diff --git a/src/gridtools/FindContourSurface.cpp b/src/gridtools/FindContourSurface.cpp
index d2cdac39d64395a2b45dc52ef41bd11c09289077..cce85179bc6d2bd1debb6593687261ec4d842e73 100644
--- a/src/gridtools/FindContourSurface.cpp
+++ b/src/gridtools/FindContourSurface.cpp
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ position.  This grid is then output to a file called contour2.dat.
 Notice that the commands below calculate the instantaneous position of the surface separating the solid and liquid and that as such the accumulated average is cleared
 on every step.
 
-\verbatim
+\plumedfile
 UNITS NATURAL
 FCCUBIC ...
   SPECIES=1-96000 SWITCH={CUBIC D_0=1.2 D_MAX=1.5}
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ dens2: MULTICOLVARDENS DATA=fcc ORIGIN=1 DIR=xyz NBINS=14,14,50 ZREDUCED ZLOWER=
 
 ss2: FIND_CONTOUR_SURFACE GRID=dens2 CONTOUR=0.42 SEARCHDIR=z STRIDE=1 CLEAR=1
 DUMPGRID GRID=ss2 FILE=contour2.dat FMT=%8.4f STRIDE=1
-\endverbatim
+\endplumedfile
 
 */
 //+ENDPLUMEDOC
diff --git a/src/maketools/plumedcheck b/src/maketools/plumedcheck
index 2ba30ca0ea292ab0c8392a325957ef4ddff0de5d..d8f5cb44cc38ec6f5bcbb2c079239da770db47b7 100755
--- a/src/maketools/plumedcheck
+++ b/src/maketools/plumedcheck
@@ -145,6 +145,10 @@ BEGIN{
 
 # create tmp dir for future usage
   "mktemp -dt plumed.XXXXXX" | getline tmpdir
+
+# checking astyle presence
+  astyle_available=!system(astyle " --version > /dev/null 2> /dev/null") 
+  if(!astyle_available) error("astyle_not_available","astyle not available on this system, skipping astyle checks")
 }
 
 # for each input file
@@ -198,7 +202,7 @@ BEGINFILE{
 # checks that are done only on some modules will be skipped if the module name is not known
   if((filetype=="source" || filetype=="header") && !module) information("missing_module_name","module name is not know, some check will be skipped");
 
-  if(filetype=="source" || filetype=="header"){
+  if(astyle_available && (filetype=="source" || filetype=="header")){
     tempfile = tmpdir "/astyle"
     system(astyle " --options=" astyle_options " < " FILENAME " > " tempfile)
     s=system("diff -q " FILENAME " " tempfile ">/dev/null 2>/dev/null")
@@ -407,7 +411,7 @@ BEGINFILE{
 # now it is considered equivalent to a verbatim
 # later on we might make plumedfile compulsory instead of verbatim
     if(in_plumed_doc && (in_plumed_doc in provide_examples) && match($0,"^ *\\\\plumedfile *$")){
-      provide_verbatim[in_plumed_doc]=1
+      provide_plumedfile[in_plumed_doc]=1
     }
 #print match($0,"^ *\\\\verbatim *$"),"X" $0 "X"
 
@@ -544,11 +548,11 @@ END{
 # DOC: Every action that is registered should contain an `Example` section in its documentation.
 # DOC: Notice that if the `Example` section is not added the manual will not show the registered keywords.
       error("action_without_examples","action " action " at " plumed_doc_action[action] " has no example")
-    } else if(!(action in provide_verbatim)){
+    } else if(!(action in provide_plumedfile)){
 # DOC: :action_without_verbatim:
-# DOC: Every action that is registered should contain an example in the form of a `verbatim` section.
+# DOC: Every action that is registered should contain an example in the form of a `plumedfile` section.
 # DOC: This is currently a stylistic warning since there are many actions not satisfying this requirement.
-      style("action_without_verbatim","action " action " at " provide_examples[action] " has no verbatim")
+      style("action_without_plumedfile","action " action " at " provide_examples[action] " has no plumedfile")
     }
   }