diff --git a/miniapp/io.hpp b/miniapp/io.hpp
index 198f073b6d0a43c79bb6d01e9d0078e413e2c1be..6633abc51ddd884d65d666e46d7ae3222a64a183 100644
--- a/miniapp/io.hpp
+++ b/miniapp/io.hpp
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ struct cl_options {
     double dt;
     bool all_to_all;
 
-    void check() {
+    // TODO the normalize bit should be moved to the model_parameters when
+    // we start having more models
+    void check_and_normalize() {
         if(all_to_all) {
             synapses_per_cell = cells - 1;
         }