diff --git a/src/classes/PFindRun.cpp b/src/classes/PFindRun.cpp
index 64e361b6..0a490fbe 100644
--- a/src/classes/PFindRun.cpp
+++ b/src/classes/PFindRun.cpp
@@ -54,8 +54,10 @@ PFindRun::PFindRun(const PStringVector path, const PRunNameTemplateList runNameT
  * @param run
  */
 PFindRun::PFindRun(const PStringVector path, const PRunNameTemplateList runNameTemplateList,
-                   const TString &instrument, const UInt_t year, const UInt_t run) :
-  fPath(path), fRunNameTemplateList(runNameTemplateList), fInstrument(instrument), fYear(year), fRun(run)
+                   const TString &instrument, const UInt_t year, const UInt_t run,
+                   const TString file_format) :
+  fPath(path), fRunNameTemplateList(runNameTemplateList), fInstrument(instrument),
+  fYear(year), fRun(run), fFileFormat(file_format)
 {
   // nothing to be done here
 }
@@ -130,6 +132,23 @@ TString PFindRun::CreatePathName(const TString path, const TString runNameTempla
  */
 Bool_t PFindRun::FoundPathName()
 {
+  // if file format is given, get proper extension
+  TString ext("");
+  if (fFileFormat.Length() != 0) {
+    if (!fFileFormat.CompareTo("MusrRoot") || !fFileFormat.CompareTo("ROOT"))
+      ext = ".root";
+    else if (!fFileFormat.CompareTo("NeXus"))
+      ext = ".nxs";
+    else if (!fFileFormat.CompareTo("PSI-BIN"))
+      ext = ".bin";
+    else if (!fFileFormat.CompareTo("PSI-MDU"))
+      ext = ".mdu";
+    else if (!fFileFormat.CompareTo("MUD"))
+      ext = ".mud";
+    else if (!fFileFormat.CompareTo("WKM"))
+      ext = ".wkm";
+  }
+
   // find instrument name in path list
   TString pathName{""};
   for (Int_t i=0; i<fPath.size(); i++) {
@@ -137,6 +156,10 @@ Bool_t PFindRun::FoundPathName()
       for (Int_t j=0; j<fRunNameTemplateList.size(); j++) {
         if (fRunNameTemplateList[j].instrument == fInstrument) {
           pathName = CreatePathName(fPath[i], fRunNameTemplateList[j].runNameTemplate);
+          if (fFileFormat.Length() != 0) {
+            if (!pathName.Contains(ext, TString::kIgnoreCase))
+              continue;
+          }
           if (boost::filesystem::exists(pathName.Data())) {
             fPathName = pathName;
             return true;
diff --git a/src/dump_header.cpp b/src/dump_header.cpp
index 8f193074..d9c8cdbf 100644
--- a/src/dump_header.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_header.cpp
@@ -955,7 +955,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   if (fileName == "") { // only look for runs if the file name is not explicitly given
     int yy = static_cast<int>(strtod(year.c_str(), static_cast<char**>(nullptr)));
     int run = static_cast<int>(strtod(runNo.c_str(), static_cast<char**>(nullptr)));
-    PFindRun findRun(startupHandler->GetDataPathList(), startupHandler->GetRunNameTemplateList(), instrument, yy, run);
+    PFindRun findRun(startupHandler->GetDataPathList(), startupHandler->GetRunNameTemplateList(),
+                     instrument, yy, run, fileFormat);
     if (findRun.FoundPathName()) {
       pathFln = findRun.GetPathName().Data();
     } else {
diff --git a/src/include/PFindRun.h b/src/include/PFindRun.h
index 3f88dc7a..acff4867 100644
--- a/src/include/PFindRun.h
+++ b/src/include/PFindRun.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class PFindRun {
   public:
     PFindRun(const PStringVector path, const PRunNameTemplateList runNameTemplateList);
     PFindRun(const PStringVector path, const PRunNameTemplateList runNameTemplateList,
-             const TString &instrument, const UInt_t year, const UInt_t run);
+             const TString &instrument, const UInt_t year, const UInt_t run, const TString file_format="");
 
     Bool_t  FoundPathName();
     TString GetPathName() { return fPathName; }
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class PFindRun {
     TString fInstrument{""};
     Int_t fYear{-1};
     Int_t fRun{-1};
+    TString fFileFormat{""};
     TString fPathName{""};
 
     TString CreatePathName(const TString path, const TString runNameTemplate);