diff --git a/R/latent_individual.R b/R/latent_individual.R
index 614025f99..7928e9bab 100644
--- a/R/latent_individual.R
+++ b/R/latent_individual.R
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ epidist_formula.epidist_latent_individual <- function(data, family, formula,
                                                       ...) {
   epidist_validate(data)
   formula <- brms:::validate_formula(formula, data = data, family = family)
-
+  formula <- .make_intercepts_explicit(formula)
   formula <- stats::update(
     formula, delay | vreal(relative_obs_time, pwindow, swindow) ~ .
   )
diff --git a/R/prior.R b/R/prior.R
index 85ee15086..c4ff2175b 100644
--- a/R/prior.R
+++ b/R/prior.R
@@ -90,18 +90,13 @@ epidist_family_prior.default <- function(family, formula, ...) {
 #' @export
 epidist_family_prior.lognormal <- function(family, formula, ...) {
   prior <- prior("normal(1, 1)", class = "Intercept")
-  if ("sigma" %in% names(formula$pforms)) {
-    # Case with a model on sigma
-    sigma_prior <- prior(
-      "normal(-0.7, 0.4)", class = "Intercept", dpar = "sigma"
-    )
-  } else if ("sigma" %in% names(formula$pfix)) {
+  if ("sigma" %in% names(formula$pfix)) {
     # Case with sigma fixed to a constant
     sigma_prior <- NULL
   } else {
-    # Case with no model on sigma
+    # Case with a model on sigma
     sigma_prior <- prior(
-      "lognormal(-0.7, 0.4)", class = "sigma", lb = 0, ub = "NA"
+      "normal(-0.7, 0.4)", class = "Intercept", dpar = "sigma"
     )
   }
   prior <- prior + sigma_prior
diff --git a/R/utils.R b/R/utils.R
index 7e1787029..05dd76ce8 100644
--- a/R/utils.R
+++ b/R/utils.R
@@ -102,3 +102,23 @@
   family$other_bounds <- other_bounds
   return(family)
 }
+
+#' Include implicit intercepts in `brms` formula as explicit
+#'
+#' This function detects the distributional parameters in a `brms` formula
+#' object, and alters to formula to include explicit intercept parameters for
+#' them i.e. `~ 1`.
+#'
+#' @param formula ...
+#' @keywords internal
+.make_intercepts_explicit <- function(formula) {
+  other_dpars <- setdiff(formula$family$dpars, "mu")
+  fixed_dpars <- names(formula$pfix)
+  formula_dpars <- names(formula$pforms)
+  replace_dpars <- setdiff(other_dpars, c(fixed_dpars, formula_dpars))
+  for (dpar in replace_dpars) {
+    new_formula <- as.formula(paste0(dpar, " ~ 1"))
+    formula$pforms[[dpar]] <- new_formula
+  }
+  return(formula)
+}
diff --git a/man/dot-make_intercepts_explicit.Rd b/man/dot-make_intercepts_explicit.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aff519a70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/dot-make_intercepts_explicit.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/utils.R
+\name{.make_intercepts_explicit}
+\alias{.make_intercepts_explicit}
+\title{Include implicit intercepts in \code{brms} formula as explicit}
+\usage{
+.make_intercepts_explicit(formula)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{formula}{...}
+}
+\description{
+This function detects the distributional parameters in a \code{brms} formula
+object, and alters to formula to include explicit intercept parameters for
+them i.e. \code{~ 1}.
+}
+\keyword{internal}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-int-latent_individual.R b/tests/testthat/test-int-latent_individual.R
index d1d533ccd..e33ccbd4a 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-int-latent_individual.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-int-latent_individual.R
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ test_that("epidist.epidist_latent_individual samples from the prior according to
   param1 <- extract_normal_parameters_brms(epidist_prior[1, ])
   param2 <- extract_normal_parameters_brms(epidist_prior[2, ])
   samples1 <- rnorm(1000, mean = param1$mean, sd = param1$sd)
-  samples2 <- exp(rnorm(1000, mean = param2$mean, sd = param2$sd))
+  samples2 <- rnorm(1000, mean = param2$mean, sd = param2$sd)
   # suppressWarnings here used to prevent warnings about ties
   ks1 <- suppressWarnings(stats::ks.test(pred$mu, samples1))
   ks2 <- suppressWarnings(stats::ks.test(pred$sigma, samples2))
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-utils.R b/tests/testthat/test-utils.R
index c8591c5a4..c39a3c38b 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-utils.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-utils.R
@@ -34,3 +34,36 @@ test_that(".add_dpar_info works as expected for the lognormal and gamma families
   expect_equal(gamma_extra$other_links, NULL)
   expect_equal(gamma_extra$other_bounds, list(list("lb" = "0", ub = "")))
 })
+
+test_that(".make_intercepts_explicit creates a formula which is the same as if it had been explicitly created", { # nolint: line_length_linter.
+  prep_obs <- as_latent_individual(sim_obs)
+  epidist_family <- epidist_family(prep_obs, family = "lognormal")
+  formula <- brms:::validate_formula(
+    formula = brms::bf(mu ~ 1),
+    data = prep_obs,
+    family = epidist_family
+  )
+  formula <- .make_intercepts_explicit(formula)
+  formula_explicit <- brms:::validate_formula(
+    formula = brms::bf(mu ~ 1, sigma ~ 1),
+    data = prep_obs,
+    family = epidist_family
+  )
+  attr(formula$pforms$sigma, ".Environment") <- NULL
+  attr(formula_explicit$pforms$sigma, ".Environment") <- NULL
+  expect_equal(formula, formula_explicit)
+})
+
+test_that(".make_intercepts_explicit does not add an intercept if the distributional parameter is set to be fixed", { # nolint: line_length_linter.
+  prep_obs <- as_latent_individual(sim_obs)
+  epidist_family <- epidist_family(prep_obs, family = "lognormal")
+  formula <- brms:::validate_formula(
+    formula = brms::bf(mu ~ 1, sigma = 1),
+    data = prep_obs,
+    family = epidist_family
+  )
+  formula_updated <- .make_intercepts_explicit(formula)
+  attr(formula$pforms$sigma, ".Environment") <- NULL
+  attr(formula_updated$pforms$sigma, ".Environment") <- NULL
+  expect_equal(formula, formula_updated)
+})