diff --git a/make-includes/build_section_rules.make b/make-includes/build_section_rules.make
index a2e6767..2144292 100755
--- a/make-includes/build_section_rules.make
+++ b/make-includes/build_section_rules.make
@@ -24,7 +24,23 @@
 # everything will still work as expected.
 #
 ifndef NOINIT
+
 include $(GLOBAL_HANDBOOK_INCLUDE)/remove_content_marker_files.make
+
+#
+# Ensure that the patterns files exist. If they don't, copy the originals
+# across from the shared directory and abort the run so that the user can
+# edit them appropriately.
+#
+CHECK_ANSWERS_PATTERNS:=$(shell (test -f $(LOCAL_HANDBOOK_INCLUDE)/answers.patterns) || (cp $(TEACHING_SHARED)/Authoring/Handbook/makefile-templates/answers.patterns $(LOCAL_HANDBOOK_INCLUDE); echo "answers"))
+CHECK_QUESTIONS_PATTERNS:=$(shell (test -f $(LOCAL_HANDBOOK_INCLUDE)/questions.patterns) || (cp $(TEACHING_SHARED)/Authoring/Handbook/makefile-templates/questions.patterns $(LOCAL_HANDBOOK_INCLUDE); echo "questions"))
+CHECK_INSTALL_PATTERNS:=$(shell (test -f $(LOCAL_HANDBOOK_INCLUDE)/install.patterns) || (cp $(TEACHING_SHARED)/Authoring/Handbook/makefile-templates/install.patterns $(LOCAL_HANDBOOK_INCLUDE); echo "install"))
+CHECK_ALL_PATTERNS:=$(CHECK_ANSWERS_PATTERNS) $(CHECK_QUESTIONS_PATTERNS) $(CHECK_INSTALL_PATTERNS)
+
+ifneq "$(strip $(CHECK_ALL_PATTERNS))" ""
+$(error Patterns files have been restored from defaults ($(CHECK_ALL_PATTERNS)), please check them before continuing)
+endif
+
 endif
 
 # Now that the one-time initialsation is out of the way, ensure that