diff --git a/config/default_config.yml b/config/default_config.yml
index 620f5c4ae..72c5322b4 100644
--- a/config/default_config.yml
+++ b/config/default_config.yml
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ val_initial: False
 
 loader_num_workers: 8
 log_validation: 0
-analysis_streams_output: ["ERA5"]
+streams_output: ["ERA5"]
 
 istep: 0
 run_history: []
diff --git a/packages/common/src/weathergen/common/io.py b/packages/common/src/weathergen/common/io.py
index 3e7594d1c..428cd5d47 100644
--- a/packages/common/src/weathergen/common/io.py
+++ b/packages/common/src/weathergen/common/io.py
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ class OutputBatchData:
     # fstep, stream, redundant dim (size 1)
     targets_lens: list[list[list[int]]]
 
-    # stream name: index into data (only streams in analysis_streams_output)
+    # stream name: index into data (only streams in streams_output)
     streams: dict[str, int]
 
     # stream, channel name
diff --git a/src/weathergen/run_train.py b/src/weathergen/run_train.py
index eb2cab895..4a650c778 100644
--- a/src/weathergen/run_train.py
+++ b/src/weathergen/run_train.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def inference_from_args(argl: list[str]):
         end_date_val=args.end_date,
         samples_per_validation=args.samples,
         log_validation=args.samples if args.save_samples else 0,
-        analysis_streams_output=args.analysis_streams_output,
+        streams_output=args.streams_output,
     )
 
     cli_overwrite = config.from_cli_arglist(args.options)
diff --git a/src/weathergen/utils/cli.py b/src/weathergen/utils/cli.py
index 9e7b8f562..ad0641c27 100644
--- a/src/weathergen/utils/cli.py
+++ b/src/weathergen/utils/cli.py
@@ -59,10 +59,9 @@ def get_inference_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
         help="Toggle saving of samples from inference. Default True",
     )
     parser.add_argument(
-        "--analysis_streams_output",
+        "--streams_output",
         nargs="+",
-        default=["ERA5"],
-        help="Analysis output streams during inference.",
+        help="Output streams during inference.",
     )
 
     return parser
diff --git a/src/weathergen/utils/validation_io.py b/src/weathergen/utils/validation_io.py
index e28563132..fe12c1106 100644
--- a/src/weathergen/utils/validation_io.py
+++ b/src/weathergen/utils/validation_io.py
@@ -27,7 +27,13 @@ def write_output(
     targets_lens,
 ):
     stream_names = [stream.name for stream in cf.streams]
-    output_stream_names = cf.analysis_streams_output
+    if cf.streams_output is not None:
+        output_stream_names = cf.streams_output
+    elif cf.analysis_streams_output is not None:  # --- to be removed at some point ---
+        output_stream_names = cf.analysis_streams_output  # --- to be removed at some point ---
+    else:
+        output_stream_names = None
+
     if output_stream_names is None:
         output_stream_names = stream_names
 
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index e39535c31..9b0623fcd 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -60,15 +60,15 @@ def test_model_loading_has_params(parser):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("streams", [["ERA5", "FOO"], ["BAR"]])
-def test_inference_analysis_streams_output(inference_parser, streams):
-    arglist = BASIC_ARGLIST + ["--analysis_streams_output", *streams]
+def test_inference_streams_output(inference_parser, streams):
+    arglist = BASIC_ARGLIST + ["--streams_output", *streams]
     args = inference_parser.parse_args(arglist)
 
-    assert args.analysis_streams_output == streams
+    assert args.streams_output == streams
 
 
-def test_inference_analysis_streams_output_empty(inference_parser):
-    arglist = BASIC_ARGLIST + ["--analysis_streams_output", *[]]
+def test_inference_streams_output_empty(inference_parser):
+    arglist = BASIC_ARGLIST + ["--streams_output", *[]]
 
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
         inference_parser.parse_args(arglist)
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ def test_inference_defaults(inference_parser):
         "start_date",
         "end_date",
         "samples",
-        "analysis_streams_output",
+        "streams_output",
         "epoch",
         "private_config",
     ]