diff --git a/R/rescale_weights.R b/R/rescale_weights.R
index 88069c225..1c0e2c366 100644
--- a/R/rescale_weights.R
+++ b/R/rescale_weights.R
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
 #' \donttest{
 #' # compare different methods, using multilevel-Poisson regression
 #'
-#' d <- rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, "SDMVSTRA", "WTINT2YR")
+#' d <- rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, "WTINT2YR", "SDMVSTRA")
 #' result1 <- lme4::glmer(
 #'   total ~ factor(RIAGENDR) + log(age) + factor(RIDRETH1) + (1 | SDMVPSU),
 #'   family = poisson(),
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@
 #'
 #' d <- rescale_weights(
 #'   nhanes_sample,
-#'   probability_weights = "WTINT2YR",
+#'   "WTINT2YR",
 #'   method = "kish"
 #' )
 #' result3 <- lme4::glmer(
@@ -140,8 +140,8 @@
 #' }
 #' @export
 rescale_weights <- function(data,
-                            by = NULL,
                             probability_weights = NULL,
+                            by = NULL,
                             nest = FALSE,
                             method = "carle") {
   method <- insight::validate_argument(method, c("carle", "kish"))
@@ -205,22 +205,34 @@ rescale_weights <- function(data,
       ),
       .misspelled_string(colnames(data_tmp), dont_exist, "Possibly misspelled?")
     )
+  } else {
+    # if `by` = NULL, we create a dummy group
+    by <- "tmp_klish_by"
+    data_tmp[[by]] <- 1
   }
-  p_weights <- data_tmp[[probability_weights]]
-  # design effect according to Kish
-  deff <- mean(p_weights^2) / (mean(p_weights)^2)
-  # rescale weights, so their mean is 1
-  z_weights <- p_weights * (1 / mean(p_weights))
-  # divide weights by design effect
-  data$rescaled_weights <- NA_real_
-  data$rescaled_weights[weight_non_na] <- z_weights / deff
 
-  # restore original order
-  x <- x[order(x$.bamboozled), ]
-  x$.bamboozled <- NULL
+  # split into groups, and calculate weights
+  out <- lapply(split(data_tmp, data_tmp$by), function(group_data) {
+    p_weights <- group_data[[probability_weights]]
+    # design effect according to Kish
+    deff <- mean(p_weights^2) / (mean(p_weights)^2)
+    # rescale weights, so their mean is 1
+    z_weights <- p_weights * (1 / mean(p_weights))
+    # divide weights by design effect
+    group_data$rescaled_weights <- z_weights / deff
+    group_data
+  })
+
+  # bind data
+  result <- do.call(rbind, out)
+
+  # restore original order, remove dummy variables
+  result <- result[order(result$.bamboozled), ]
+  result$.bamboozled <- NULL
+  result$tmp_klish_by
 
   # return result
-  data
+  result
 }
 
 
diff --git a/man/rescale_weights.Rd b/man/rescale_weights.Rd
index 912f163a9..5c631b90c 100644
--- a/man/rescale_weights.Rd
+++ b/man/rescale_weights.Rd
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 \usage{
 rescale_weights(
   data,
-  by = NULL,
   probability_weights = NULL,
+  by = NULL,
   nest = FALSE,
   method = "carle"
 )
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ rescale_weights(
 \arguments{
 \item{data}{A data frame.}
 
+\item{probability_weights}{Variable indicating the probability (design or
+sampling) weights of the survey data (level-1-weight).}
+
 \item{by}{Variable names (as character vector, or as formula), indicating
 the grouping structure (strata) of the survey data (level-2-cluster
 variable). It is also possible to create weights for multiple group
@@ -22,9 +25,6 @@ variables; in such cases, each created weighting variable will be suffixed
 by the name of the group variable. Argument \code{by} only applies to the default
 rescaling-method (\code{method = "carle"}), not to \code{method = "kish"}.}
 
-\item{probability_weights}{Variable indicating the probability (design or
-sampling) weights of the survey data (level-1-weight).}
-
 \item{nest}{Logical, if \code{TRUE} and \code{by} indicates at least two
 group variables, then groups are "nested", i.e. groups are now a
 combination from each group level of the variables in \code{by}.}
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ head(x)
 \donttest{
 # compare different methods, using multilevel-Poisson regression
 
-d <- rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, "SDMVSTRA", "WTINT2YR")
+d <- rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, "WTINT2YR", "SDMVSTRA")
 result1 <- lme4::glmer(
   total ~ factor(RIAGENDR) + log(age) + factor(RIDRETH1) + (1 | SDMVPSU),
   family = poisson(),
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ result2 <- lme4::glmer(
 
 d <- rescale_weights(
   nhanes_sample,
-  probability_weights = "WTINT2YR",
+  "WTINT2YR",
   method = "kish"
 )
 result3 <- lme4::glmer(
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-rescale_weights.R b/tests/testthat/test-rescale_weights.R
index bea16cd7d..c02991809 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-rescale_weights.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-rescale_weights.R
@@ -3,16 +3,16 @@ test_that("rescale_weights works as expected", {
   # convert tibble into data frame, so check-hard GHA works
   nhanes_sample <- as.data.frame(nhanes_sample)
 
-  expect_snapshot(head(rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, "SDMVSTRA", "WTINT2YR")))
+  expect_snapshot(head(rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, "WTINT2YR", "SDMVSTRA")))
 
-  expect_snapshot(head(rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, c("SDMVSTRA", "SDMVPSU"), "WTINT2YR")))
+  expect_snapshot(head(rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, "WTINT2YR", c("SDMVSTRA", "SDMVPSU"))))
 
   expect_snapshot(head(rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, probability_weights = "WTINT2YR", method = "kish")))
 
-  out <- rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, "SDMVSTRA", "WTINT2YR")
+  out <- rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, "WTINT2YR", "SDMVSTRA")
   expect_equal(sum(out$rescaled_weights_a), 2992, tolerance = 1e-3)
   expect_equal(sum(out$rescaled_weights_b), 2244.71451, tolerance = 1e-3)
-  out <- rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, probability_weights = "WTINT2YR", method = "kish")
+  out <- rescale_weights(nhanes_sample, "WTINT2YR", method = "kish")
   expect_equal(sum(out$rescaled_weights), 2162.53961, tolerance = 1e-3)
 })