diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index cba2b0e48..03207157d 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ jobs:
           name: Test simple tiff cubing (no compression)
           command: tests/scripts/simple_tiff_cubing_no_compression.sh
 
+      - run:
+          name: Test metadata generation
+          command: tests/scripts/meta_generation.sh
+
       - run:
           name: Test KNOSSOS conversion
           command: tests/scripts/knossos_conversion.sh
@@ -89,10 +93,6 @@ jobs:
           name: Test in-place compression
           command: tests/scripts/in_place_compression.sh
 
-      - run:
-          name: Test metadata generation
-          command: tests/scripts/meta_generation.sh
-
       - run:
           name: Remove reference magnification data
           command: rm -r testdata/tiff_mag_2_reference/
diff --git a/tests/scripts/anisotropic_downsampling.sh b/tests/scripts/anisotropic_downsampling.sh
index 18ffc3436..ff81c836f 100755
--- a/tests/scripts/anisotropic_downsampling.sh
+++ b/tests/scripts/anisotropic_downsampling.sh
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ docker run \
   --max 16 \
   --buffer_cube_size 128 \
   --layer_name color \
-  --scale 11.24,11.24,25 \
   /testoutput/tiff
 [ -d testoutput/tiff/color/8-8-2 ]
 [ -d testoutput/tiff/color/16-16-4 ]
diff --git a/tests/scripts/simple_anisotropic_tiff_cubing.sh b/tests/scripts/simple_anisotropic_tiff_cubing.sh
index 2f9dbd912..2d37fff49 100755
--- a/tests/scripts/simple_anisotropic_tiff_cubing.sh
+++ b/tests/scripts/simple_anisotropic_tiff_cubing.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ docker run \
   --batch_size 8 \
   --layer_name color \
   --max 8 \
-  --scale 11.24,25,11.24 \
   --name awesome_data \
   /testdata/tiff /testoutput/tiff3
 [ -d testoutput/tiff3/color ]
diff --git a/wkcuber/__main__.py b/wkcuber/__main__.py
index 1adc944c7..26c381900 100644
--- a/wkcuber/__main__.py
+++ b/wkcuber/__main__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     DEFAULT_EDGE_LEN,
 )
 from .compress import compress_mag_inplace
-from .metadata import write_webknossos_metadata
+from .metadata import write_webknossos_metadata, refresh_metadata
 from .utils import add_isotropic_flag, setup_logging, add_scale_flag
 from .mag import Mag
 
@@ -50,6 +50,14 @@ def create_parser():
         args,
     )
 
+    write_webknossos_metadata(
+        args.target_path,
+        args.name,
+        scale,
+        compute_max_id=False,
+        exact_bounding_box=bounding_box,
+    )
+
     if not args.no_compress:
         compress_mag_inplace(args.target_path, args.layer_name, Mag(1), args)
 
@@ -78,10 +86,4 @@ def create_parser():
             args,
         )
 
-    write_webknossos_metadata(
-        args.target_path,
-        args.name,
-        scale,
-        compute_max_id=False,
-        exact_bounding_box=bounding_box,
-    )
+    refresh_metadata(args.target_path)
diff --git a/wkcuber/downsampling.py b/wkcuber/downsampling.py
index 6fb57425d..5e4fddf4e 100644
--- a/wkcuber/downsampling.py
+++ b/wkcuber/downsampling.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
     get_executor_for_args,
     wait_and_ensure_success,
     add_isotropic_flag,
-    add_scale_flag,
     setup_logging,
 )
 
@@ -109,7 +108,6 @@ def create_parser():
         action="store_true",
     )
 
-    add_scale_flag(parser)
     add_verbose_flag(parser)
     add_isotropic_flag(parser)
     add_distribution_flags(parser)
@@ -604,9 +602,7 @@ def detect_larger_and_smaller_dimension(scale):
 
     from_mag = Mag(args.from_mag)
     max_mag = Mag(args.max)
-    scale = (
-        [float(x) for x in args.scale.split(",")] if hasattr(args, "scale") else None
-    )
+
     if args.anisotropic_target_mag:
         anisotropic_target_mag = Mag(args.anisotropic_target_mag)
 
@@ -621,16 +617,15 @@ def detect_larger_and_smaller_dimension(scale):
             args,
         )
     elif not args.isotropic:
-        if scale is None:
-            try:
-                scale = read_datasource_properties(args.path)["scale"]
-            except Exception as exc:
-                logging.error(
-                    "Could not determine scale which is necessary "
-                    "to find target magnifications for anisotropic downsampling. "
-                    "Does the provided dataset have a datasource-properties.json file?"
-                )
-                raise exc
+        try:
+            scale = read_datasource_properties(args.path)["scale"]
+        except Exception as exc:
+            logging.error(
+                "Could not determine scale which is necessary "
+                "to find target magnifications for anisotropic downsampling. "
+                "Does the provided dataset have a datasource-properties.json file?"
+            )
+            raise exc
 
         downsample_mags_anisotropic(
             args.path,
diff --git a/wkcuber/utils.py b/wkcuber/utils.py
index bc6bd80c6..8dd135b6a 100644
--- a/wkcuber/utils.py
+++ b/wkcuber/utils.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def add_scale_flag(parser):
         "--scale",
         "-s",
         help="Scale of the dataset (e.g. 11.2,11.2,25). This is the size of one voxel in nm.",
-        default="1,1,1",
+        required=True,
     )