diff --git a/polaris/yaml.py b/polaris/yaml.py
index 065397b3c..0df2264f9 100644
--- a/polaris/yaml.py
+++ b/polaris/yaml.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def read(cls, filename, package=None, replacements=None, model=None):
             keys = list(configs)
             if len(keys) > 1:
                 raise ValueError(
-                    f'Config yaml file contains unexpected sections:\n '
+                    f'Config yaml file contains unexpected sections: \n '
                     f'{keys[1:]}')
             model = keys[0]
 
@@ -200,11 +200,11 @@ def main_mpas_to_yaml():
                         help="MPAS namelist template file (with all namelist "
                              "options). For MPAS-Ocean, this will typically be"
                              " ${PATH_TO_MPASO}/default_inputs/"
-                             "namelist.forward.ocean")
+                             "namelist.ocean.forward")
     parser.add_argument("-y", "--yaml", dest="yaml",
                         required=True,
                         help="Output yaml file")
-    parser.add_argument("-m", "--model", dest="model", default='omega',
+    parser.add_argument("-m", "--model", dest="model", default='mpas-ocean',
                         help="Model name for the yaml")
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ def _update_section(src, dst, quiet, print_section=None):
             if name not in dst:
                 raise ValueError(
                     f'Attempting to modify a nonexistent config '
-                    f'options:{print_section}: {name}')
+                    f'options: {print_section}: {name}')
             if not quiet:
                 print(f'  {print_section}: {name} = {src[name]}')
             dst[name] = src[name]