diff --git a/Changes b/Changes
index d73136e44..1bb3076f2 100644
--- a/Changes
+++ b/Changes
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ indicates the contributor was also the author of the fix; Thanks!
 
 ****  Fix dot indexing into arrayed inferfaces, bug978.  [Johan Bjork]
 
+****  Fix crash in commandArgsPlusMatch, bug987. [Jamie Iles]
+
 
 * Verilator 3.876 2015-08-12
 
diff --git a/include/verilated.cpp b/include/verilated.cpp
index fb3583ce0..0b7240aa0 100644
--- a/include/verilated.cpp
+++ b/include/verilated.cpp
@@ -1151,7 +1151,8 @@ void Verilated::commandArgs(int argc, const char** argv) {
 }
 
 const char* Verilated::commandArgsPlusMatch(const char* prefixp) {
-    return VerilatedImp::argPlusMatch(prefixp).c_str();
+    const char* strp = vl_mc_scan_plusargs(prefixp);
+    return strp ? strp : "";  // Backward compatible interface, "" for no match
 }
 
 void Verilated::internalsDump() {
diff --git a/include/verilated.h b/include/verilated.h
index db5c59052..35c90ab44 100644
--- a/include/verilated.h
+++ b/include/verilated.h
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ public:
     static void commandArgs(int argc, const char** argv);
     static void commandArgs(int argc, char** argv) { commandArgs(argc,(const char**)argv); }
     static CommandArgValues* getCommandArgs() {return &s_args;}
+    /// Match plusargs with a given prefix. Returns static char* valid only for a single call
     static const char* commandArgsPlusMatch(const char* prefixp);
 
     /// Produce name & version for (at least) VPI
diff --git a/test_regress/driver.pl b/test_regress/driver.pl
index 5afdad564..fa5b4c988 100755
--- a/test_regress/driver.pl
+++ b/test_regress/driver.pl
@@ -1139,8 +1139,8 @@ sub _make_main {
 
     if ($self->{savable}) {
 	$fh->print("    const char* save_time_strp  = Verilated::commandArgsPlusMatch(\"save_time=\");\n");
-	$fh->print("    const char* save_restore_strp = Verilated::commandArgsPlusMatch(\"save_restore=\");\n");
 	$fh->print("    unsigned int save_time = !save_time_strp[0] ? 0 : atoi(save_time_strp+strlen(\"+save_time=\"));\n");
+	$fh->print("    const char* save_restore_strp = Verilated::commandArgsPlusMatch(\"save_restore=\");\n");
 	$fh->print("    unsigned int save_restore = !save_restore_strp[0] ? 0 : 1;\n");
     }