diff --git a/scripts/Bootstrap/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in b/scripts/Bootstrap/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
index b9020a4..2e22a9d 100755
--- a/scripts/Bootstrap/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
+++ b/scripts/Bootstrap/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
@@ -447,6 +447,10 @@ is_used_release() {
 
 declare used_groups=":${PMODULES_USED_GROUPS}:"
 
+is_group () {
+	[[ -n ${group} ]] && [[ -n ${HierarchyDepths[${group}]} ]]
+}
+
 is_used_group() {
 	[[ ${used_groups} =~ :$1: ]]
 }
@@ -577,6 +581,7 @@ subcommand_load() {
 	IFS=${saved_IFS}
 	local -r saved_MODULEPATH=${MODULEPATH}
 	local -a saved_modulepath=${modulepath}
+	local -r saved_UsedReleases=${UsedReleases}
 
 	#
 	# Test whether a given module can be loaded according to the 
@@ -748,21 +753,55 @@ subcommand_load() {
 		# restore original MODULEPATH; it might have been overwritten
 		MODULEPATH=${saved_MODULEPATH}
 		modulepath=${saved_modulepath}
+		UsedReleases=${saved_UsedReleases}
 		if [[ "$m" =~ ":" ]]; then
+
+			# extendet module name is either
+			# - group:name or
+			# - group:name:release or
+			# - release:name or
+			# - release:group:name or
+			# - name:release
+
 			local save_ifs=${IFS}
 			IFS=':'
 			local -a toks=($m)
 			IFS=${save_ifs}
-			[[ ${#toks[@]} > 2 ]] && die 3 "${CMD} load: illegal module name."
-			local group=${toks[0]}
-			m=${toks[1]}
-			[[ -z ${HierarchyDepths[${group}]} ]] && die 3 "${CMD} load: illegal group name."
-			local -i depth=${HierarchyDepths[${group}]}
-			if (( depth == 0 )); then
+			local group=''
+			local release=''
+			if is_group "${toks[0]}"; then
+				group=${toks[0]}
+				m=${toks[1]}
+				release=${toks[2]}
+			elif is_release "${toks[0]}"; then
+				release=${toks[0]}
+				if is_group "${toks[1]}"; then
+					group=${toks[1]}
+					m=${toks[2]}
+				else
+					m=${toks[1]}
+					group=${toks[2]}
+				fi
+			else
+				m=${toks[0]}
+				if is_group "${toks[1]}"; then
+					group=${toks[1]}
+					release=${toks[2]}
+				else
+					release=${toks[1]}
+					group=${toks[2]}
+				fi
+			fi
+			if [[ -n ${group} ]]; then
+				is_group "${group}" || die 3 "${CMD} load: illegal group name."
+				local -i depth=${HierarchyDepths[${group}]}
+				(( depth != 0 )) && die 3 "${CMD} load: illegal group name."
 				MODULEPATH="${PMODULES_ROOT}/${group}/${PMODULES_MODULEFILES_DIR}"
 				modulepath=( ${MODULEPATH} )
-			else
-				:
+			fi
+			if [[ -n ${release} ]]; then
+				is_release "${release}" || die 3 "${CMD} load: illegal release name."
+				append_path UsedReleases "${release}"
 			fi
 		fi 
 		if is_available "${m}"; then
@@ -778,6 +817,9 @@ subcommand_load() {
 			fi
 		fi
 	done
+	# restore original MODULEPATH; it might have been overwritten
+	MODULEPATH=${saved_MODULEPATH}
+	UsedReleases=${saved_UsedReleases}
 }
 
 #