Index: trunk/ippTools/src/flatcorr.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/ippTools/src/flatcorr.c	(revision 16613)
+++ trunk/ippTools/src/flatcorr.c	(revision 16621)
@@ -106,5 +106,4 @@
     PXOPT_COPY_TIME(config->args, where, "-dateobs_end", "dateobs", "<=");
     PXOPT_COPY_STR(config->args, where, "-exp_tag", "exp_tag", "==");
-    PXOPT_COPY_STR(config->args, where, "-exp_type", "exp_type", "==");
     PXOPT_COPY_STR(config->args, where, "-filelevel", "filelvel", "==");
     PXOPT_COPY_STR(config->args, where, "-reduction", "reduction", "==");
@@ -140,5 +139,6 @@
     if (where->list->n < 1) {
         psFree(where);
-        where = NULL;
+        psError(PXTOOLS_ERR_DATA, false, "search parameters are required");
+        return false;
     }
 
@@ -151,4 +151,7 @@
     PXOPT_LOOKUP_STR(tess_id, config->args, "-set_tess_id", false, false);
     PXOPT_LOOKUP_STR(end_stage, config->args, "-set_end_stage", false, false);
+
+    // default
+    PXOPT_COPY_STR(config->args, where, "-exp_type", "exp_type", "==");
 
     PXOPT_LOOKUP_BOOL(pretend, config->args, "-pretend", false);
Index: trunk/ippTools/src/flatcorrConfig.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/ippTools/src/flatcorrConfig.c	(revision 16613)
+++ trunk/ippTools/src/flatcorrConfig.c	(revision 16621)
@@ -63,5 +63,5 @@
             "search by exp_tag", NULL);
     psMetadataAddStr(newrunArgs, PS_LIST_TAIL, "-exp_type",  0,
-            "search by exp_type", NULL);
+            "search by exp_type", "object");
     psMetadataAddStr(newrunArgs, PS_LIST_TAIL, "-filelevel",  0,
             "search by filelevel", NULL);