diff --git a/regtest/basic/rt-make-exceptions/main.cpp b/regtest/basic/rt-make-exceptions/main.cpp
index 4bc166454fa0ec7ebdf8f0700f60f821ceeb12a2..41819b5dc7132f62b48d619b995d437d2d3a360e 100644
--- a/regtest/basic/rt-make-exceptions/main.cpp
+++ b/regtest/basic/rt-make-exceptions/main.cpp
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ int main(){
   test_line(ofs,plumed,"d: RMSD REFERENCE=test-too-many-atoms.pdb");
   test_line(ofs,plumed,"d: RMSD TYPE=OPTIMAL REFERENCE=test_zero_displace_weight.pdb");
   test_line(ofs,plumed,"d: RMSD TYPE=OPTIMAL REFERENCE=test_zero_align_weight.pdb");
+  test_line(ofs,plumed,"d: RMSD TYPE=SIMPLE REFERENCE=test_zero_displace_weight.pdb");
+  test_line(ofs,plumed,"d: RMSD TYPE=SIMPLE REFERENCE=test_zero_align_weight.pdb");
   test_line(ofs,plumed,"d: DRMSD REFERENCE=missing.pdb LOWER_CUTOFF=0.0 UPPER_CUTOFF=15.0");
 
 // these should not fail
diff --git a/regtest/basic/rt-make-exceptions/output.reference b/regtest/basic/rt-make-exceptions/output.reference
index c454fce339968c2b5bcb10dabf979e7da2184c43..6fb48b63567d16af3f66671613d55f8330c8f1fa 100644
--- a/regtest/basic/rt-make-exceptions/output.reference
+++ b/regtest/basic/rt-make-exceptions/output.reference
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ readInputLine d: RMSD TYPE=OPTIMAL REFERENCE=test_zero_displace_weight.pdb
 +++ catched
 readInputLine d: RMSD TYPE=OPTIMAL REFERENCE=test_zero_align_weight.pdb
 +++ catched
+readInputLine d: RMSD TYPE=SIMPLE REFERENCE=test_zero_displace_weight.pdb
++++ catched
+readInputLine d: RMSD TYPE=SIMPLE REFERENCE=test_zero_align_weight.pdb
++++ catched
 readInputLine d: DRMSD REFERENCE=missing.pdb LOWER_CUTOFF=0.0 UPPER_CUTOFF=15.0
 +++ catched
 readInputLine RESTRAINT ARG=x(d) KAPPA=5 AT=0