diff --git a/mpcdf_common.py b/mpcdf_common.py
index 66243e885f8df1a5fe1eea4bfb906536abd5df85..1039e9b67d1c085e6ca58529247004d2c4269304 100644
--- a/mpcdf_common.py
+++ b/mpcdf_common.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
 
-__all__ = ["valid_mpi", "valid_cuda", "project_meta", "get_attribute", "get_attribute_values", "set_attribute", "mpcdf_enable_repositories", "mpcdf_setup_repos"]
+__all__ = ["valid_mpi", "valid_cuda", "project_meta", "get_attribute", "get_attribute_values", "set_attribute", "mpcdf_enable_repositories", "mpcdf_setup_repositories"]
 
 import osc
 import osc.conf
@@ -147,14 +147,11 @@ def mpcdf_enable_repositories(api_url, project, package, verbose=False):
     return True
 
 
-def mpcdf_setup_repos(api_url, project, distribution=None, parent=None, packages=None, dry_run=False):
+def mpcdf_setup_repositories(api_url, project, distribution=None, parent=None, packages=None, dry_run=False):
     if parent:
         for attribute in ["MPCDF:compiler_modules", "MPCDF:mpi_modules", "MPCDF:cuda_modules"]:
-            try:
-                get_attribute_values(api_url, project, None, attribute)
-            except Exception:
-                print("Copying attribute '{0}' from parent project".format(attribute))
-                set_attribute(api_url, (project,), get_attribute(api_url, parent, None, attribute))
+            print("Copying attribute '{0}' from parent project".format(attribute))
+            set_attribute(api_url, (project,), get_attribute(api_url, parent, None, attribute))
 
     compilers = list(get_attribute_values(api_url, project, None, "MPCDF:compiler_modules"))
     mpis = list(get_attribute_values(api_url, project, None, "MPCDF:mpi_modules"))
diff --git a/mpcdf_setup_repos.py b/mpcdf_setup_repositories.py
similarity index 82%
rename from mpcdf_setup_repos.py
rename to mpcdf_setup_repositories.py
index c624d83c374ce9d0304c9285abd7e62a10850352..b9725e7fc94a583208e94651da4e060842a42e11 100644
--- a/mpcdf_setup_repos.py
+++ b/mpcdf_setup_repositories.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python2
 from __future__ import print_function
 
-from mpcdf_common import mpcdf_setup_repos
+from mpcdf_common import mpcdf_setup_repositories
 
 import os
 import osc
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ import osc.cmdln
                   help="Setup the repositories to be based on the upstream project PARENT (e.g. for home: projects)")
 @osc.cmdln.option('--distribution',
                   help="Base distribution, necessary argument unless set previously for this project")
-def do_mpcdf_setup_repos(self, subcmd, opts, *args):
+@osc.cmdln.alias("mpcdf_setup_repos")
+def do_mpcdf_setup_repositories(self, subcmd, opts, *args):
     """${cmd_name}: Create all repository combinations for an MPCDF project
 
     Given a list of compilers, MPI libraries, and possibly CUDA versions, this command
@@ -40,4 +41,4 @@ def do_mpcdf_setup_repos(self, subcmd, opts, *args):
     else:
         raise osc.oscerr.WrongArgs("Too many arguments")
 
-    mpcdf_setup_repos(self.get_api_url(), project, opts.distribution, parent=opts.parent, dry_run=opts.dry_run)
+    mpcdf_setup_repositories(self.get_api_url(), project, opts.distribution, parent=opts.parent, dry_run=opts.dry_run)