diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9da11db2..13202802 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ New:
 * Add numerical integration of Bremsstrahlung spectrum over a spectral bin. (#395)
 * Replace the coarse numerical constant in the Bremsstrahlung model with an exact expression. (#409)
 * Add the kind attribute to RayTransferPipelineXD that determines whether the ray transfer matrix is multiplied by sensitivity ('power') or not ('radiance'). (#412)
+* Improved parsing of metadata from the ADAS ADF15 'bnd' files for H-like ions. Raises a runtime error if the metadata cannot be parsed. (#424)
 
 Bug fixes:
 * Fix deprecated transforms being cached in LaserMaterial after laser.transform update (#420)
diff --git a/cherab/openadas/parse/adf15.py b/cherab/openadas/parse/adf15.py
index b9fe42be..51bbcf6b 100644
--- a/cherab/openadas/parse/adf15.py
+++ b/cherab/openadas/parse/adf15.py
@@ -67,11 +67,19 @@ def parse_adf15(element, charge, adf_file_path, header_format=None):
         # use simple electron configuration structure for hydrogen-like ions
         if header_format == 'hydrogen' or element == hydrogen:
             config = _scrape_metadata_hydrogen(file, element, charge)
-        elif header_format == 'hydrogen-like' or element.atomic_number - charge == 1:
+        elif header_format == 'hydrogen-like':
             config = _scrape_metadata_hydrogen_like(file, element, charge)
+        elif element.atomic_number - charge == 1:
+            config = _scrape_metadata_hydrogen_like(file, element, charge)
+            if not config and 'bnd#' in adf_file_path:
+                # ADF15 files with the "bnd" suffix may have metadata in the "hydrogen" format
+                config = _scrape_metadata_hydrogen(file, element, charge)
         else:
             config = _scrape_metadata_full(file, element, charge)
 
+        if not config:
+            raise RuntimeError("Unable to parse ADF15 metadata.")
+
         # process rate data
         rates = RecursiveDict()
         for cls in ('excitation', 'recombination', 'thermalcx'):