diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 7621f213..570b333a 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 * `join_adsub_adsl` now sends a warning when the continuous or categorical variables are missing or all `NA`. All `NA` variables can now be kept using `drop_na = FALSE`. In addition, missing levels in the pivoted columns can be dropped with `drop_lvl = TRUE`.
 * Remove `mini_pivot_wider` function which is no longer used.
 
+* The whisker placeholder `{patient_label}` is now replaced by default by `"patient"` while `{patients_label}` correspond to `"patients"`.
+
 # dunlin 0.1.5
 
 * `empty_rule` is removed now. `rule()` will create a normal `rule` object.
diff --git a/R/zzz.R b/R/zzz.R
index 8d09c09b..ee3ff626 100644
--- a/R/zzz.R
+++ b/R/zzz.R
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 whisker_env <- NULL
 
 .onLoad <- function(libname, pkgname) {
-  default_whiskers <- c(patient_label = "patients")
+  default_whiskers <- c(
+    patients_label = "patients",
+    patient_label = "patient"
+  )
   whisker_env <<- new.env(parent = globalenv())
   add_whisker(default_whiskers)
 }
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-render_safe.R b/tests/testthat/test-render_safe.R
index 9fac2df1..d9ba74f3 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-render_safe.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-render_safe.R
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ test_that("add_whisker and remove_whisker works", {
 # render_safe ----
 
 test_that("render_safe works", {
-  expect_identical(render_safe("patient label is {Patient_label}"), "patient label is Patients")
-  expect_identical(render_safe("patient label is {patient_label}"), "patient label is patients")
-  expect_identical(render_safe("patient label is {PATIENT_LABEL}"), "patient label is PATIENTS")
+  expect_identical(render_safe("patient label is {Patients_label}"), "patient label is Patients")
+  expect_identical(render_safe("patient label is {patients_label}"), "patient label is patients")
+  expect_identical(render_safe("patient label is {PATIENTS_LABEL}"), "patient label is PATIENTS")
   expect_identical(render_safe("patient label is {misspell}"), "patient label is misspell")
 })