diff --git a/src/zapit/include/zapit/getservices.h b/src/zapit/include/zapit/getservices.h
index ae9e99060..187c18646 100644
--- a/src/zapit/include/zapit/getservices.h
+++ b/src/zapit/include/zapit/getservices.h
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ class CServiceManager
 
 		CZapitChannel* FindChannel(const t_channel_id channel_id, bool * current_is_nvod = NULL);
 		CZapitChannel* FindChannelByName(std::string name);
+		CZapitChannel* FindChannelByPattern(std::string pattern); //NI
 		CZapitChannel* FindCurrentChannel(const t_channel_id channel_id);
 		CZapitChannel* FindChannel48(const t_channel_id channel_id);
 		CZapitChannel* FindChannelFuzzy(const t_channel_id channel_id,
diff --git a/src/zapit/src/bouquets.cpp b/src/zapit/src/bouquets.cpp
index 271751cd0..3cd99fa4d 100644
--- a/src/zapit/src/bouquets.cpp
+++ b/src/zapit/src/bouquets.cpp
@@ -840,7 +840,20 @@ void CBouquetManager::loadWebtv()
 					const char *script = xmlGetAttribute(l1, "script");
 					t_channel_id epg_id = 0;
 					if (epgid)
+					{
+						//NI
+						if (strcmp(epgid, "auto") == 0 && title)
+						{
+							CZapitChannel * channel = CServiceManager::getInstance()->FindChannelByPattern(title);
+							if (channel)
+							{
+								epg_id = channel->getChannelID();
+								INFO("* auto epg_id found for %s: " PRINTF_CHANNEL_ID_TYPE "\n", title, epg_id);
+							}
+						}
+						else
 						epg_id = strtoull(epgid, NULL, 16);
+					}
 
 					CZapitBouquet* gbouquet = pbouquet;
 					if (genre) {
diff --git a/src/zapit/src/getservices.cpp b/src/zapit/src/getservices.cpp
index bec073eeb..0d9fac984 100644
--- a/src/zapit/src/getservices.cpp
+++ b/src/zapit/src/getservices.cpp
@@ -220,6 +220,18 @@ CZapitChannel * CServiceManager::FindChannelByName(std::string name)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+//NI
+CZapitChannel * CServiceManager::FindChannelByPattern(std::string pattern)
+{
+	for (channel_map_iterator_t it = allchans.begin(); it != allchans.end(); ++it) {
+		//INFO("searching for %s in %s", pattern.c_str(), it->second.getName().c_str());
+		if (strncasecmp(it->second.getName().c_str(), pattern.c_str(), pattern.length()) == 0) {
+			return &it->second;
+		}
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 CZapitChannel * CServiceManager::FindCurrentChannel(const t_channel_id channel_id)
 {
 	channel_map_iterator_t cit = curchans.find(channel_id);