diff --git a/bilby/core/sampler/base_sampler.py b/bilby/core/sampler/base_sampler.py
index 0e5bddfad198906701191d53fdd6061ec4653e4c..ccad84046b68957746175eaf2d7fa52895d9f77b 100644
--- a/bilby/core/sampler/base_sampler.py
+++ b/bilby/core/sampler/base_sampler.py
@@ -525,6 +525,7 @@ class Sampler(object):
 
 class NestedSampler(Sampler):
     npoints_equiv_kwargs = ['nlive', 'nlives', 'n_live_points', 'npoints', 'npoint', 'Nlive']
+    walks_equiv_kwargs = ['walks', 'steps', 'nmcmc']
 
     def reorder_loglikelihoods(self, unsorted_loglikelihoods, unsorted_samples,
                                sorted_samples):
diff --git a/bilby/core/sampler/dynesty.py b/bilby/core/sampler/dynesty.py
index 62526471903836bdcbcd3f7c958405889d1f9403..5b2222e1826cba1473aeb671ac9d6d6a7fa64df2 100644
--- a/bilby/core/sampler/dynesty.py
+++ b/bilby/core/sampler/dynesty.py
@@ -149,6 +149,10 @@ class Dynesty(NestedSampler):
         if 'print_progress' not in kwargs:
             if 'verbose' in kwargs:
                 kwargs['print_progress'] = kwargs.pop('verbose')
+        if 'walks' not in kwargs:
+            for equiv in self.walks_equiv_kwargs:
+                if equiv in kwargs:
+                    kwargs['walks'] = kwargs.pop(equiv)
 
     def _verify_kwargs_against_default_kwargs(self):
         if not self.kwargs['walks']:
diff --git a/bilby/core/sampler/nestle.py b/bilby/core/sampler/nestle.py
index e7cf8b20855017eab263811b240e7bc62900ba9b..0b97daf72b342a124183758fe212ea41bd1e32db 100644
--- a/bilby/core/sampler/nestle.py
+++ b/bilby/core/sampler/nestle.py
@@ -29,13 +29,17 @@ class Nestle(NestedSampler):
     default_kwargs = dict(verbose=True, method='multi', npoints=500,
                           update_interval=None, npdim=None, maxiter=None,
                           maxcall=None, dlogz=None, decline_factor=None,
-                          rstate=None, callback=None)
+                          rstate=None, callback=None, steps=20, enlarge=1.2)
 
     def _translate_kwargs(self, kwargs):
         if 'npoints' not in kwargs:
             for equiv in self.npoints_equiv_kwargs:
                 if equiv in kwargs:
                     kwargs['npoints'] = kwargs.pop(equiv)
+        if 'steps' not in kwargs:
+            for equiv in self.walks_equiv_kwargs:
+                if equiv in kwargs:
+                    kwargs['steps'] = kwargs.pop(equiv)
 
     def _verify_kwargs_against_default_kwargs(self):
         if self.kwargs['verbose']:
diff --git a/test/sampler_test.py b/test/sampler_test.py
index accb9bd2cc820e927250ee700c301e605422f803..6bb4a4a24d51d91a1e1fd36e182c21a5a711deef 100644
--- a/test/sampler_test.py
+++ b/test/sampler_test.py
@@ -240,14 +240,14 @@ class TestNestle(unittest.TestCase):
         expected = dict(verbose=False, method='multi', npoints=500,
                         update_interval=None, npdim=None, maxiter=None,
                         maxcall=None, dlogz=None, decline_factor=None,
-                        rstate=None, callback=None)
+                        rstate=None, callback=None, steps=20, enlarge=1.2)
         self.assertDictEqual(expected, self.sampler.kwargs)
 
     def test_translate_kwargs(self):
         expected = dict(verbose=False, method='multi', npoints=345,
                         update_interval=None, npdim=None, maxiter=None,
                         maxcall=None, dlogz=None, decline_factor=None,
-                        rstate=None, callback=None)
+                        rstate=None, callback=None, steps=20, enlarge=1.2)
         self.sampler.kwargs['npoints'] = 123
         for equiv in bilby.core.sampler.base_sampler.NestedSampler.npoints_equiv_kwargs:
             new_kwargs = self.sampler.kwargs.copy()