diff --git a/src/tito/builder/main.py b/src/tito/builder/main.py
index cbfb8021..ffaa832b 100644
--- a/src/tito/builder/main.py
+++ b/src/tito/builder/main.py
@@ -938,7 +938,7 @@ def patch_upstream(self):
         lines.insert(patch_insert_index, "Patch%s: %s\n" % (patch_number,
             patch_filename))
         if patch_apply_index > 0:
-            lines.insert(patch_apply_index, "%%patch%s -p1\n" % (patch_number))
+            lines.insert(patch_apply_index, "%%patch %s -p1\n" % (patch_number))
         self._write_spec(lines)
 
     def _write_spec(self, lines):
diff --git a/src/tito/distributionbuilder.py b/src/tito/distributionbuilder.py
index 27e9eb68..598fd563 100644
--- a/src/tito/distributionbuilder.py
+++ b/src/tito/distributionbuilder.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def patch_upstream(self):
 
         for patch in self.patch_files:
             lines.insert(patch_insert_index, "Patch%s: %s\n" % (patch_number, patch))
-            lines.insert(patch_apply_index, "%%patch%s -p1\n" % (patch_number))
+            lines.insert(patch_apply_index, "%%patch %s -p1\n" % (patch_number))
             patch_number += 1
             patch_insert_index += 1
             patch_apply_index += 2