diff --git a/dumux/decoupled/common/impetproblem.hh b/dumux/decoupled/common/impetproblem.hh
index 6e034a3419ce9d7ea0156c6e74e90c3009a5905d..19b7b6fad7192e7932a2c7b4f50981a043f3c9c5 100644
--- a/dumux/decoupled/common/impetproblem.hh
+++ b/dumux/decoupled/common/impetproblem.hh
@@ -309,10 +309,8 @@ public:
     void initialAtPos(PrimaryVariables &values,
                       const GlobalPosition &globalPos) const
     {
-        // Throw an exception (there is no initial condition)
-        DUNE_THROW(Dune::InvalidStateException,
-                   "The problem does not provide "
-                   "a initialAtPos() method.");
+        // initialize with 0 by default
+        values = 0;
     }
 
     /*!
diff --git a/dumux/decoupled/common/onemodelproblem.hh b/dumux/decoupled/common/onemodelproblem.hh
index ce0961d26b90b4a5e4b913392500e7cc2ce79a6c..d34009071a535f412810658719fa07fa21ea92ed 100644
--- a/dumux/decoupled/common/onemodelproblem.hh
+++ b/dumux/decoupled/common/onemodelproblem.hh
@@ -311,10 +311,8 @@ public:
     void initialAtPos(PrimaryVariables &values,
             const GlobalPosition &globalPos) const
     {
-        // Throw an exception (there is no initial condition)
-        DUNE_THROW(Dune::InvalidStateException,
-                   "The problem does not provide "
-                   "a initialAtPos() method.");
+        // initialize with 0 by default
+        values = 0;
     }
 
     /*!