diff --git a/lib/filefct.sh b/lib/filefct.sh
index e883892..a5c89b6 100644
--- a/lib/filefct.sh
+++ b/lib/filefct.sh
@@ -176,13 +176,19 @@ isdirempty()
 
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# patch a file replacing all @var@ by the corresponding value in environment
-# or the variable list given in parameter
+# copy and patch a file replacing all @var@ by the corresponding value in
+# environment or the variable list given in parameter
 patchfile()
 {
+    local srcfile=$(select_file $1) && shift
     local dstfile=$1 && shift
     local workfile=${dstfile}.work
 
+    if [[ ! -s $srcfile ]]; then
+        prnt E "Le fichier source est vide, n'est pas un fichier ou n'existe pas"
+        die 10
+    fi
+
     # Create a sub-process, to avoid bash environment pollution
     (
         local varlist= pattern=
@@ -201,15 +207,16 @@ patchfile()
         fi
 
         # sed replace <VAR> with \$$VAR and envsubst do the replace by value
-        sed $pattern $dstfile | envsubst ${varlist:+"$varlist"} > "$workfile"
+        sed $pattern $srcfile | envsubst ${varlist:+"$varlist"} > "$workfile"
     )
 
-    local -a rights=( $(stat --printf="%a %u %g" "$dstfile") )
+    local -a rights=( $(stat --printf="%a %u %g" "$srcfile") )
+    unset srcfile
     mv "$workfile" "$dstfile"
     chmod ${rights[0]} "$dstfile"
     chown ${rights[1]}:${rights[2]} "$dstfile"
 
-    unset dstfile
+    unset rights dstfile
 }
 
 # EOF