diff --git a/WDmodel/io.py b/WDmodel/io.py
index c8e2a2d..6752ea6 100644
--- a/WDmodel/io.py
+++ b/WDmodel/io.py
@@ -875,7 +875,7 @@ def make_outdirs(dirname, redo=False, resume=False):
         raise OSError(message)
 
 
-def set_objname_outdir_for_specfile(specfile, outdir=None, outroot=None, redo=False, resume=False):
+def set_objname_outdir_for_specfile(specfile, outdir=None, outroot=None, redo=False, resume=False, nocreate=False):
     """
     Sets the short human readable object name and output directory
 
@@ -891,6 +891,8 @@ def set_objname_outdir_for_specfile(specfile, outdir=None, outroot=None, redo=Fa
         If ``False`` the directory will not be created if it already exists, and an error is raised
     resume : bool, optional
         If ``False`` the directory will not be created if it already exists, and an error is raised
+    nocreate: bool, optional
+        If  ``True`` then creation of output directories is not even attempted
 
     Returns
     -------
@@ -912,7 +914,8 @@ def set_objname_outdir_for_specfile(specfile, outdir=None, outroot=None, redo=Fa
         dirname = os.path.join(outroot, objname, basespec)
     else:
         dirname = outdir
-    make_outdirs(dirname, redo=redo, resume=resume)
+    if not nocreate:
+        make_outdirs(dirname, redo=redo, resume=resume)
     return objname, dirname
 
 
diff --git a/bin/print_WDmodel_residual_table b/bin/print_WDmodel_residual_table
index 943a5fe..7021f3d 100755
--- a/bin/print_WDmodel_residual_table
+++ b/bin/print_WDmodel_residual_table
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def main(inargs=None):
     pbs = pbs.split(',')
 
     for specfile in specfiles:
-        objname, outdir = WDmodel.io.set_objname_outdir_for_specfile(specfile, outroot=args.outroot, outdir=args.outdir, resume=True)
+        objname, outdir = WDmodel.io.set_objname_outdir_for_specfile(specfile, outroot=args.outroot, outdir=args.outdir, nocreate=True)
         outfile = WDmodel.io.get_outfile(outdir, specfile, '_phot_model.dat')
         try:
             phot = WDmodel.io.read_phot(outfile)
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ def main(inargs=None):
     precision = [None, None] + [4,4,4,4]*len(pbs)
     with open('residual_table.dat', 'w') as f:
         f.write(rec2txt(out, precision=precision )+'\n')
-    
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/bin/print_WDmodel_result_table b/bin/print_WDmodel_result_table
index 6e00783..4d010f2 100755
--- a/bin/print_WDmodel_result_table
+++ b/bin/print_WDmodel_result_table
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def main(inargs=None):
     colbool = False
 
     for specfile in specfiles:
-        objname, outdir = WDmodel.io.set_objname_outdir_for_specfile(specfile, outroot=args.outroot, outdir=args.outdir, resume=True)
+        objname, outdir = WDmodel.io.set_objname_outdir_for_specfile(specfile, outroot=args.outroot, outdir=args.outdir, nocreate=True)
         outfile = WDmodel.io.get_outfile(outdir, specfile, '_result.json')
         try:
             params = WDmodel.io.read_params(outfile)
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def main(inargs=None):
     out.sort()
     precision = [None, None] + [2,2,2]*7 + [5,5,5] + [2,2,2] + [4,4,4]
     print(rec2txt(out, precision=precision ))
-    
+
 
 if __name__=='__main__':
     main(sys.argv[1:])
diff --git a/bin/print_WDmodel_synmags_table b/bin/print_WDmodel_synmags_table
index 60c00a6..2ffa01d 100755
--- a/bin/print_WDmodel_synmags_table
+++ b/bin/print_WDmodel_synmags_table
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def main(inargs=None):
 
     out = []
     for specfile in specfiles:
-        objname, outdir = WDmodel.io.set_objname_outdir_for_specfile(specfile, outroot=args.outroot, outdir=args.outdir, resume=True)
+        objname, outdir = WDmodel.io.set_objname_outdir_for_specfile(specfile, outroot=args.outroot, outdir=args.outdir, nocreate=True)
         sedfile = WDmodel.io.get_outfile(outdir, specfile, '_full_model.hdf5')
         try:
             fullsed = WDmodel.io.read_full_model(sedfile)