diff --git a/src/grib_date.c b/src/grib_date.c
index c71d1a9da..0f3cb851c 100644
--- a/src/grib_date.c
+++ b/src/grib_date.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ int grib_datetime_to_julian_d(
     long year, long month, long day, long hour, long minute,
     double second, double* jd)
 {
-    double a, b, dday;
+    double a, b = 0, dday;
     long y, m;
 
     dday = (double)(hour * 3600 + minute * 60 + second) / 86400.0 + day;
@@ -97,22 +97,10 @@ int grib_datetime_to_julian_d(
     }
     a = (long)(((double)y) / 100);
 
-    if (y > 1582)
+    if (y > 1582 ||
+        (y == 1582 && ((m > 10) || (m == 10 && day > 14)))) {
         b = 2 - a + (long)(a / 4);
-    else if (y == 1582) {
-        if (m > 10)
-            b = 2 - a + (long)(a / 4);
-        else if (m == 10) {
-            if (day > 14)
-                b = 2 - a + (long)(a / 4);
-            else
-                b = 0;
-        }
-        else
-            b = 0;
     }
-    else
-        b = 0;
 
     *jd = (long)(365.25 * (y + 4716)) + (long)(30.6001 * (m + 1)) + dday + b - 1524.5;
 
diff --git a/src/grib_templates.c b/src/grib_templates.c
index a9d03ad6a..6d9fefa88 100644
--- a/src/grib_templates.c
+++ b/src/grib_templates.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ static grib_handle* try_template(grib_context* c, const char* dir, const char* n
 
     sprintf(path, "%s/%s.tmpl", dir, name);
 
-    if (c->debug == -1) {
+    if (c->debug) {
         fprintf(stderr, "ECCODES DEBUG: try_template path='%s'\n", path);
     }
 
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ static grib_handle* try_bufr_template(grib_context* c, const char* dir, const ch
 
     sprintf(path, "%s/%s.tmpl", dir, name);
 
-    if (c->debug == -1) {
+    if (c->debug) {
         fprintf(stderr, "ECCODES DEBUG: try_template path='%s'\n", path);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/julian.c b/tests/julian.c
index 9c723b0bc..3910bc5cd 100644
--- a/tests/julian.c
+++ b/tests/julian.c
@@ -181,12 +181,47 @@ static void Test3()
     }
 }
 
+static void Test4()
+{
+    const long iyear = 1582;
+
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 9, 1, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 9, 2, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 9, 3, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 9, 4, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 9, 4, 16, 0, 0);
+
+    /* TODO */
+    /* TestDateTime(iyear, 10, 5, 1, 0, 0); */
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 10, 1, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 10, 2, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 10, 3, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 10, 4, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 10, 15, 1, 0, 0);
+
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 11, 1, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 11, 2, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 11, 3, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 11, 4, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 11, 5, 1, 0, 0);
+    TestDateTime(iyear, 11, 5, 15, 0, 0);
+
+    /* TODO
+     * for (imnth = 1; imnth <= 12; imnth += 1) {
+     *   for (iday = 1; iday <= 28; iday += 1) {
+     *     TestDateTime(iyear, imnth, iday, 1, 0, 0);
+     *   }
+     * }
+     */
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
     Test0();
     Test1();
     Test2();
     Test3();
+    Test4();
     printf("All OK\n");
     return 0;
 }