diff --git a/base/proposal.dtx b/base/proposal.dtx
index a5b952b..ed25dfd 100644
--- a/base/proposal.dtx
+++ b/base/proposal.dtx
@@ -675,8 +675,8 @@
 \RequirePackage{boxedminipage}
 % so that ednotes in wps do not run out of symbols
 \renewcommand{\thempfootnote}{\roman{mpfootnote}}
-\renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
-\RequirePackage[scaled=.90]{helvet}
+\RequirePackage[T1]{fontenc}
+\RequirePackage[utf8]{inputenc}
 \RequirePackage{textcomp}
 \if@numericcites
 \RequirePackage[style=numeric,hyperref=auto,defernumbers=true,giveninits=true,maxbibnames=9,maxcitenames=3]{biblatex}[2010/11-19]
diff --git a/base/proposal.pdf b/base/proposal.pdf
index e8d2ef4..7be2b93 100644
Binary files a/base/proposal.pdf and b/base/proposal.pdf differ
diff --git a/base/proposal.sty b/base/proposal.sty
index 49f5397..a5470e8 100644
--- a/base/proposal.sty
+++ b/base/proposal.sty
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
 \RequirePackage[a4paper,margin=18mm]{geometry}
 \RequirePackage{boxedminipage}
 \renewcommand{\thempfootnote}{\roman{mpfootnote}}
-\renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
-\RequirePackage[scaled=.90]{helvet}
+\RequirePackage[T1]{fontenc}
+\RequirePackage[utf8]{inputenc}
 \RequirePackage{textcomp}
 \if@numericcites
 \RequirePackage[style=numeric,hyperref=auto,defernumbers=true,giveninits=true,maxbibnames=9,maxcitenames=3]{biblatex}[2010/11-19]
diff --git a/base/reporting.cls b/base/reporting.cls
index fce49b2..d56f89d 100644
--- a/base/reporting.cls
+++ b/base/reporting.cls
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 \DeclareOption{keys}{\keystrue}
 \DeclareOption{deliverables}{\delivstrue}
 \DeclareOption{longtasklabels}{\@longtasklabelstrue}
-\DeclareOption*{\PassOptionsToClass{\CurrentOption}{article}}
+\DeclareOption*{\PassOptionsToClass{\CurrentOption}{\proposal@class}}
 \ProcessOptions
 \LoadClass[a4paper,twoside]{\proposal@class}
 \RequirePackage{proposal}
diff --git a/dfg/dfgproposal.pdf b/dfg/dfgproposal.pdf
index a3bcb14..6d8a1bf 100644
Binary files a/dfg/dfgproposal.pdf and b/dfg/dfgproposal.pdf differ
diff --git a/eu/euproposal.pdf b/eu/euproposal.pdf
index 38039de..4a789ea 100644
Binary files a/eu/euproposal.pdf and b/eu/euproposal.pdf differ
diff --git a/examples/dfg/proposal/proposal.tex b/examples/dfg/proposal/proposal.tex
index 74e34e2..e73b48c 100644
--- a/examples/dfg/proposal/proposal.tex
+++ b/examples/dfg/proposal/proposal.tex
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 \providecommand{\classoptions}{,keys} % to be overwritten in variants
 \documentclass[RAM,gitinfo\classoptions]{dfgproposal}
 \addbibresource{../lib/dummy.bib}
+\renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
+\RequirePackage[scaled=.90]{helvet}
 \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
 \input{../lib/WApersons}
 % temporary fix for biblatex in TeXLive 2016, 
diff --git a/examples/dfg/report/finalreport.tex b/examples/dfg/report/finalreport.tex
index 8eaa8fe..b0a0126 100644
--- a/examples/dfg/report/finalreport.tex
+++ b/examples/dfg/report/finalreport.tex
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 %\documentclass[submit]{dfgproposal}
 %\documentclass[submit,public]{dfgproposal}
 \addbibresource{../lib/dummy.bib}
+\renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
+\RequirePackage[scaled=.90]{helvet}
 % define the proposal acronym; 
 % use \texorpdfstring so that it can be used in section headings as well
 % tell the class that this is the proposal acronym
diff --git a/examples/dfg/simple-proposal/proposal.tex b/examples/dfg/simple-proposal/proposal.tex
index 9b813f2..3377b52 100644
--- a/examples/dfg/simple-proposal/proposal.tex
+++ b/examples/dfg/simple-proposal/proposal.tex
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@
 \providecommand{\classoptions}{,keys} % to be overwritten in variants
 \documentclass[gitinfo,noworkareas,RAM\classoptions]{dfgproposal}
 \addbibresource{../lib/dummy.bib}
+\renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
+\RequirePackage[scaled=.90]{helvet}
 \input{../lib/WApersons}
 
-
 \begin{document}
 
 \begin{center}\color{red}\huge
diff --git a/examples/eu/strep/propB.pdf b/examples/eu/strep/propB.pdf
index 2a76490..d46a00f 100644
Binary files a/examples/eu/strep/propB.pdf and b/examples/eu/strep/propB.pdf differ
diff --git a/examples/eu/strep/propB.tex b/examples/eu/strep/propB.tex
index 246dd7b..0a770df 100644
--- a/examples/eu/strep/propB.tex
+++ b/examples/eu/strep/propB.tex
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
 % - public.tex (like submit.tex, but no financials either) 
 \providecommand{\classoptions}{,keys} % to be overwritten in variants
 \documentclass[noworkareas,deliverables,gitinfo,report,propB\classoptions]{euproposal}
-\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
-\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
+\usepackage{nimbusserif}
 \addbibresource{../lib/dummy.bib}
 \input{../lib/WApersons}% Some sections of the included files depend on this.