diff --git a/src/lisflood/global_modules/settings.py b/src/lisflood/global_modules/settings.py
index 6ee4f6e7..7a307c94 100644
--- a/src/lisflood/global_modules/settings.py
+++ b/src/lisflood/global_modules/settings.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 from pandas._libs.tslibs.parsing import parse_time_string
 import numpy as np
 
-from .errors import LisfloodError, LisfloodWarning
+from .errors import LisfloodError, LisfloodWarning, LisfloodFileError
 from .decorators import cached
 from .default_options import default_options
 
@@ -190,7 +190,8 @@ def __str__(self):
 
     def __init__(self, settings_file):
         dom = xml.dom.minidom.parse(settings_file)
-        self.settings_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.dirname((os.path.abspath(settings_file))))
+        self.settings_dir = os.path.normpath(os.path.dirname((os.path.abspath(settings_file))))
+        self.settings_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.abspath(settings_file))
         user_settings, bindings = self._bindings(dom)
         self.timestep_init = None if not bindings.get('timestepInit') else bindings['timestepInit']
         self.output_dir = self._out_dirs(user_settings)
@@ -315,7 +316,7 @@ def _bindings(self, dom):
         #  built-in user variables
         user = {
             'ProjectDir': project_dir, 'ProjectPath': project_dir,
-            'SettingsDir': self.settings_path, 'SettingsPath': self.settings_path,
+            'SettingsDir': self.settings_dir, 'SettingsPath': self.settings_dir,
         }
         # get all the bindings in the first part of the settingsfile = lfuser
         # list of elements "lfuser" in settings file
@@ -342,9 +343,11 @@ def _bindings(self, dom):
             binding[i] = expr
 
         # Read the calendar type from the precipitation forcing NetCDF file
-        with Dataset(binding["PrecipitationMaps"] + ".nc") as nc:
+        precipitation_map_path = binding["PrecipitationMaps"] + '.nc'
+        if not os.path.exists(precipitation_map_path):
+            raise LisfloodFileError(precipitation_map_path)
+        with Dataset(precipitation_map_path) as nc:
             binding["calendar_type"] = get_calendar_type(nc)
-
         return user, binding
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -358,8 +361,7 @@ def _report_steps(user_settings, bindings):
         for i in repsteps:
             if '..' in i:
                 j = list(map(int, i.split('..')))
-                for jj in range(j[0], j[1] + 1):
-                    jjj.append(jj)
+                jjj = list(range(j[0], j[1] + 1))
             else:
                 jjj.append(i)
         res['rep'] = list(map(int, jjj))
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index f98c4e73..509cbff4 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -35,14 +35,14 @@
 
 class TestLis(object):
     reference_files = {
-        'dis_drina': {'outpath': os.path.join(current_dir, 'data/Drina/reference/dis'),
-                      'report_map': 'DischargeMaps',
-                      'report_tss': 'DisTS'
-                      },
-        'dis_madeira': {'outpath': os.path.join(current_dir, 'data/Madeira/reference/dis'),
-                      'report_map': 'DischargeMaps',
-                      'report_tss': 'DisTS'
-                      }
+        'dis_1': {'outpath': os.path.join(current_dir, 'data/TestCatchment1/reference/dis'),
+                  'report_map': 'DischargeMaps',
+                  'report_tss': 'DisTS'
+                  },
+        'dis_2': {'outpath': os.path.join(current_dir, 'data/TestCatchment2/reference/dis'),
+                  'report_map': 'DischargeMaps',
+                  'report_tss': 'DisTS'
+                  }
     }
 
     domain = None
@@ -92,7 +92,9 @@ def check_var_step(cls, var, step):
             perc_wrong = float(wrong_values_size * 100) / float(diff_values.size)
             if perc_wrong >= cls.max_perc_wrong or perc_wrong >= cls.max_perc_wrong_large_diff and large_diff:
                 print('[ERROR]')
-                print('Var: {} - STEP {}: {:3.9f}% of values are different. max diff: {:3.4f}'.format(var, step, perc_wrong, max_diff))
+                print('Var: {} - STEP {}: {:3.9f}% of values are different. max diff: {:3.4f}'.format(var, step,
+                                                                                                      perc_wrong,
+                                                                                                      max_diff))
                 return False
             else:
                 print('[OK] {} {}'.format(var, step))
diff --git a/tests/smoke_tests.py b/tests/smoke_tests.py
index b4cdcc66..299945a5 100644
--- a/tests/smoke_tests.py
+++ b/tests/smoke_tests.py
@@ -23,15 +23,15 @@
 current_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 
 
-class TestDrina(TestLis):
-    settings_path = os.path.join(current_dir, 'data/Drina/settings/lisfloodSettings_cold_day_base.xml')
+class TestCatch1(TestLis):
+    settings_path = os.path.join(current_dir, 'data/TestCatchment1/settings/cold_day_base.xml')
 
     def test_dis(self):
-        return self.listest('dis_drina')
+        return self.listest('dis_1')
 
 
-class TestMadeira(TestLis):
-    settings_path = os.path.join(current_dir, 'data/Madeira/settings/settings_Madeira_prerun.xml')
+class TestCatch2(TestLis):
+    settings_path = os.path.join(current_dir, 'data/TestCatchment2/settings/prerun.xml')
 
     def test_dis(self):
-        return self.listest('dis_madeira')
+        return self.listest('dis_2')