diff --git a/src/eccodes_prototypes.h b/src/eccodes_prototypes.h
index 88452d227..93910d5f7 100644
--- a/src/eccodes_prototypes.h
+++ b/src/eccodes_prototypes.h
@@ -1187,10 +1187,7 @@ long grib_get_bits_per_value(double max, double min, long binary_scale_factor);
 long grib_get_decimal_scale_fact(double max, double min, long bpval, long binary_scale);
 
 /* grib_templates.c */
-/*grib_handle *grib_internal_sample(grib_context *c, const char *name);*/
-grib_handle* codes_external_template(grib_context* c, const char* name);
-grib_handle* grib_external_template(grib_context* c, const char* name);
-grib_handle* bufr_external_template(grib_context* c, const char* name);
+grib_handle* codes_external_template(grib_context* c, ProductKind product_kind, const char* name);
 char* get_external_template_path(grib_context* c, const char* name);
 
 /* grib_dependency.c */
diff --git a/src/grib_handle.c b/src/grib_handle.c
index 8437d5bc2..84c152cc5 100644
--- a/src/grib_handle.c
+++ b/src/grib_handle.c
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ grib_handle* codes_handle_new_from_samples(grib_context* c, const char* name)
         fprintf(stderr, "ECCODES DEBUG codes_handle_new_from_samples '%s'\n", name);
     }
 
-    g = codes_external_template(c, name);
+    g = codes_external_template(c, PRODUCT_ANY, name);
     if (!g)
         grib_context_log(c, GRIB_LOG_ERROR,
                          "Unable to load sample file '%s.tmpl'\n"
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ grib_handle* grib_handle_new_from_samples(grib_context* c, const char* name)
         fprintf(stderr, "ECCODES DEBUG grib_handle_new_from_samples '%s'\n", name);
     }
 
-    g = grib_external_template(c, name);
+    g = codes_external_template(c, PRODUCT_GRIB, name);
     if (!g)
         grib_context_log(c, GRIB_LOG_ERROR,
                          "Unable to load GRIB sample file '%s.tmpl'\n"
@@ -306,15 +306,11 @@ grib_handle* codes_bufr_handle_new_from_samples(grib_context* c, const char* nam
     grib_context_set_handle_file_count(c, 0);
     grib_context_set_handle_total_count(c, 0);
 
-    /*
-     *  g = grib_internal_sample(c,name);
-     *  if(g) return g;
-     */
     if (c->debug) {
         fprintf(stderr, "ECCODES DEBUG bufr_handle_new_from_samples '%s'\n", name);
     }
 
-    g = bufr_external_template(c, name);
+    g = codes_external_template(c, PRODUCT_BUFR, name);
     if (!g)
         grib_context_log(c, GRIB_LOG_ERROR,
                          "Unable to load BUFR sample file '%s.tmpl'\n"
diff --git a/src/grib_templates.c b/src/grib_templates.c
index fc0cb835f..7252c5999 100644
--- a/src/grib_templates.c
+++ b/src/grib_templates.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ grib_handle* grib_internal_sample(grib_context* c,const char* name)
 #define ECC_PATH_DELIMITER_CHAR ':'
 #endif
 
+/* if product_kind is PRODUCT_ANY, the type of sample file is determined at runtime */
 static grib_handle* try_product_template(grib_context* c, ProductKind product_kind, const char* dir, const char* name)
 {
     char path[1024];
@@ -77,21 +78,26 @@ static grib_handle* try_product_template(grib_context* c, ProductKind product_ki
             size_t size  = 0;
             off_t offset = 0;
             mesg = wmo_read_any_from_file_malloc(f, 0, &size, &offset, &err);
-            Assert(size > 4);
-            if (strncmp(mesg, "GRIB", 4) == 0 || strncmp(mesg, "DIAG", 4) == 0 || strncmp(mesg, "BUDG", 4) == 0) {
-                product_kind = PRODUCT_GRIB;
-            } else if (strncmp(mesg, "BUFR", 4) == 0) {
-                product_kind = PRODUCT_BUFR;
+            if (mesg && !err) {
+                Assert(size > 4);
+                if (strncmp(mesg, "GRIB", 4) == 0 || strncmp(mesg, "DIAG", 4) == 0 || strncmp(mesg, "BUDG", 4) == 0) {
+                    product_kind = PRODUCT_GRIB;
+                } else if (strncmp(mesg, "BUFR", 4) == 0) {
+                    product_kind = PRODUCT_BUFR;
+                } else {
+                    grib_context_log(c, GRIB_LOG_ERROR, "Could not determine product kind");
+                }
+                grib_context_free(c, mesg);
+                rewind(f);
             } else {
                 grib_context_log(c, GRIB_LOG_ERROR, "Could not determine product kind");
             }
-            grib_context_free(c, mesg);
-            rewind(f);
         }
         if (product_kind == PRODUCT_BUFR) {
             g = codes_bufr_handle_new_from_file(c, f, &err);
         } else {
             /* Note: Pseudo GRIBs like DIAG and BUDG also come here */
+            DebugAssert(product_kind == PRODUCT_GRIB);
             g = grib_handle_new_from_file(c, f, &err);
         }
         if (!g) {
@@ -118,12 +124,7 @@ static char* try_template_path(grib_context* c, const char* dir, const char* nam
     return NULL;
 }
 
-/* TODO: The following functions should be renamed/combined: 
- *   codes_external_template
- *   grib_external_template
- *   bufr_external_template
-*/
-grib_handle* codes_external_template(grib_context* c, const char* name)
+grib_handle* codes_external_template(grib_context* c, ProductKind product_kind, const char* name)
 {
     const char* base = c->grib_samples_path;
     char buffer[1024];
@@ -136,7 +137,7 @@ grib_handle* codes_external_template(grib_context* c, const char* name)
     while (*base) {
         if (*base == ECC_PATH_DELIMITER_CHAR) {
             *p = 0;
-            g  = try_product_template(c, PRODUCT_ANY, buffer, name);
+            g  = try_product_template(c, product_kind, buffer, name);
             if (g)
                 return g;
             p = buffer;
@@ -146,59 +147,7 @@ grib_handle* codes_external_template(grib_context* c, const char* name)
     }
 
     *p       = 0;
-    return g = try_product_template(c, PRODUCT_ANY, buffer, name);
-}
-
-grib_handle* grib_external_template(grib_context* c, const char* name)
-{
-    const char* base = c->grib_samples_path;
-    char buffer[1024];
-    char* p        = buffer;
-    grib_handle* g = NULL;
-
-    if (!base)
-        return NULL;
-
-    while (*base) {
-        if (*base == ECC_PATH_DELIMITER_CHAR) {
-            *p = 0;
-            g  = try_product_template(c, PRODUCT_GRIB, buffer, name);
-            if (g)
-                return g;
-            p = buffer;
-            base++; /*advance past delimiter*/
-        }
-        *p++ = *base++;
-    }
-
-    *p       = 0;
-    return g = try_product_template(c, PRODUCT_GRIB, buffer, name);
-}
-
-grib_handle* bufr_external_template(grib_context* c, const char* name)
-{
-    const char* base = c->grib_samples_path;
-    char buffer[1024];
-    char* p        = buffer;
-    grib_handle* g = NULL;
-
-    if (!base)
-        return NULL;
-
-    while (*base) {
-        if (*base == ECC_PATH_DELIMITER_CHAR) {
-            *p = 0;
-            g  = try_product_template(c, PRODUCT_BUFR, buffer, name);
-            if (g)
-                return g;
-            p = buffer;
-            base++; /*advance past delimiter*/
-        }
-        *p++ = *base++;
-    }
-
-    *p = 0;
-    g  = try_product_template(c, PRODUCT_BUFR, buffer, name);
+    g = try_product_template(c, product_kind, buffer, name);
     return g;
 }