diff --git a/framework/src/problems/FEProblemBase.C b/framework/src/problems/FEProblemBase.C
index d26e8e40dc21..5b37304c2a5a 100644
--- a/framework/src/problems/FEProblemBase.C
+++ b/framework/src/problems/FEProblemBase.C
@@ -4504,13 +4504,15 @@ FEProblemBase::addTransfer(const std::string & transfer_name,
     std::shared_ptr<MultiApp> multiapp;
     if (parameters.isParamValid("multi_app"))
       multiapp = getMultiApp(parameters.get<MultiAppName>("multi_app"));
-    else if (parameters.isParamValid("from_multi_app"))
-      multiapp = getMultiApp(parameters.get<MultiAppName>("from_multi_app"));
-    else if (parameters.isParamValid("to_multi_app"))
-      multiapp = getMultiApp(parameters.get<MultiAppName>("to_multi_app"));
-    else
-      mooseError("Should not reach here");
-    exec_enum = multiapp->getParam<ExecFlagEnum>("execute_on");
+    else if (parameters.isParamValid("from_multiapp"))
+      multiapp = getMultiApp(parameters.get<MultiAppName>("from_multiapp"));
+    else if (parameters.isParamValid("to_multiapp"))
+      multiapp = getMultiApp(parameters.get<MultiAppName>("to_multiapp"));
+    // else do nothing because the user has provided invalid input. They should get a nice error
+    // about this during transfer construction. This necessitates checking for null in this next
+    // line, however
+    if (multiapp)
+      exec_enum = multiapp->getParam<ExecFlagEnum>("execute_on");
   }
 
   // Create the Transfer objects
diff --git a/framework/src/transfers/MultiAppTransfer.C b/framework/src/transfers/MultiAppTransfer.C
index 4397a6dd0d18..793e366ee7ea 100644
--- a/framework/src/transfers/MultiAppTransfer.C
+++ b/framework/src/transfers/MultiAppTransfer.C
@@ -114,16 +114,16 @@ MultiAppTransfer::MultiAppTransfer(const InputParameters & parameters)
         "Between multiapp transfer is only supported with the same number of subapps per MultiApp");
 
   // Handle deprecated parameters
-  if (parameters.isParamSetByUser("directions"))
+  if (parameters.isParamSetByUser("direction"))
   {
     if (!isParamValid("multi_app"))
-      paramError("directions",
-                 "The deprecated directions parameter is meant to be used in conjunction with the "
-                 "multi_app parameter");
+      paramError("direction",
+                 "The deprecated 'direction' parameter is meant to be used in conjunction with the "
+                 "'multi_app' parameter");
     if (isParamValid("to_multi_app") || isParamValid("from_multi_app"))
-      paramError("directions",
-                 "The deprecated directions parameter is not meant to be used in conjunction with "
-                 "the from_multi_app or to_multi_app parameters");
+      paramError("direction",
+                 "The deprecated 'direction' parameter is not meant to be used in conjunction with "
+                 "the 'from_multi_app' or 'to_multi_app' parameters");
   }
 }