc251750d25b625734 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_advection.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_advection.input
@@ -19,5 +19,4 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_densitydrivenflow.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_densitydrivenflow.input
index ae643fd64ca37b001645e3b6a3708531745bb237..e3dcd14f576da8ceff8486d1fec4e2dab36558dd 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_densitydrivenflow.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_densitydrivenflow.input
@@ -20,5 +20,4 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_purediffusion.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_purediffusion.input
index bb365a1671bd4d476d1cd8a6371e85e9c11fb8d0..4fa305b802a40addcbd8bb0c01ad5aa8bdce9ad3 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_purediffusion.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2c_purediffusion.input
@@ -16,5 +16,4 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2cni_advection.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2cni_advection.input
index 8580cc0dff70f35bc4cc5ecf247571f82e91f12b..43a8a92c73bd2c1789611063fac6ec00c2d85e10 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2cni_advection.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2cni_advection.input
@@ -19,5 +19,4 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2cni_diffusion.input b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2cni_diffusion.input
index ec46ddaf8e7b06ac342df09bcfd8991732af21cb..82d99aacafae206fcf24800644457db573405462 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2cni_diffusion.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/navierstokesnc/test_stokes2cni_diffusion.input
@@ -16,5 +16,4 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-8
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer.input b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer.input
index b0245e8898ea05886f7d7c25b812d520bf72190d..05350ff926cae7b7c0dcc3eb165b5932799a8f06 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer.input
@@ -37,5 +37,4 @@ TargetSteps = 5
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference.input b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference.input
index ef597de3f08a2da497d017ae1a9029a9177a96b8..398523ccd1c90b5b63ae7b8c9123d6427c262a4d 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference.input
@@ -31,5 +31,4 @@ TargetSteps = 5
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-6
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference_wallfunction.input b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference_wallfunction.input
index b0e86caf4e7ee138374549c37ccd4037e7660041..e1dccd2249a9d3e4d142ba745d64ab9861bfecfc 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference_wallfunction.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_laufer_reference_wallfunction.input
@@ -30,5 +30,4 @@ TargetSteps = 5
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = true
diff --git a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_zeroeqni.input b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_zeroeqni.input
index 924d1259068a63aa870eca9865b69c759c6b2e03..9826fde70816d78ae246bd799636ab2acca0c0d6 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_zeroeqni.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/rans/test_pipe_zeroeqni.input
@@ -29,5 +29,4 @@ MaxSteps = 10
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
 
 [Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
 WriteFaceData = false
diff --git a/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2c.input b/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2c.input
index d55a97171556db467dee87ba06ed1c1cf37b9eea..7ebd7c9baeb919cd936f45eaf9e9027b392f3645 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2c.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2c.input
@@ -27,6 +27,3 @@ NumericEpsilon.BaseEpsilon = 1e-8
 MaxSteps = 10
 TargetSteps = 8
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
-
-[Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
diff --git a/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni.input b/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni.input
index b23acfd7ee636916bc0126169bb926412cb8b552..ed2afed061316d3bfae2075e28539d04d86d8fad 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni.input
@@ -27,6 +27,3 @@ NumericDifferenceMethod = 0
 MaxSteps = 10
 TargetSteps = 8
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
-
-[Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true
diff --git a/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni_wallfunction.input b/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni_wallfunction.input
index 53b88eeca2ee4beaca00ae65a3b5188b8dd9655e..a39400964f9003fe7dabcbf70aae2bb0ef09ab80 100644
--- a/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni_wallfunction.input
+++ b/test/freeflow/ransnc/test_flatplate2cni_wallfunction.input
@@ -28,6 +28,3 @@ NumericDifferenceMethod = 0
 MaxSteps = 10
 TargetSteps = 8
 MaxRelativeShift = 1e-5
-
-[Vtk]
-AddVelocity = true