diff --git a/src/builder2ibek/__main__.py b/src/builder2ibek/__main__.py
index 611dbed..c76a6dd 100644
--- a/src/builder2ibek/__main__.py
+++ b/src/builder2ibek/__main__.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ def db_compare(
     ignore: list[str] = typer.Option(
         [], help="List of record name sub strings to ignore"
     ),
-    output: Optional[Path] = typer.Option(..., help="Output file"),
+    output: Optional[Path] = typer.Option(None, help="Output file"),
 ):
     """
     Compare two DB files and output the differences
diff --git a/src/builder2ibek/dbcompare.py b/src/builder2ibek/dbcompare.py
index 6b4b2a2..b8dd44e 100644
--- a/src/builder2ibek/dbcompare.py
+++ b/src/builder2ibek/dbcompare.py
@@ -38,15 +38,16 @@ def compare_dbs(
                 new_only_filtered.remove(rec)
 
     result = (
-        "Records in original but not in new:\n"
-        + "*******************************************************************\n"
+        "*******************************************************************\n"
+        + "Records in original but not in new:\n\n"
         + "\n".join(old_only_filtered)
         + "\n\n"
-        + "Records in new but not in original:\n"
         + "*******************************************************************\n"
+        + "Records in new but not in original:\n\n"
         + "\n".join(new_only_filtered)
         + "\n\n"
-        + f"\records in original:    {len(old_set)}\n"
+        + "*******************************************************************\n"
+        + f"records in original:    {len(old_set)}\n"
         f"  records in new:         {len(new_set)}\n"
         f"  records missing in new: {len(old_only_filtered)}\n"
         f"  records extra in new:   {len(new_only_filtered)}\n"
diff --git a/tests/samples/compare.diff b/tests/samples/compare.diff
index c47f6f1..a7e523c 100644
--- a/tests/samples/compare.diff
+++ b/tests/samples/compare.diff
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-Records in original but not in new:
 *******************************************************************
+Records in original but not in new:
+
 bo SR03C-VA-IOC-01:SRHEARTBT
 calc SR03A-VA-GAUGE-01:PLOG_CALC
 calc SR03A-VA-GAUGE-02:PLOG_CALC
@@ -37,8 +38,9 @@ stringout SR03C-VA-IOC-01:RRTIME
 stringout SR03C-VA-IOC-01:SRRECENTST
 stringout SR03C-VA-IOC-01:SRSTATUSST
 
-Records in new but not in original:
 *******************************************************************
+Records in new but not in original:
+
 aSub SR03A-VA-MIMG-01:MEAN
 aSub SR03C-VA-MIMG-01:MEAN
 aSub SR03S-VA-MIMG-01:MEAN
@@ -135,7 +137,8 @@ stringout SR03C-VA-IOC-01:SR_rebootTime
 stringout SR03C-VA-IOC-01:SR_recentlyStr
 stringout SR03C-VA-IOC-01:SR_statusStr
 
-
ecords in original:    7436
+*******************************************************************
+records in original:    7436
   records in new:         7495
   records missing in new: 36
   records extra in new:   95