diff --git a/src/cats/modules/load_module.c b/src/cats/modules/load_module.c
index e7a245f9526c0d795dd5766cae7f053ecc88c881..f1960ba580c575e89964399ca0eca2ea85808bae 100644
--- a/src/cats/modules/load_module.c
+++ b/src/cats/modules/load_module.c
@@ -165,8 +165,8 @@ void register_module_vital_rate(struct cats_configuration *conf, struct cats_vit
         m->vr[vr_count] = vr;
         m->vital_rate_name[vr_count] = strdup(name);
         vr->is_carrying_capacity = false;
-
         strncpy(vr->name, name, MAX_VITAL_NAME_LEN + 1);
+        vr->default_rate_id = m->vital_rate_count;
 
         m->vital_rate_count++;
 }