diff --git a/easybuild/tools/github.py b/easybuild/tools/github.py
index 70ae40b612..3ffce62dc8 100644
--- a/easybuild/tools/github.py
+++ b/easybuild/tools/github.py
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 * Toon Willems (Ghent University)
 """
 import base64
-import copy
 import getpass
 import glob
 import functools
@@ -1280,9 +1279,19 @@ def push_branch_to_github(git_repo, target_account, target_repo, branch):
 
 def is_patch_for(patch_name, ec):
     """Check whether specified patch matches any patch in the provided EasyConfig instance."""
-    res = False
+    # Extract name from patch entry
+    def get_name(patch):
+        if isinstance(patch, (tuple, list)):
+            patch = patch[0]
+        elif isinstance(patch, dict):
+            try:
+                patch = patch['name']
+            except KeyError:
+                raise EasyBuildError(f"Invalid patch spec in {ec.path}: Missing 'name' key",
+                                     exit_code=EasyBuildExit.VALUE_ERROR)
+        return patch
 
-    patches = copy.copy(ec['patches'])
+    patches = [get_name(p) for p in ec['patches']]
 
     with ec.disable_templating():
         # take into account both list of extensions (via exts_list) and components (cfr. Bundle easyblock)
@@ -1294,17 +1303,9 @@ def is_patch_for(patch_name, ec):
                     'version': entry[1],
                 }
                 options = entry[2]
-                patches.extend(p[0] % templates if isinstance(p, (tuple, list)) else p % templates
-                               for p in options.get('patches', []))
-
-    for patch in patches:
-        if isinstance(patch, (tuple, list)):
-            patch = patch[0]
-        if patch == patch_name:
-            res = True
-            break
+                patches.extend(get_name(p) % templates for p in options.get('patches', []))
 
-    return res
+    return patch_name in patches
 
 
 def det_patch_specs(patch_paths, file_info, ec_dirs):
@@ -1395,7 +1396,7 @@ def ec_key(path):
                     soft_name = ec['ec']['name']
                     break
         except EasyBuildError as err:
-            _log.debug("Ignoring easyconfig %s that fails to parse: %s", path, err)
+            _log.warning("Ignoring easyconfig %s that fails to parse: %s", path, err)
         sys.stdout.write('\r%s of %s easyconfigs checked' % (idx + 1, nr_of_ecs))
         sys.stdout.flush()
 
diff --git a/test/framework/github.py b/test/framework/github.py
index 512d01f84f..ea19d4313d 100644
--- a/test/framework/github.py
+++ b/test/framework/github.py
@@ -1381,7 +1381,8 @@ def test_is_patch_for(self):
         self.assertFalse(is_patch_for('pi.patch', ec))
         self.assertTrue(is_patch_for('pi-3.14.patch', ec))
 
-        ec['patches'] = []
+        ec['patches'] = [{'name': '%(name)s-%(version)s.patch'}]
+        self.assertTrue(is_patch_for('pi-3.14.patch', ec))
 
         for patch_fn in ('foo.patch', '%(name)s.patch', '%(namelower)s.patch'):
             ec['exts_list'] = [('foo', '1.2.3', {'patches': [patch_fn]})]
@@ -1391,8 +1392,14 @@ def test_is_patch_for(self):
         ec['components'] = None
         self.assertFalse(is_patch_for('pi.patch', ec))
 
-        ec['components'] = [('foo', '1.2.3', {'patches': ['pi.patch']})]
+        ec['components'] = [('foo', '1.2.3',
+                             {'patches': [
+                                 'pi.patch',
+                                 {'name': 'ext_%(name)s-%(version)s.patch'},
+                                 ],
+                              })]
         self.assertTrue(is_patch_for('pi.patch', ec))
+        self.assertTrue(is_patch_for('ext_foo-1.2.3.patch', ec))
 
 
 def suite():