diff --git a/src/fileio.c b/src/fileio.c
index 46d364a..5deb1a3 100644
--- a/src/fileio.c
+++ b/src/fileio.c
@@ -9498,15 +9498,10 @@
     ap = first_autopat[(int)event];
     if (ap == NULL)
 	goto theend;
-    if (pattern == NULL)
-    {
-	retval = TRUE;
-	goto theend;
-    }
 
     /* if pattern is "<buffer>", special handling is needed which uses curbuf */
     /* for pattern "<buffer=N>, fnamecmp() will work fine */
-    if (STRICMP(pattern, "<buffer>") == 0)
+    if (pattern != NULL && STRICMP(pattern, "<buffer>") == 0)
 	buflocal_buf = curbuf;
 
     /* Check if there is an autocommand with the given pattern. */
@@ -9515,9 +9510,10 @@
 	/* For buffer-local autocommands, fnamecmp() works fine. */
 	if (ap->pat != NULL && ap->cmds != NULL
 	    && (group == AUGROUP_ALL || ap->group == group)
-	    && (buflocal_buf == NULL
-		 ? fnamecmp(ap->pat, pattern) == 0
-		 : ap->buflocal_nr == buflocal_buf->b_fnum))
+	    && (pattern == NULL
+		|| (buflocal_buf == NULL
+		    ? fnamecmp(ap->pat, pattern) == 0
+		    : ap->buflocal_nr == buflocal_buf->b_fnum)))
 	{
 	    retval = TRUE;
 	    break;
diff --git a/src/testdir/Makefile b/src/testdir/Makefile
index 50386ec..8f9fd13 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Makefile
+++ b/src/testdir/Makefile
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 		test48.out test49.out test51.out test52.out test53.out \
 		test54.out test55.out test56.out test57.out test58.out \
 		test59.out test60.out test61.out test62.out test63.out \
-		test64.out test65.out test66.out
+		test64.out test65.out test66.out test67.out
 
 SCRIPTS_GUI = test16.out
 
diff --git a/src/testdir/test67.in b/src/testdir/test67.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..08b4e37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/testdir/test67.in
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+Test that groups and patterns are tested correctly when calling exists() for
+autocommands.
+
+STARTTEST
+:so small.vim
+:let results=[]
+:augroup auexists
+:augroup END
+:call add(results, "##BufEnter: " . exists("##BufEnter"))
+:call add(results, "#BufEnter: " . exists("#BufEnter"))
+:au BufEnter * let g:entered=1
+:call add(results, "#BufEnter: " . exists("#BufEnter"))
+:call add(results, "#auexists#BufEnter: " . exists("#auexists#BufEnter"))
+:augroup auexists
+:au BufEnter * let g:entered=1
+:augroup END
+:call add(results, "#auexists#BufEnter: " . exists("#auexists#BufEnter"))
+:call add(results, "#BufEnter#*.test: " . exists("#BufEnter#*.test"))
+:au BufEnter *.test let g:entered=1
+:call add(results, "#BufEnter#*.test: " . exists("#BufEnter#*.test"))
+:edit testfile.test
+:call add(results, "#BufEnter#<buffer>: " . exists("#BufEnter#<buffer>"))
+:au BufEnter <buffer> let g:entered=1
+:call add(results, "#BufEnter#<buffer>: " . exists("#BufEnter#<buffer>"))
+:edit testfile2.test
+:call add(results, "#BufEnter#<buffer>: " . exists("#BufEnter#<buffer>"))
+:e test.out
+:call append(0, results)
+:$d
+:w
+:qa!
+ENDTEST
+
diff --git a/src/testdir/test67.ok b/src/testdir/test67.ok
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51188e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/testdir/test67.ok
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+##BufEnter: 1
+#BufEnter: 0
+#BufEnter: 1
+#auexists#BufEnter: 0
+#auexists#BufEnter: 1
+#BufEnter#*.test: 0
+#BufEnter#*.test: 1
+#BufEnter#<buffer>: 0
+#BufEnter#<buffer>: 1
+#BufEnter#<buffer>: 0
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 654b350..f88a757 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -677,6 +677,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    259,
+/**/
     258,
 /**/
     257,