diff --git a/src/USER-PLUMED/fix_plumed.cpp b/src/USER-PLUMED/fix_plumed.cpp
index 635d08c573..9921747b22 100644
--- a/src/USER-PLUMED/fix_plumed.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-PLUMED/fix_plumed.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "compute.h"
 #include "modify.h"
 #include "pair.h"
+#include "utils.h"
 
 #include "plumed/wrapper/Plumed.h"
 
@@ -250,15 +251,15 @@ FixPlumed::FixPlumed(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
     // Avoid conflict with fixes that define internal pressure computes.
     // See comment in the setup method
 
-    if ((strncmp(check_style,"nph",3) == 0) ||
-        (strncmp(check_style,"npt",3) == 0) ||
-        (strncmp(check_style,"rigid/nph",9) == 0) ||
-        (strncmp(check_style,"rigid/npt",9) == 0) ||
-        (strncmp(check_style,"msst",4) == 0) ||
-        (strncmp(check_style,"nphug",5) == 0) ||
-        (strncmp(check_style,"ipi",3) == 0) ||
-        (strncmp(check_style,"press/berendsen",15) == 0) ||
-        (strncmp(check_style,"qbmsst",6) == 0))
+    if (utils::strmatch(check_style,"^nph") ||
+        utils::strmatch(check_style,"^npt") ||
+        utils::strmatch(check_style,"^rigid/nph") ||
+        utils::strmatch(check_style,"^rigid/npt") ||
+        utils::strmatch(check_style,"^msst") ||
+        utils::strmatch(check_style,"^nphug") ||
+        utils::strmatch(check_style,"^ipi") ||
+        utils::strmatch(check_style,"^press/berendsen") ||
+        utils::strmatch(check_style,"^qbmsst"))
       error->all(FLERR,"Fix plumed must be defined before any other fixes, "
                  "that compute pressure internally");
   }
@@ -289,7 +290,7 @@ int FixPlumed::setmask()
 
 void FixPlumed::init()
 {
-  if (strcmp(update->integrate_style,"respa") == 0)
+  if (utils::strmatch(update->integrate_style,"^respa"))
     nlevels_respa = ((Respa *) update->integrate)->nlevels;
 
   // This avoids nan pressure if compute_pressure is called
@@ -309,12 +310,12 @@ void FixPlumed::setup(int vflag)
   // has to be executed first. This creates a race condition with the
   // setup method of fix_nh. This is why in the constructor I check if
   // nh fixes have already been called.
-  if (strcmp(update->integrate_style,"verlet") == 0)
-    post_force(vflag);
-  else {
+  if (utils::strmatch(update->integrate_style,"^respa")) {
     ((Respa *) update->integrate)->copy_flevel_f(nlevels_respa-1);
     post_force_respa(vflag,nlevels_respa-1,0);
     ((Respa *) update->integrate)->copy_f_flevel(nlevels_respa-1);
+  } else {
+    post_force(vflag);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/USER-QTB/fix_qbmsst.cpp b/src/USER-QTB/fix_qbmsst.cpp
index e8a4f85eaa..b9b07664d2 100644
--- a/src/USER-QTB/fix_qbmsst.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-QTB/fix_qbmsst.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include "group.h"
 #include "kspace.h"
 #include "thermo.h"
+#include "utils.h"
 
 using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 using namespace FixConst;
@@ -410,14 +411,14 @@ void FixQBMSST::init()
   // rfix[] = indices to each fix rigid
   nrigid = 0;
   for (int i = 0; i < modify->nfix; i++)
-    if (strcmp(modify->fix[i]->style,"rigid") == 0 ||
-        strcmp(modify->fix[i]->style,"poems") == 0) nrigid++;
-  if (nrigid) {
+    if (utils::strmatch(modify->fix[i]->style,"^rigid") ||
+        (strcmp(modify->fix[i]->style,"poems") == 0)) nrigid++;
+  if (nrigid > 0) {
     rfix = new int[nrigid];
     nrigid = 0;
     for (int i = 0; i < modify->nfix; i++)
-      if (strcmp(modify->fix[i]->style,"rigid") == 0 ||
-          strcmp(modify->fix[i]->style,"poems") == 0) rfix[nrigid++] = i;
+      if (utils::strmatch(modify->fix[i]->style,"^rigid") ||
+          (strcmp(modify->fix[i]->style,"poems") == 0)) rfix[nrigid++] = i;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/fix_adapt.cpp b/src/fix_adapt.cpp
index 950bc24253..9a5b528747 100644
--- a/src/fix_adapt.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_adapt.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "math_const.h"
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "error.h"
+#include "utils.h"
 
 using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 using namespace FixConst;
@@ -375,8 +376,7 @@ void FixAdapt::init()
 
       // if pair hybrid, test that ilo,ihi,jlo,jhi are valid for sub-style
 
-      if (strcmp(force->pair_style,"hybrid") == 0 ||
-          strcmp(force->pair_style,"hybrid/overlay") == 0) {
+      if (utils::strmatch(force->pair_style,"^hybrid")) {
         PairHybrid *pair = (PairHybrid *) force->pair;
         for (i = ad->ilo; i <= ad->ihi; i++)
           for (j = MAX(ad->jlo,i); j <= ad->jhi; j++)
@@ -416,8 +416,7 @@ void FixAdapt::init()
 
       if (ad->bdim == 1) ad->vector = (double *) ptr;
 
-      if (strcmp(force->bond_style,"hybrid") == 0 ||
-          strcmp(force->bond_style,"hybrid_overlay") == 0)
+      if (utils::strmatch(force->bond_style,"^hybrid"))
         error->all(FLERR,"Fix adapt does not support bond_style hybrid");
 
       delete [] bstyle;
diff --git a/src/fix_nve_limit.cpp b/src/fix_nve_limit.cpp
index b4fb43e56f..68ff0665a1 100644
--- a/src/fix_nve_limit.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_nve_limit.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "modify.h"
 #include "comm.h"
 #include "error.h"
+#include "utils.h"
 
 using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 using namespace FixConst;
@@ -72,8 +73,8 @@ void FixNVELimit::init()
   // warn if using fix shake, which will lead to invalid constraint forces
 
   for (int i = 0; i < modify->nfix; i++)
-    if ((strcmp(modify->fix[i]->style,"shake") == 0)
-        || (strcmp(modify->fix[i]->style,"rattle") == 0)) {
+    if (utils::strmatch(modify->fix[i]->style,"^shake")
+        || utils::strmatch(modify->fix[i]->style,"^rattle")) {
       if (comm->me == 0)
         error->warning(FLERR,"Should not use fix nve/limit with fix shake or fix rattle");
     }
diff --git a/src/neighbor.cpp b/src/neighbor.cpp
index 2dc65541e4..0382624198 100644
--- a/src/neighbor.cpp
+++ b/src/neighbor.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #include "citeme.h"
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "error.h"
+#include "utils.h"
 
 #include <map>
 
@@ -1282,8 +1283,8 @@ void Neighbor::init_topology()
   int bond_off = 0;
   int angle_off = 0;
   for (i = 0; i < modify->nfix; i++)
-    if ((strcmp(modify->fix[i]->style,"shake") == 0)
-        || (strcmp(modify->fix[i]->style,"rattle") == 0))
+    if (utils::strmatch(modify->fix[i]->style,"^shake")
+        || utils::strmatch(modify->fix[i]->style,"^rattle"))
       bond_off = angle_off = 1;
   if (force->bond && force->bond_match("quartic")) bond_off = 1;
 
diff --git a/src/pair_coul_streitz.cpp b/src/pair_coul_streitz.cpp
index 244dccda12..282c855249 100644
--- a/src/pair_coul_streitz.cpp
+++ b/src/pair_coul_streitz.cpp
@@ -219,12 +219,6 @@ void PairCoulStreitz::init_style()
       error->all(FLERR,"Pair style requires a KSpace style");
     g_ewald = force->kspace->g_ewald;
   }
-
-  // ptr to QEQ fix
-  //for (i = 0; i < modify->nfix; i++)
-  //  if (strcmp(modify->fix[i]->style,"qeq") == 0) break;
-  //if (i < modify->nfix) fixqeq = (FixQEQ *) modify->fix[i];
-  //else fixqeq = NULL;
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/velocity.cpp b/src/velocity.cpp
index 32b08708cf..95d820cc22 100644
--- a/src/velocity.cpp
+++ b/src/velocity.cpp
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ void Velocity::command(int narg, char **arg)
 
   int initcomm = 0;
   if (style == ZERO && rfix >= 0 &&
-      strcmp(modify->fix[rfix]->style,"rigid/small") == 0) initcomm = 1;
+      utils::strmatch(modify->fix[rfix]->style,"^rigid/small")) initcomm = 1;
   if ((style == CREATE || style == SET) && temperature &&
       strcmp(temperature->style,"temp/cs") == 0) initcomm = 1;