diff --git a/patches/namd-2.8.config b/patches/namd-2.8.config
index c255576a2eef131373bd8245a533c72ffa9764be..f8c5843e45a650c53ddcf7af6746ae04e6157032 100644
--- a/patches/namd-2.8.config
+++ b/patches/namd-2.8.config
@@ -11,3 +11,5 @@ function plumed_patch_info(){
   echo ""
   echo "For more information on NAMD you should visit http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/namd/"
 }
+
+plumed_ignore_mpi=yes
diff --git a/patches/namd-2.9.config b/patches/namd-2.9.config
index c255576a2eef131373bd8245a533c72ffa9764be..c28378451021f6ba931e3dbce7caafa0154eafbb 100644
--- a/patches/namd-2.9.config
+++ b/patches/namd-2.9.config
@@ -11,3 +11,6 @@ function plumed_patch_info(){
   echo ""
   echo "For more information on NAMD you should visit http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/namd/"
 }
+
+plumed_ignore_mpi=yes
+
diff --git a/patches/patch.sh b/patches/patch.sh
index ece5948d89179e01d92dca299901fc57196be48a..633bd730136fe08914d2aa2268d1ac6dbd8ce17f 100755
--- a/patches/patch.sh
+++ b/patches/patch.sh
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ save_originals=
 quiet=
 mdroot=
 
+# default value:
+plumed_ignore_mpi=no
+
 for option
 do
 
@@ -281,11 +284,13 @@ case "$action" in
       echo "by the PLUMED_KERNEL environment variable"
     fi
 
-    echo ""
-    if grep -q "D__PLUMED_HAS_MPI=1" "$PLUMED_ROOT"/src/config/compile_options.sh ; then
-      echo "PLUMED is compiled with MPI support so you can configure $engine with MPI" 
-    else
-      echo "PLUMED is compiled WITHOUT MPI support so you CANNOT configure $engine with MPI"
+    if [ "$plumed_ignore_mpi" = no ] ; then
+      echo ""
+      if grep -q "D__PLUMED_HAS_MPI=1" "$PLUMED_ROOT"/src/config/compile_options.sh ; then
+        echo "PLUMED is compiled with MPI support so you can configure $engine with MPI" 
+      else
+        echo "PLUMED is compiled WITHOUT MPI support so you CANNOT configure $engine with MPI"
+      fi
     fi
 
     
diff --git a/patches/qespresso-5.0.2.config b/patches/qespresso-5.0.2.config
index f7c7b6ff5255426bf2178facfc72cc428d32e120..7c106efd72b6ebed64e956b8adb6692df9ec2782 100644
--- a/patches/qespresso-5.0.2.config
+++ b/patches/qespresso-5.0.2.config
@@ -21,3 +21,5 @@ function plumed_patch_info(){
   echo "For more information on Quantum Espresso you should visit http://www.quantum-espresso.org"
 }
 
+plumed_ignore_mpi=yes
+