diff --git a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/ensightMesh.C b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/ensightMesh.C
index daece0473b..99b51abbb1 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/ensightMesh.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/ensightMesh.C
@@ -87,16 +87,26 @@ Foam::ensightMesh::ensightMesh
 
         if (args.optionFound("patches"))
         {
-            wordList patchNameList(args.optionLookup("patches")());
+            wordReList patterns(args.optionLookup("patches")());
 
-            if (patchNameList.empty())
+            if (patterns.empty())
             {
-                patchNameList = allPatchNames_;
+                forAll(allPatchNames_, nameI)
+                {
+                    patchNames_.insert(allPatchNames_[nameI]);
+                }
             }
-
-            forAll(patchNameList, i)
+            else
             {
-                patchNames_.insert(patchNameList[i]);
+                // Find patch names which match that requested at command-line
+                forAll(allPatchNames_, nameI)
+                {
+                    const word& patchName = allPatchNames_[nameI];
+                    if (findStrings(patterns, patchName))
+                    {
+                        patchNames_.insert(patchName);
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
     }
@@ -247,19 +257,17 @@ Foam::ensightMesh::ensightMesh
     // faceZones
     if (args.optionFound("faceZones"))
     {
-        wordList patchNameList(args.optionLookup("faceZones")());
+        wordReList patterns(args.optionLookup("faceZones")());
 
         const wordList faceZoneNamesAll = mesh_.faceZones().names();
 
-        // Find out faceZone names that match with what requested at command
-        // line
-        forAll(patchNameList, i)
+        // Find faceZone names which match that requested at command-line
+        forAll(faceZoneNamesAll, nameI)
         {
-            labelList matches = findStrings(patchNameList[i], faceZoneNamesAll);
-
-            forAll(matches, matchI)
+            const word& zoneName = faceZoneNamesAll[nameI];
+            if (findStrings(patterns, zoneName))
             {
-                faceZoneNames_.insert(faceZoneNamesAll[matches[matchI]]);
+                faceZoneNames_.insert(zoneName);
             }
         }
 
@@ -353,8 +361,8 @@ Foam::ensightMesh::ensightMesh
                 if
                 (
                     faceZoneFaceSets_[zoneI].tris.size()
-                 || faceZoneFaceSets_[zoneI].quads.size() ||
-                    faceZoneFaceSets_[zoneI].polys.size()
+                 || faceZoneFaceSets_[zoneI].quads.size()
+                 || faceZoneFaceSets_[zoneI].polys.size()
                 )
                 {
                     nfp.nTris   = faceZoneFaceSets_[zoneI].tris.size();
diff --git a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/foamToEnsight.C b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/foamToEnsight.C
index 6d2f56f3b8..fb8e48a67d 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/foamToEnsight.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/postProcessing/dataConversion/foamToEnsight/foamToEnsight.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 1991-2009 OpenCFD Ltd.
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 1991-2010 OpenCFD Ltd.
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -112,21 +112,21 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     argList::addOption
     (
         "patches",
-        "wordList",
-        "specify particular patches to write - eg '(inlet outlet)'. "
+        "wordReList",
+        "specify particular patches to write - eg '(outlet \"inlet.*\")'. "
         "An empty list suppresses writing the internalMesh."
     );
     argList::addOption
     (
         "faceZones",
-        "wordList",
-        "specify faceZones to write, with wildcards - eg '(mfp-.*)'. "
+        "wordReList",
+        "specify faceZones to write - eg '( slice \"mfp-.*\" )'."
     );
 
 #   include "setRootCase.H"
 
     // Check options
-    bool binary = !args.optionFound("ascii");
+    const bool binary = !args.optionFound("ascii");
 
 #   include "createTime.H"