diff --git a/pyfstat/helper_functions.py b/pyfstat/helper_functions.py
index 8943b3d97db0068fee7f6d81fc520ccfdf4e3c91..915ba6f3c83bc5a82ebf6622058d5dd04c20e607 100644
--- a/pyfstat/helper_functions.py
+++ b/pyfstat/helper_functions.py
@@ -146,15 +146,16 @@ def get_ephemeris_files():
             earth_ephem = None
             sun_ephem = None
     elif env_var in list(os.environ.keys()):
-        earth_ephem = os.path.join(os.environ[env_var], "earth00-40-DE421.dat.gz")
-        sun_ephem = os.path.join(os.environ[env_var], "sun00-40-DE421.dat.gz")
+        ephem_version = "DE405"
+        earth_ephem = os.path.join(os.environ[env_var], "earth00-40-{:s}.dat.gz".format(ephem_version))
+        sun_ephem = os.path.join(os.environ[env_var], "sun00-40-{:s}.dat.gz".format(ephem_version))
         if not (os.path.isfile(earth_ephem) and os.path.isfile(sun_ephem)):
-            earth_ephem = os.path.join(os.environ[env_var], "earth00-19-DE421.dat.gz")
-            sun_ephem = os.path.join(os.environ[env_var], "sun00-19-DE421.dat.gz")
+            earth_ephem = os.path.join(os.environ[env_var], "earth00-19-{:s}.dat.gz".format(ephem_version))
+            sun_ephem = os.path.join(os.environ[env_var], "sun00-19-{:s}.dat.gz".format(ephem_version))
             if not (os.path.isfile(earth_ephem) and os.path.isfile(sun_ephem)):
                 logging.warning(
-                    "No [earth/sun]00-[19/40]-DE421 ephemerides "
-                    "found in the " + os.environ[env_var] + " directory. " + please
+                    "Default [earth/sun]00-[19/40]-"+ephem_version+" ephemerides "
+                    "not found in the " + os.environ[env_var] + " directory. " + please
                 )
                 earth_ephem = None
                 sun_ephem = None