diff --git a/src/arome/aux/budget_DDH.F90 b/src/arome/aux/budget_DDH.F90
index f934798c0b769d8f9ea4845f8144d585700a8def..5e448dc8eab5cc7bd501f1b4905e85cf019e244f 100644
--- a/src/arome/aux/budget_DDH.F90
+++ b/src/arome/aux/budget_DDH.F90
@@ -105,8 +105,17 @@ IF (SIZE(PVARS,3)==NFLEVGDDH+2) THEN
 ELSE
   IOFF=0
 ENDIF
-
-CLPROC=HBUVAR(1:MIN(4, LEN(HBUVAR)))//REPEAT('_', MAX(0, 4-LEN(HBUVAR))) !if length is less than 4, fill with '_'
+!if length is less than 4, fill with budget old names
+IF(LEN(HBUVAR)==1) THEN
+  CLPROC=HBUVAR(1:MIN(4, LEN(HBUVAR)))//'_BU'
+ELSE IF(LEN(HBUVAR)==2) THEN
+  CLPROC=HBUVAR(1:MIN(4, LEN(HBUVAR)))//'_B'
+ELSE IF(LEN(HBUVAR)==3) THEN
+  CLPROC=HBUVAR(1:MIN(4, LEN(HBUVAR)))//'_'
+ELSE
+  CLPROC=HBUVAR(1:MIN(4, LEN(HBUVAR)))
+END IF
+!
 IF (YDLDDH%LDDH_OMP) THEN
   CLDDH='T'//YDDDH%YVARMULT(KBUDN)%CNAME//CLPROC
 ELSE