diff --git a/Configuration/PyReleaseValidation/python/cmsDriverOptions.py b/Configuration/PyReleaseValidation/python/cmsDriverOptions.py
index 1930d8dd6ed7e..a8eb5ac5e9f5b 100755
--- a/Configuration/PyReleaseValidation/python/cmsDriverOptions.py
+++ b/Configuration/PyReleaseValidation/python/cmsDriverOptions.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import optparse
 import sys
 import os
+import re
 import Configuration.PyReleaseValidation
 from Configuration.PyReleaseValidation.ConfigBuilder import ConfigBuilder, defaultOptions
 import traceback
@@ -216,8 +217,10 @@
 if len(sys.argv)==1:
     raise "Event Type: ", "No event type specified!"
 
-# check whether steps are compatible
-if ("HLT" in options.step and "RECO" in options.step):
+# check whether steps are compatible, but make sure we don't trigger on AlCaxyzHLT and L1Reco
+hltRe = re.compile('.*[,\s]HLT[,\s].*')
+recoRe = re.compile('.*[,\s]RECO[,\s].*')
+if ( hltRe.match(str(options.step)) and recoRe.match(str(options.step))):
     print "ERROR: HLT and RECO cannot be run in the same process"
     sys.exit(1)