diff --git a/CHANGES/v2.3.md b/CHANGES/v2.3.md
index c92fea35335240d8bd7cddedd5a8151a8f79d814..6aa9d2b73665ac986b85e66688d5baf494aa0ea0 100644
--- a/CHANGES/v2.3.md
+++ b/CHANGES/v2.3.md
@@ -235,4 +235,7 @@ For users:
 
 For developers:
 - Fixed small issue in debug options of \ref driver (see \issue{245}).
+- `plumed patch -e` now accepts a name closely matching the patch name (e.g. `plumed patch -e gromacs2016.5` will try to patch
+  even if the stored patch is for `gromacs-2016.4`). This simplifies managing Portfiles. Nothing changes when picking the patch
+  from the interactive menu.
 
diff --git a/patches/patch.sh b/patches/patch.sh
index c5da859a2209c9074270b6e83f2eb929e03a05e1..44b42a74a758a451b18e4b0e56f61ef835cc0a05 100755
--- a/patches/patch.sh
+++ b/patches/patch.sh
@@ -176,6 +176,25 @@ then
   done
 fi
 
+if [[ "$action" == patch || "$action" == revert ]]
+then
+  found=no
+  for engine_try in $mdlist ; do
+    if [[ "$engine" == "$engine_try" ]] ; then
+      found=yes
+    fi
+  done
+  if [[ "$found" == no ]] ; then
+    echo "WARNING: engine $engine not found, I will search for a close match"
+    for engine_try in $mdlist ; do
+      if [[ "${engine%.*}" == "${engine_try%.*}" ]] ; then
+        echo "WARNING: found $engine_try"
+        engine="$engine_try"
+      fi
+    done
+  fi
+fi
+
 if [ -z "$diff" ]
 then
   diff="$PLUMED_ROOT/patches/${engine}.diff"