diff --git a/src/grib_templates.c b/src/grib_templates.c
index f847c7409..850f5858f 100644
--- a/src/grib_templates.c
+++ b/src/grib_templates.c
@@ -55,7 +55,10 @@ static grib_handle* try_template(grib_context* c, const char* dir, const char* n
     grib_handle* g = NULL;
     int err        = 0;
 
-    sprintf(path, "%s/%s.tmpl", dir, name);
+    if (string_ends_with(name, ".tmpl"))
+        sprintf(path, "%s/%s", dir, name);
+    else
+        sprintf(path, "%s/%s.tmpl", dir, name);
 
     if (c->debug) {
         fprintf(stderr, "ECCODES DEBUG try_template path='%s'\n", path);
@@ -83,7 +86,10 @@ static grib_handle* try_bufr_template(grib_context* c, const char* dir, const ch
     grib_handle* g = NULL;
     int err        = 0;
 
-    sprintf(path, "%s/%s.tmpl", dir, name);
+    if (string_ends_with(name, ".tmpl"))
+        sprintf(path, "%s/%s", dir, name);
+    else
+        sprintf(path, "%s/%s.tmpl", dir, name);
 
     if (c->debug) {
         fprintf(stderr, "ECCODES DEBUG try_template path='%s'\n", path);
@@ -108,8 +114,10 @@ static grib_handle* try_bufr_template(grib_context* c, const char* dir, const ch
 static char* try_template_path(grib_context* c, const char* dir, const char* name)
 {
     char path[2048];
-
-    sprintf(path, "%s/%s.tmpl", dir, name);
+    if (string_ends_with(name, ".tmpl"))
+        sprintf(path, "%s/%s", dir, name);
+    else
+        sprintf(path, "%s/%s.tmpl", dir, name);
 
     if (codes_access(path, F_OK) == 0) {
         return grib_context_strdup(c, path);
diff --git a/tests/grib_sh_ieee64.c b/tests/grib_sh_ieee64.c
index 57b98c626..e9f32e2ce 100644
--- a/tests/grib_sh_ieee64.c
+++ b/tests/grib_sh_ieee64.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     double zval[ILCHAM];
     int m, n, k;
 
-    GRIB_CHECK(((h = grib_handle_new_from_samples(NULL, "sh_ml_grib2")) == NULL), 0);
+    GRIB_CHECK(((h = grib_handle_new_from_samples(NULL, "sh_ml_grib2.tmpl")) == NULL), 0);
 
     /* Meteo-France settings */
     GRIB_CHECK(grib_set_long(h, "centre", 85), 0);
diff --git a/tools/codes_export_resource.c b/tools/codes_export_resource.c
index ad00c2671..d54ee9db2 100644
--- a/tools/codes_export_resource.c
+++ b/tools/codes_export_resource.c
@@ -58,10 +58,6 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     }
 
     if (resource_type == SAMPLE) {
-        char* t = strstr(resource_path, ".tmpl");
-        if (t) {
-            *t = '\0';  /* get rid of sample file extension (if there) */
-        }
         full_path = grib_external_template_path(c, resource_path);
     }
     else if (resource_type == DEFINITION) {
@@ -101,7 +97,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
     grib_context_free(c, full_path);
 
-    printf("Resource written out to file '%s'.\n", out_file);
+    printf("Resource exported to file '%s'.\n", out_file);
 
     return 0;
 }