diff --git a/bwamem.c b/bwamem.c
index e5ea8e7..8e97747 100644
--- a/bwamem.c
+++ b/bwamem.c
@@ -377,9 +377,8 @@ int mem_patch_reg(const mem_opt_t *opt, const bntseq_t *bns, const uint8_t *pac,
 		printf("* potential hit merge between [%d,%d)<=>[%ld,%ld) and [%d,%d)<=>[%ld,%ld), @ %s; w=%d, r=%.4g\n",
 			   a->qb, a->qe, (long)a->rb, (long)a->re, b->qb, b->qe, (long)b->rb, (long)b->re, bns->anns[a->rid].name, w, r);
 	if (a->re < b->rb || a->qe < b->qb) { // no overlap on query or on ref
-		if (w > opt->w<<1) return 0; // the bandwidth is too large
-		if (r >= PATCH_MAX_R_BW) return 0; // relative bandwidth is too large
-	}
+		if (w > opt->w<<1 || r >= PATCH_MAX_R_BW) return 0; // the bandwidth or the relative bandwidth is too large
+	} else if (w > opt->w<<2 || r >= PATCH_MAX_R_BW*2) return 0; // more permissive if overlapping on both ref and query
 	// global alignment
 	w += a->w + b->w;
 	if (bwa_verbose >= 4) printf("* test potential hit merge with global alignment; w=%d\n", w);
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 9ac7b7a..d714f54 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #include "utils.h"
 
 #ifndef PACKAGE_VERSION
-#define PACKAGE_VERSION "0.7.8-r739-dirty"
+#define PACKAGE_VERSION "0.7.8-r740-dirty"
 #endif
 
 int bwa_fa2pac(int argc, char *argv[]);