diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yaml b/.github/workflows/lint.yaml
index d496680..33ba755 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yaml
@@ -27,22 +27,20 @@ jobs:
       - name: run isort
         run: |
           isort --check-only --quiet .
-  flake8:
+  ruff:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-      steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
-      - name: Install Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
-        with:
-          python-version: "3.10"
-      - name: Install dependencies
-        run: |
-          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-          pip install ruff
-      - name: Run Ruff
-        run: ruff .
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+    - name: Install Python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+      with:
+        python-version: "3.10"
+    - name: Install dependencies
+      run: |
+        python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+        pip install ruff
+    - name: Run Ruff
+      run: ruff .
 
   pylint:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4094988..e66f3f6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class Metric(Descriptor):
 
 
 class Human(ZnInit):
-    init_descriptors = [Input] # only add Input descriptors to the __init__
+    _init_descriptors_ = [Input] # only add Input descriptors to the __init__
     name: str = Input()
     language: str = Input("DE")
     date: str = Metric()  # will not appear in the __init__
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 145de8a..1872654 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "zninit"
-version = "0.1.3"
+version = "0.1.4"
 description = "Descriptor based dataclass implementation"
 authors = ["zincwarecode <zincwarecode@gmail.com>"]
 license = "Apache-2.0"
diff --git a/tests/test_AutomaticInit.py b/tests/test_AutomaticInit.py
index be624d0..da9437d 100644
--- a/tests/test_AutomaticInit.py
+++ b/tests/test_AutomaticInit.py
@@ -65,6 +65,15 @@ class ChildCls(ParentCls):
 class OnlyParamsInInit(ZnInit):
     """ZnInit child."""
 
+    _init_descriptors_ = [Params]
+
+    parameter: int = Params()
+    output = Outs()
+
+
+class OnlyParamsInInitOld(ZnInit):
+    """ZnInit child."""
+
     init_descriptors = [Params]
 
     parameter: int = Params()
@@ -180,9 +189,13 @@ def test_DefaultIsNone():
     assert instance.parameter == 42
 
 
-def test_OnlyParamsInInit():
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("cls", (OnlyParamsInInit, OnlyParamsInInitOld))
+def test_OnlyParamsInInit(cls):
     """ZnInit Test."""
-    instance = OnlyParamsInInit(parameter=10)
+    instance = cls(parameter=10)
     assert instance.parameter == 10
     with pytest.raises(AttributeError):
         _ = instance.output
+
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        cls(parameter=10, output=25)
diff --git a/tests/test_subclass_automatic.py b/tests/test_subclass_automatic.py
index 77a8ae5..d725e2d 100644
--- a/tests/test_subclass_automatic.py
+++ b/tests/test_subclass_automatic.py
@@ -17,13 +17,21 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
 class Child(Parent):
     """Child class."""
 
+    _init_subclass_basecls_ = Parent
+    text = Descriptor()
+
+
+class ChildOld(Parent):
+    """Child class."""
+
     init_subclass_basecls = Parent
     text = Descriptor()
 
 
-def test_subclass_init():
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("cls", (Child, ChildOld))
+def test_subclass_init(cls):
     """Test subclass init."""
-    instance = Child(name="Test", text="Hello World")
+    instance = cls(name="Test", text="Hello World")
     assert instance.name == "Test"
     assert instance.text == "Hello World"
 
@@ -31,11 +39,11 @@ def test_subclass_init():
     assert instance.name == "Test"
 
     with pytest.raises(TypeError):
-        _ = Child(name="Test", text="Hello World", data="Lorem Ipsum")
+        _ = cls(name="Test", text="Hello World", data="Lorem Ipsum")
 
     with pytest.raises(TypeError):
-        _ = Child(name="Test")
+        _ = cls(name="Test")
 
-    instance = Child(text="Hello World")
+    instance = cls(text="Hello World")
     assert instance.name is None
     assert instance.text == "Hello World"
diff --git a/tests/test_zninit.py b/tests/test_zninit.py
index 341b62a..c127c47 100644
--- a/tests/test_zninit.py
+++ b/tests/test_zninit.py
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@
 
 def test_version():
     """Test the installed version."""
-    assert zninit.__version__ == "0.1.3"
+    assert zninit.__version__ == "0.1.4"
diff --git a/zninit/core/__init__.py b/zninit/core/__init__.py
index b112c02..73b01e8 100644
--- a/zninit/core/__init__.py
+++ b/zninit/core/__init__.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def auto_init(self, *args, **kwargs):
             raise get_args_type_error(args, cls_name, uses_auto_init)
         log.debug(f"The '__init__' uses auto_init: {uses_auto_init}")
         for kwarg_name in kwargs_no_default:
-            try:  # pylint: disable=loop-try-except-usage
+            try:  # pylint: disable=R8203
                 init_kwargs[kwarg_name] = kwargs.pop(kwarg_name)
             except KeyError:
                 required_keys.append(kwarg_name)
@@ -114,25 +114,53 @@ def auto_init(self, *args, **kwargs):
     return auto_init
 
 
-class ZnInit:
+def update_attribute_names(cls):
+    """Update changed attribute names.
+
+    E.g. 'init_descriptors' was renamed to '_init_descriptors_' but should be
+    backwards compatible. This was done according to PEP8 style guide where
+     '_single_leading_underscore' are meant for weak internal usage.
+    """
+    if cls.init_descriptors is not None:
+        cls._init_descriptors_ = cls.init_descriptors  # pylint: disable=W0212
+    if cls.use_repr is not None:
+        cls._use_repr_ = cls.use_repr  # pylint: disable=W0212
+    if cls.init_subclass_basecls is not None:
+        cls._init_subclass_basecls_ = cls.init_subclass_basecls  # pylint: disable=W0212
+
+
+class Meta(type):
+    """Metaclass to 'update_attribute_names'."""
+
+    def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
+        meta_cls = super().__new__(cls, *args, **kwargs)
+        update_attribute_names(meta_cls)
+        return meta_cls
+
+
+class ZnInit(metaclass=Meta):
     """Parent class for automatic __init__ generation based on descriptors.
 
     Attributes
     ----------
-    init_descriptors: list
+    _init_descriptors_: list
         A list of the descriptor classes to be added to the init.
         This also supports subclasses of Descriptor.
-    use_repr: bool
+    _use_repr_: bool
         Generate an automatic, dataclass like representation string.
-    init_subclass_basecls: object
+    _init_subclass_basecls_: object
         Any class (not an instance) that acts as the lower bound for searching an
         __init__ method. If the __init__ of this class is reached when iterating
         over the mro, an automatic __init__ method will be generated and the
         __init__ of the basecls will be called via super.
     """
 
-    init_descriptors: typing.List[Descriptor] = [Descriptor]
-    use_repr: bool = True
+    _init_descriptors_: typing.List[Descriptor] = [Descriptor]
+    _use_repr_: bool = True
+    _init_subclass_basecls_ = None
+
+    init_descriptors: typing.List[Descriptor] = None
+    use_repr: bool = None
     init_subclass_basecls = None
 
     def __init__(self):
@@ -147,13 +175,14 @@ def __init__(self):
 
     def __init_subclass__(cls, **kwargs):
         super().__init_subclass__(**kwargs)
-        if cls.init_subclass_basecls is None:
-            cls.init_subclass_basecls = ZnInit
+        update_attribute_names(cls)
+        if cls._init_subclass_basecls_ is None:
+            cls._init_subclass_basecls_ = ZnInit
         for inherited in cls.__mro__:
             # Go through the mro until you find the init_subclass_basecls.
             # If found an init before that class it will implement super
             # if not add the fields to the __init__ automatically.
-            if inherited == cls.init_subclass_basecls:
+            if inherited == cls._init_subclass_basecls_:
                 break
 
             if inherited.__dict__.get("__init__") is not None:
@@ -161,13 +190,15 @@ def __init_subclass__(cls, **kwargs):
                     return cls
 
         log.debug(
-            f"Found {cls.init_subclass_basecls} instance - adding dataclass-like __init__"
+            f"Found {cls._init_subclass_basecls_} instance - adding dataclass-like"
+            " __init__"
         )
-        return cls._update_init(super_init=cls.init_subclass_basecls.__init__)
+        return cls._update_init(super_init=cls._init_subclass_basecls_.__init__)
 
     @classmethod
     def _get_descriptors(cls):
-        return get_descriptors(descriptor=cls.init_descriptors, cls=cls)
+        update_attribute_names(cls)
+        return get_descriptors(descriptor=cls._init_descriptors_, cls=cls)
 
     @classmethod
     def _update_init(cls, super_init):
@@ -250,7 +281,7 @@ def _get_auto_init_signature(cls) -> (list, dict, list):
 
     def __repr__(self):
         """Get a dataclass like representation of the ZnInit class."""
-        if not self.use_repr:
+        if not self._use_repr_:
             return super().__repr__()
         repr_str = f"{self.__class__.__name__}("
         fields = []
diff --git a/zninit/descriptor/__init__.py b/zninit/descriptor/__init__.py
index 187d05e..64e9868 100644
--- a/zninit/descriptor/__init__.py
+++ b/zninit/descriptor/__init__.py
@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@ def get_descriptors(
         a list of the found descriptor objects
 
     """
+    if descriptor is None:
+        return []
     if self is None and cls is None:
         raise ValueError("Either self or cls must not be None")
     if self is not None and cls is not None: