diff --git a/baseclasses/__init__.py b/baseclasses/__init__.py
index 6f36645..c6cd247 100644
--- a/baseclasses/__init__.py
+++ b/baseclasses/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-__version__ = "1.5.3"
+__version__ = "1.5.4"
 
 from .problems import (
     AeroProblem,
diff --git a/baseclasses/solvers/BaseSolver.py b/baseclasses/solvers/BaseSolver.py
index 3f410c2..a266d54 100644
--- a/baseclasses/solvers/BaseSolver.py
+++ b/baseclasses/solvers/BaseSolver.py
@@ -4,10 +4,9 @@
 Holds a basic Python Analysis Classes (base and inherited).
 """
 from difflib import get_close_matches
-from pprint import pprint
 import copy
 import warnings
-from ..utils import CaseInsensitiveDict, CaseInsensitiveSet, Error
+from ..utils import CaseInsensitiveDict, CaseInsensitiveSet, Error, pp
 
 # =============================================================================
 # BaseSolver Class
@@ -224,7 +223,7 @@ def printModifiedOptions(self):
         modifiedOptions = self.getModifiedOptions()
         self.pp(modifiedOptions)
 
-    def pp(self, obj, flush=False):
+    def pp(self, obj, flush=True):
         """
         This method prints ``obj`` (via pprint) on the root proc of ``self.comm`` if it exists.
         Otherwise it will just print ``obj``.
@@ -232,10 +231,10 @@ def pp(self, obj, flush=False):
         Parameters
         ----------
         obj : object
-            any Python object to be printed
+            Any Python object to be printed
+        flush : bool
+            If True, the stream will be flushed.
         """
-        if (self.comm is not None and self.comm.rank == 0) or self.comm is None:
-            if isinstance(obj, str):
-                print(obj, flush=flush)
-            else:
-                pprint(obj)
+
+        # Call the parallel safe pp routine defined in utils
+        pp(obj, self.comm, flush=flush)
diff --git a/baseclasses/utils/utils.py b/baseclasses/utils/utils.py
index 9be4d55..2506521 100644
--- a/baseclasses/utils/utils.py
+++ b/baseclasses/utils/utils.py
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 Helper methods for supporting python3 and python2 at the same time
 """
 import sys
-from pprint import pprint
-from .containers import CaseInsensitiveDict, CaseInsensitiveSet
+from pprint import pformat
 
 
 def getPy3SafeString(string):
@@ -20,14 +19,25 @@ def getPy3SafeString(string):
     return string
 
 
-def pp(obj, comm=None):
+def pp(obj, comm=None, flush=True):
+    """
+    Parallel safe printing routine. This method prints ``obj`` (via pprint) on the root proc of ``self.comm`` if it exists. Otherwise it will just print ``obj``.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    obj : object
+        Any Python object to be printed
+    comm : MPI comm
+        The MPI comm object on this processor
+    flush : bool
+        If True, the stream will be flushed.
+    """
     if (comm is None) or (comm is not None and comm.rank == 0):
         # use normal print for string so there's no quotes
         if isinstance(obj, str):
-            print(obj)
-        # use pprint for other built-in types (other than string)
-        elif obj.__class__.__module__ == "__builtin__" or isinstance(obj, (CaseInsensitiveDict, CaseInsensitiveSet)):
-            pprint(obj)
-        # use print for everything else
+            print(obj, flush=flush)
+        # use pprint for everything else
         else:
-            print(obj)
+            # we use pformat to get the string and then call print manually, that way we can flush if we need to
+            pprint_str = pformat(obj)
+            print(pprint_str, flush=flush)