diff --git a/src/parallel/decompose/Allwmake b/src/parallel/decompose/Allwmake
index b29e68ce29..a90f705601 100755
--- a/src/parallel/decompose/Allwmake
+++ b/src/parallel/decompose/Allwmake
@@ -7,11 +7,30 @@ cd ${0%/*} || exit 1    # Run from this directory
 : ${FOAM_EXT_LIBBIN:=/usr/lib$WM_COMPILER_LIB_ARCH}  # Extra safety
 export FOAM_EXT_LIBBIN
 
+# Check for the existence of any of the files
+# On success, echoes the file found and returns 0, otherwise returns 2
+findFirstFile()
+{
+    local file
+    for file
+    do
+        if [ -f "$file" -a -r "$file" ]
+        then
+            echo "$file"
+            return 0
+        fi
+    done
+
+    return 2
+}
+
+
 # Test for metis.
 # - return 0 and export METIS_ARCH_PATH on success
 hasMetis()
 {
     local warning="==> skip metis"
+    local header label settings
 
     unset METIS_ARCH_PATH METIS_VERSION
     settings=$($WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile config.sh/metis) || {
@@ -27,28 +46,30 @@ hasMetis()
     fi
 
     # Header
-    local header=$METIS_ARCH_PATH/include/metis.h
-    if [ "${METIS_ARCH_PATH##*-}" = system ]
-    then
-        [ -f "$header" ] || header=/usr/include/metis.h
-    fi
-    [ -f "$header" ] || {
+    header=$(findFirstFile \
+        $METIS_ARCH_PATH/include/metis.h \
+        /usr/include/metis.h \
+    ) || {
         echo "$warning (no header)"
         return 2  # file not found
     }
 
     # Library
-    [ -r $FOAM_EXT_LIBBIN/libmetis.so ] || \
-    [ -r $METIS_ARCH_PATH/lib/libmetis.so ] || \
-    [ -r $METIS_ARCH_PATH/lib$WM_COMPILER_LIB_ARCH/libmetis.so ] || \
-    [ "${METIS_ARCH_PATH##*-}" = system ] || {
+    [ "${METIS_ARCH_PATH##*-}" = system ] || \
+    findFirstFile \
+        $FOAM_EXT_LIBBIN/libmetis.so \
+        $METIS_ARCH_PATH/lib/libmetis.a \
+        $METIS_ARCH_PATH/lib/libmetis.so \
+        $METIS_ARCH_PATH/lib$WM_COMPILER_LIB_ARCH/libmetis.a \
+        $METIS_ARCH_PATH/lib$WM_COMPILER_LIB_ARCH/libmetis.so \
+    > /dev/null || {
         echo "$warning (missing library)"
         return 2
     }
 
     # Ensure consistent sizes between OpenFOAM and metis header
     # Extract IDXTYPEWIDTH from metis.h: regex as per ThirdParty Allwmake
-    local label=$(sed -ne 's/^.*#define  *IDXTYPEWIDTH  *\([1-9][0-9]\).*/\1/p' $header)
+    label=$(sed -ne 's/^.*#define  *IDXTYPEWIDTH  *\([1-9][0-9]\).*/\1/p' $header)
     : ${label:=unknown}
 
     if [ "$WM_LABEL_SIZE" = "$label" ]
@@ -67,6 +88,7 @@ hasMetis()
 hasScotch()
 {
     local warning="==> skip scotch"
+    local header label settings
 
     unset SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH SCOTCH_VERSION
     settings=$($WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile config.sh/scotch) || {
@@ -82,33 +104,54 @@ hasScotch()
     fi
 
     # Header
-    local header=$SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH/include/scotch.h
-    if [ "${SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH##*-}" = system ]
-    then
-        [ -f "$header" ] || header=/usr/include/scotch.h
-    fi
-    [ -f "$header" ] || {
+    header=$(findFirstFile \
+        $SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH/include/scotch.h \
+        /usr/include/scotch/scotch.h \
+        /usr/include/scotch.h
+    ) || {
         echo "$warning (no header)"
         return 2  # file not found
     }
 
     # Library
-    [ -r $FOAM_EXT_LIBBIN/libscotch.so ] || \
-    [ -r $SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH/lib/libscotch.so ] || \
-    [ -r $SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH/lib$WM_COMPILER_LIB_ARCH/libscotch.so ] || \
-    [ "${SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH##*-}" = system ] || {
+    [ "${SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH##*-}" = system ] || \
+    findFirstFile \
+        $FOAM_EXT_LIBBIN/libscotch.so \
+        $SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH/lib/libscotch.a \
+        $SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH/lib/libscotch.so \
+        $SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH/lib$WM_COMPILER_LIB_ARCH/libscotch.a \
+        $SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH/lib$WM_COMPILER_LIB_ARCH/libscotch.so \
+    > /dev/null || {
         echo "$warning (missing library)"
         return 2
     }
 
     # Ensure consistent sizes between OpenFOAM and scotch header
     # extract 'typedef int64_t SCOTCH_Num' or equivalent
-    local label=$(sed -ne \
+    label=$(sed -ne \
         's/^.*typedef *\([^ ]*\) *SCOTCH_Num.*/\1/ip' \
         "$header")
 
     : ${label:=unknown}
 
+    # No SCOTCH_VERSION set? Try to obtain from header
+    # extract #define SCOTCH_VERSION, SCOTCH_RELEASE, SCOTCH_PATCHLEVEL
+    [ -n "$SCOTCH_VERSION" ] || \
+    SCOTCH_VERSION=$(
+        eval $(
+            sed -ne \
+            's/^ *#define *SCOTCH_\(VERSION\|RELEASE\|PATCHLEVEL\) *\([0-9][0-9]*\).*$/\1=\2/p' \
+            "$header"
+        )
+
+        set -- $VERSION $RELEASE $PATCHLEVEL
+        IFS="."
+        [ "$#" -gt 0 ] && echo "scotch-$*"
+    )
+
+    # Failsafe value
+    : ${SCOTCH_VERSION:=scotch}
+
     case "$WM_LABEL_SIZE:$label" in
     (32:int32_t | 32:int | 64:int64_t | 64:long)
         echo "Scotch (label=$label) - $SCOTCH_ARCH_PATH"
@@ -168,4 +211,5 @@ fi
 wmake $targetType decompositionMethods
 wmake $targetType decompose
 
+
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------