diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index 0c617e235..e75d7c1c7 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #      general configuration      #
 #---------------------------------#
 
-version: 2.11.0-{build}-{branch}
+version: 2.12.2-{build}-{branch}
 
 branches:
   only:
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c81aaaace..ac1069483 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -351,6 +351,21 @@ get_directory_property( COMPILE_DEFINITIONS ECCODES_DEFINITIONS )
 foreach( _tpl ${ECCODES_TPLS} )
     string( TOUPPER ${_tpl} TPL )
     if( ${TPL}_FOUND )
+        if( REPLACE_TPL_ABSOLUTE_PATHS )
+            # replace TPL absolute paths with their library names
+            # this helps make ecCodes relocatable
+            set( _TMP "" )
+
+            foreach( _lib ${${TPL}_LIBRARIES} )
+                get_filename_component( _lib_name ${_lib} NAME_WE )
+                string( REGEX REPLACE "^lib" "" _name ${_lib_name} )
+                list( APPEND _TMP "-l${_name}" )
+            endforeach()
+
+            set( ${TPL}_LIBRARIES ${_TMP} )
+            set( _TMP "" )
+        endif()
+
         list( APPEND ECCODES_EXTRA_DEFINITIONS   ${${TPL}_DEFINITIONS} )
         list( APPEND ECCODES_EXTRA_INCLUDE_DIRS  ${${TPL}_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${${TPL}_INCLUDE_DIR} )
         list( APPEND ECCODES_EXTRA_LIBRARIES     ${${TPL}_LIBRARIES} )
diff --git a/VERSION.cmake b/VERSION.cmake
index 1f4932340..a8ab90833 100644
--- a/VERSION.cmake
+++ b/VERSION.cmake
@@ -1 +1 @@
-set( ${PROJECT_NAME}_VERSION_STR  "2.12.1" )
+set( ${PROJECT_NAME}_VERSION_STR  "2.12.2" )
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.edmm.an.def b/definitions/mars/grib.edmm.an.def
index c0cd1875f..23352e770 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.edmm.an.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.edmm.an.def
@@ -4,3 +4,5 @@
 alias mars.step = startStep;
 alias mars.number=perturbationNumber;
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = validityTime;
+alias monthlyVerificationDate = dataDate;
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.edmm.fc.def b/definitions/mars/grib.edmm.fc.def
index 5abcbfa63..5d94b1664 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.edmm.fc.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.edmm.fc.def
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ meta monthlyVerificationYear   evaluate(monthlyVerificationDate/10000);
 meta verificationMonth         evaluate( (verificationDate/100)%100 );
 meta monthlyVerificationMonth  evaluate( (monthlyVerificationDate/100)%100 );
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = validityTime;
+
 # class e4
 # constant six = 6;
 
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.edmo.an.def b/definitions/mars/grib.edmo.an.def
index db73d6ba5..09791db5d 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.edmo.an.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.edmo.an.def
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 # NOTE: MARS step is startStep. See GRIB-378
 alias mars.step = startStep;
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = zero;
+alias monthlyVerificationDate = dataDate;
+
 # class 3 is "er" which is 15 year re-analysis (ERA15)
 # Only ERA15 has time and step
 if(class != 3) {
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.edmo.fc.def b/definitions/mars/grib.edmo.fc.def
index d0744e69a..dda3104a0 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.edmo.fc.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.edmo.fc.def
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ meta monthlyVerificationYear   evaluate(monthlyVerificationDate/10000);
 meta verificationMonth         evaluate( (verificationDate/100)%100 );
 meta monthlyVerificationMonth  evaluate( (monthlyVerificationDate/100)%100 );
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = zero;
+
 # class 3 is "er" which is 15 year re-analysis (ERA15)
 # Only ERA15 has time and step
 if(class != 3) {
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.ewmm.an.def b/definitions/mars/grib.ewmm.an.def
index 942668e19..5202a2231 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.ewmm.an.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.ewmm.an.def
@@ -1,2 +1,5 @@
 alias mars.step = startStep;
 alias mars.number=perturbationNumber;
+
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = validityTime;
+alias monthlyVerificationDate = dataDate;
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.ewmm.fc.def b/definitions/mars/grib.ewmm.fc.def
index e452c8e4c..ed1cf7d98 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.ewmm.fc.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.ewmm.fc.def
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ meta monthlyVerificationYear   evaluate(monthlyVerificationDate/10000);
 meta verificationMonth         evaluate( (verificationDate/100)%100 );
 meta monthlyVerificationMonth  evaluate( (monthlyVerificationDate/100)%100 );
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = validityTime;
+
 #
 # See GRIB-422, GRIB-497, GRIB-766, GRIB-833
 #
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.ewmo.an.def b/definitions/mars/grib.ewmo.an.def
index 38e4bb841..c28a8be78 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.ewmo.an.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.ewmo.an.def
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 # NOTE: step is startStep
 alias mars.step = startStep;
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = zero;
+alias monthlyVerificationDate = dataDate;
+
 # class 3 is "er" which is 15 year re-analysis (ERA15)
 # Only ERA15 has time and step
 if(class != 3) {
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.ewmo.fc.def b/definitions/mars/grib.ewmo.fc.def
index d0744e69a..dda3104a0 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.ewmo.fc.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.ewmo.fc.def
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ meta monthlyVerificationYear   evaluate(monthlyVerificationDate/10000);
 meta verificationMonth         evaluate( (verificationDate/100)%100 );
 meta monthlyVerificationMonth  evaluate( (monthlyVerificationDate/100)%100 );
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = zero;
+
 # class 3 is "er" which is 15 year re-analysis (ERA15)
 # Only ERA15 has time and step
 if(class != 3) {
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.mnth.an.def b/definitions/mars/grib.mnth.an.def
index e06aac5ae..a300aae3b 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.mnth.an.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.mnth.an.def
@@ -1,2 +1,5 @@
 # class e4
 alias mars.step = startStep;
+
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = validityTime;
+alias monthlyVerificationDate = dataDate;
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.mnth.fc.def b/definitions/mars/grib.mnth.fc.def
index 44a3b924a..fc25f40af 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.mnth.fc.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.mnth.fc.def
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ meta verificationYear          evaluate(verificationDate/10000);
 meta monthlyVerificationYear   evaluate(monthlyVerificationDate/10000);
 meta verificationMonth         evaluate( (verificationDate/100)%100 );
 meta monthlyVerificationMonth  evaluate( (monthlyVerificationDate/100)%100 );
-#
+
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = validityTime;
+
 # See GRIB-497, GRIB-766, GRIB-833
 #
 if (class is "em" || class is "e2" || class is "ea" || class is "ep" ||
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.moda.an.def b/definitions/mars/grib.moda.an.def
index a2d44724e..3afa70813 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.moda.an.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.moda.an.def
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 
 alias mars.step = startStep;
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = zero;
+alias monthlyVerificationDate = dataDate;
+
 # class 3 is "er" which is 15 year re-analysis (ERA15)
 # Only ERA15 has time and step 
 if(class != 3) {
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.moda.fc.def b/definitions/mars/grib.moda.fc.def
index ad96bb391..ab21b8b45 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.moda.fc.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.moda.fc.def
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ meta verificationDate        g1verificationdate(dataDate, dataTime, endStep) : r
 meta monthlyVerificationDate g1monthlydate(verificationDate) : dump,no_copy;
 alias mars.date            = monthlyVerificationDate;
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = zero;
+
 meta verificationYear          evaluate(verificationDate/10000);
 meta monthlyVerificationYear   evaluate(monthlyVerificationDate/10000);
 meta verificationMonth         evaluate( (verificationDate/100)%100 );
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.wamd.an.def b/definitions/mars/grib.wamd.an.def
index a2d44724e..3afa70813 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.wamd.an.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.wamd.an.def
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 
 alias mars.step = startStep;
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = zero;
+alias monthlyVerificationDate = dataDate;
+
 # class 3 is "er" which is 15 year re-analysis (ERA15)
 # Only ERA15 has time and step 
 if(class != 3) {
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.wamd.fc.def b/definitions/mars/grib.wamd.fc.def
index ad96bb391..ab21b8b45 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.wamd.fc.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.wamd.fc.def
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ meta verificationDate        g1verificationdate(dataDate, dataTime, endStep) : r
 meta monthlyVerificationDate g1monthlydate(verificationDate) : dump,no_copy;
 alias mars.date            = monthlyVerificationDate;
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = zero;
+
 meta verificationYear          evaluate(verificationDate/10000);
 meta monthlyVerificationYear   evaluate(monthlyVerificationDate/10000);
 meta verificationMonth         evaluate( (verificationDate/100)%100 );
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.wamo.an.def b/definitions/mars/grib.wamo.an.def
index 0807371d8..2e623021e 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.wamo.an.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.wamo.an.def
@@ -1 +1,4 @@
 alias mars.step = startStep;
+
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = validityTime;
+alias monthlyVerificationDate = dataDate;
diff --git a/definitions/mars/grib.wamo.fc.def b/definitions/mars/grib.wamo.fc.def
index 72cbbd335..180df73d0 100644
--- a/definitions/mars/grib.wamo.fc.def
+++ b/definitions/mars/grib.wamo.fc.def
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ meta monthlyVerificationYear   evaluate(monthlyVerificationDate/10000);
 meta verificationMonth         evaluate( (verificationDate/100)%100 );
 meta monthlyVerificationMonth  evaluate( (monthlyVerificationDate/100)%100 );
 
+alias monthlyVerificationTime = validityTime;
+
 #
 # See GRIB-497, GRIB-766, GRIB-833
 #
diff --git a/src/grib_util.c b/src/grib_util.c
index 4b0eeae97..0da9bfe27 100644
--- a/src/grib_util.c
+++ b/src/grib_util.c
@@ -1280,9 +1280,13 @@ grib_handle* grib_util_set_spec2(grib_handle* h,
             break;
         }
     }
-    if (!strcmp(input_packing_type,"grid_simple_matrix")) {
+    if (strcmp(input_packing_type,"grid_simple_matrix")==0) {
         long numberOfDirections,numberOfFrequencies;
-        if (h->context->keep_matrix) {
+        int keep_matrix = h->context->keep_matrix;
+        if (packing_spec->packing_type == GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_SIMPLE) {
+            keep_matrix = 0; /* ECC-911 */
+        }
+        if (keep_matrix) {
             int ret;
             SET_STRING_VALUE("packingType","grid_simple_matrix");
             ret=grib_get_long(h,"numberOfDirections",&numberOfDirections);
diff --git a/version.sh b/version.sh
index c195766c2..b64ccacfc 100644
--- a/version.sh
+++ b/version.sh
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ PACKAGE_NAME='eccodes'
 # Package version
 ECCODES_MAJOR_VERSION=2
 ECCODES_MINOR_VERSION=12
-ECCODES_REVISION_VERSION=1
+ECCODES_REVISION_VERSION=2
 
 ECCODES_CURRENT=1
 ECCODES_REVISION=0