diff --git a/docs/howto-make-dlcs.md b/docs/howto-make-dlcs.md
index e9623a4b733a88ae2c49704d3fad418cb257f069..9e2db0e02878b38789312f8327470d4f0b32a90f 100644
--- a/docs/howto-make-dlcs.md
+++ b/docs/howto-make-dlcs.md
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ tags:
 * ```[MannAlfaEpsilon]```
 * ```[MannL]```
 * ```[MannGamma]```
-* ```[tu_seed]```
+* ```[seed]```
 * ```[turb_nr_u]``` : number of grid points in the u direction
 * ```[turb_nr_v]``` : number of grid points in the v direction
 * ```[turb_nr_w]``` : number of grid points in the w direction
diff --git a/wetb/prepost/Simulations.py b/wetb/prepost/Simulations.py
index a7edd8a1b65e47b7be86dca667d572d55f8c8c01..ad22964dcbb270fde671d6143b54772c75741d5e 100755
--- a/wetb/prepost/Simulations.py
+++ b/wetb/prepost/Simulations.py
@@ -4003,7 +4003,7 @@ class Cases(object):
         return stats_df, Leq_df, AEP_df
 
     def statistics(self, new_sim_id=False, silent=False, ch_sel=None,
-                   tags=['[turb_seed]','[windspeed]'], calc_mech_power=False,
+                   tags=['[seed]','[windspeed]'], calc_mech_power=False,
                    save=True, m=[3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12], neq=None, no_bins=46,
                    ch_fatigue={}, update=False, add_sensor=None,
                    chs_resultant=[], i0=0, i1=None, saveinterval=1000,
@@ -4020,7 +4020,7 @@ class Cases(object):
             If defined, only add defined channels to the output data frame.
             The list should contain valid channel names as defined in ch_dict.
 
-        tags : list, default=['[turb_seed]','[windspeed]']
+        tags : list, default=['[seed]','[windspeed]']
             Select which tag values from cases should be included in the
             dataframes. This will help in selecting and identifying the
             different cases.
@@ -4173,6 +4173,7 @@ class Cases(object):
                 template = "self.sig[:,self.res.ch_dict['{}']['chi']]"
                 for chan in channel_tags:
                     # first remove the [] from the tag
+                    # FIXME: fails when the same channel occurs more than once
                     expr = expr.replace(chan, chan[1:-1])
                     expr = expr.replace(chan[1:-1], template.format(chan[1:-1]))
 
@@ -4912,7 +4913,7 @@ class Cases(object):
 
         return df_AEP
 
-    def stats2dataframe(self, ch_sel=None, tags=['[turb_seed]','[windspeed]']):
+    def stats2dataframe(self, ch_sel=None, tags=['[seed]','[windspeed]']):
         """
         Convert the archaic statistics dictionary of a group of cases to
         a more convienent pandas dataframe format.
@@ -4930,7 +4931,7 @@ class Cases(object):
             defined, only those channels are considered.
             ch_sel[short name] = full ch_dict identifier
 
-        tags : list, default=['[turb_seed]','[windspeed]']
+        tags : list, default=['[seed]','[windspeed]']
             Select which tag values from cases should be included in the
             dataframes. This will help in selecting and identifying the
             different cases.
@@ -5377,7 +5378,7 @@ class MannTurb64(prepost.PBSScript):
         * [MannAlfaEpsilon]
         * [MannL]
         * [MannGamma]
-        * [tu_seed]
+        * [seed]
         * [turb_nr_u]
         * [turb_nr_v]
         * [turb_nr_w]
@@ -5454,7 +5455,7 @@ class MannTurb64(prepost.PBSScript):
             rpl = (float(case['[MannAlfaEpsilon]']),
                    float(case['[MannL]']),
                    float(case['[MannGamma]']),
-                   int(case['[tu_seed]']),
+                   int(case['[seed]']),
                    int(case['[turb_nr_u]']),
                    int(case['[turb_nr_v]']),
                    int(case['[turb_nr_w]']),
diff --git a/wetb/prepost/dlcdefs.py b/wetb/prepost/dlcdefs.py
index a8d8b123e84f941ec6ec5ea3b8d145e960bef563..e1a8b99b332ee0a419271d9ffa439f38fefff9f7 100644
--- a/wetb/prepost/dlcdefs.py
+++ b/wetb/prepost/dlcdefs.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def casedict2xlsx():
     """
 
 
-def configure_dirs(verbose=False):
+def configure_dirs(verbose=False, pattern_master='*_master_*'):
     """
     Automatically configure required directories to launch simulations
     """
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ def configure_dirs(verbose=False):
     PROJECT = P_RUN.split(os.sep)[-2]
     sim_id = P_RUN.split(os.sep)[-1]
 
-    master = find_master_file(P_SOURCE)
+    master = find_master_file(P_SOURCE, pattern=pattern_master)
     if master is None:
         raise ValueError('Could not find master file in htc/_master')
     MASTERFILE = master
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ def tags_dlcs(master):
     master.tags['[Windspeed]'] = 8
     master.tags['[wdir]'] = 0 # used for the user defined wind
     master.tags['[wdir_rot]'] = 0 # used for the windfield rotations
-    master.tags['[tu_seed]'] = 0
+    master.tags['[seed]'] = None
     master.tags['[tu_model]'] = 0
     master.tags['[TI]'] = 0
     master.tags['[Turb base name]'] = 'none'
@@ -363,10 +363,21 @@ def excel_stabcon(proot, fext='xlsx', pignore=None, pinclude=None, sheet=0,
                     elif tags_dict[str(key)].lower() == 'nan':
                         tags_dict[str(key)] = True
 
+            # FIXME: this horrible mess requires a nice and clearly defined
+            # tag spec/naming convention, and with special tag prefix
             if '[Windspeed]' not in tags_dict and '[wsp]' in tags_dict:
                 tags_dict['[Windspeed]'] = tags_dict['[wsp]']
+            # avoid that any possible default tags from wetb will be used
+            # instead of the ones from the spreadsheet
             if '[seed]' in tags_dict:
                 tags_dict['[tu_seed]'] = tags_dict['[seed]']
+            # in case people are using other turbulence tag names in the sheet
+            elif '[tu_seed]' in tags_dict:
+                tags_dict['[seed]'] = tags_dict['[tu_seed]']
+            elif '[turb_seed]' in tags_dict:
+                tags_dict['[seed]'] = tags_dict['[turb_seed]']
+            else:
+                raise KeyError('[seed] should be used as tag for turb. seed')
 
             tags_dict['[Case folder]'] = tags_dict['[Case folder]'].lower()
             tags_dict['[Case id.]'] = tags_dict['[Case id.]'].lower()
diff --git a/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py b/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py
index c7827ed6108959b59ce4f394852ae7c725740449..e056518739425b28646324a6a502f2b7f12f8d87 100644
--- a/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py
+++ b/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def master_tags(sim_id, runmethod='local', silent=False, verbose=False):
     master.tags['[MannAlfaEpsilon]'] = 1.0
     master.tags['[MannL]'] = 29.4
     master.tags['[MannGamma]'] = 3.0
-    master.tags['[tu_seed]'] = 0
+    master.tags['[seed]'] = None
     master.tags['[turb_nr_u]'] = 8192
     master.tags['[turb_nr_v]'] = 32
     master.tags['[turb_nr_w]'] = 32
diff --git a/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/htc/DLCs/dlc01_demos.xlsx b/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/htc/DLCs/dlc01_demos.xlsx
index 2725ebf94c486118c288c7b1bf73bfba9fb79afd..6b4bb2d9fe4f7b5b2e347ecb8da55e2cd3695669 100755
Binary files a/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/htc/DLCs/dlc01_demos.xlsx and b/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/htc/DLCs/dlc01_demos.xlsx differ
diff --git a/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/prepost/remote.pkl b/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/prepost/remote.pkl
index 424870abe4d235d40b0bc86884127247ace71cde..76f3458974d302669780c4e764e56dec5a7d545b 100644
Binary files a/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/prepost/remote.pkl and b/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/prepost/remote.pkl differ
diff --git a/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/prepost/remote_tags.txt b/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/prepost/remote_tags.txt
index eebe622e1cd2307810c65f8ed345bec9f81ebe5d..c9bef2a6ba10c1291db7d183aa091af4f542d6ec 100644
--- a/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/prepost/remote_tags.txt
+++ b/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/ref/prepost/remote_tags.txt
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
                   [pbs_in_dir] : pbs_in/dlc01_demos/ 
                  [pbs_out_dir] : pbs_out/dlc01_demos/
                      [res_dir] : res/dlc01_demos/    
+                        [seed] : 0                   
                    [shear_exp] : 0                   
                    [staircase] : False               
                    [t flap on] : -1                  
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@
                   [pbs_in_dir] : pbs_in/dlc01_demos/ 
                  [pbs_out_dir] : pbs_out/dlc01_demos/
                      [res_dir] : res/dlc01_demos/    
+                        [seed] : 0                   
                    [shear_exp] : 0                   
                    [staircase] : False               
                    [t flap on] : -1                  
@@ -162,6 +164,7 @@
                   [pbs_in_dir] : pbs_in/dlc01_demos/ 
                  [pbs_out_dir] : pbs_out/dlc01_demos/
                      [res_dir] : res/dlc01_demos/    
+                        [seed] : 100                 
                    [shear_exp] : 0                   
                    [staircase] : False               
                    [t flap on] : -1                  
@@ -218,6 +221,7 @@
                   [pbs_in_dir] : pbs_in/dlc01_demos/ 
                  [pbs_out_dir] : pbs_out/dlc01_demos/
                      [res_dir] : res/dlc01_demos/    
+                        [seed] : 100                 
                    [shear_exp] : 0                   
                    [staircase] : False               
                    [t flap on] : -1                  
diff --git a/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/source/demo_dlc_remote.zip b/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/source/demo_dlc_remote.zip
index 3c02a1d7a11acaeff10fdae72416c4856fcbc4bc..653dd7fa920d3d0154225072507087b8fbf3cfa0 100644
Binary files a/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/source/demo_dlc_remote.zip and b/wetb/prepost/tests/data/demo_dlc/source/demo_dlc_remote.zip differ