diff --git a/src/pyhf/infer/calculators.py b/src/pyhf/infer/calculators.py
index c89bd44119..f7d4092c80 100644
--- a/src/pyhf/infer/calculators.py
+++ b/src/pyhf/infer/calculators.py
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ def distributions(self, poi_test, track_progress=None):
                             poi_test,
                             sample,
                             self.pdf,
-                            signal_pars,
+                            self.init_pars,
                             self.par_bounds,
                             self.fixed_params,
                         )
@@ -820,7 +820,7 @@ def distributions(self, poi_test, track_progress=None):
                             poi_test,
                             sample,
                             self.pdf,
-                            bkg_pars,
+                            self.init_pars,
                             self.par_bounds,
                             self.fixed_params,
                         )