diff --git a/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_clouds_bias.yml b/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_clouds_bias.yml
index 0d28235431..d424397b22 100644
--- a/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_clouds_bias.yml
+++ b/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_clouds_bias.yml
@@ -171,11 +171,10 @@ diagnostics:
     variables:
       pr:
         preprocessor: clim
-        reference_dataset: GPCP-SG
+        reference_dataset: GPCP-V2.2
         mip: Amon
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: GPCP-SG, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, version: v2.2,
-         start_year: 1986, end_year: 2005, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: GPCP-V2.2, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, start_year: 1986, end_year: 2005, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *clim_settings
@@ -198,11 +197,10 @@ diagnostics:
     variables:
       clt:
         preprocessor: clim
-        reference_dataset: MODIS
+        reference_dataset: MODIS-1-0
         mip: Amon
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: MODIS, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, version: C5,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: MODIS-1-0, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *clim_settings
diff --git a/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_clouds_ipcc.yml b/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_clouds_ipcc.yml
index 0df31e074e..2fb14b4795 100644
--- a/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_clouds_ipcc.yml
+++ b/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_clouds_ipcc.yml
@@ -145,8 +145,7 @@ diagnostics:
         mip: Amon
         derive: true
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, version: Ed2-7,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim: &clim_settings
         script: clouds/clouds_ipcc.ncl
@@ -168,8 +167,7 @@ diagnostics:
         mip: Amon
         derive: true
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, version: Ed2-7,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *clim_settings
@@ -188,8 +186,7 @@ diagnostics:
         mip: Amon
         derive: true
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, version: Ed2-7,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *clim_settings
diff --git a/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_lauer13jclim.yml b/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_lauer13jclim.yml
index 2a7051b5d5..3d741e485d 100644
--- a/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_lauer13jclim.yml
+++ b/esmvaltool/recipes/clouds/recipe_lauer13jclim.yml
@@ -168,11 +168,10 @@ diagnostics:
     variables:
       clt:
         preprocessor: clim
-        reference_dataset: MODIS
+        reference_dataset: MODIS-1-0
         mip: Amon
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: MODIS, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, version: C5,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: MODIS-1-0, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *clim_settings
@@ -187,11 +186,10 @@ diagnostics:
     variables:
       pr:
         preprocessor: clim
-        reference_dataset: GPCP-SG
+        reference_dataset: GPCP-V2.2
         mip: Amon
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: GPCP-SG, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, version: v2.2,
-         start_year: 1986, end_year: 2005, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: GPCP-V2.2, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, start_year: 1986, end_year: 2005, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *clim_settings
@@ -211,8 +209,7 @@ diagnostics:
         mip: Amon
         derive: true
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, version: Ed2-7,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *clim_settings
@@ -232,8 +229,7 @@ diagnostics:
         mip: Amon
         derive: true
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, version: Ed2-7,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *clim_settings
@@ -253,11 +249,10 @@ diagnostics:
     variables:
       clt:
         preprocessor: clim
-        reference_dataset: MODIS
+        reference_dataset: MODIS-1-0
         mip: Amon
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: MODIS, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, version: C5,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: MODIS-1-0, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim: &taylor_settings
         script: clouds/clouds_taylor.ncl
@@ -314,8 +309,7 @@ diagnostics:
         mip: Amon
         derive: true
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: UWisc, project: OBS, type: sat, version: v2,
-         start_year: 1988, end_year: 2007, tier: 3}
+      - {dataset: UWisc, project: OBS, type: sat, version: v2, start_year: 1988, end_year: 2007, tier: 3}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *taylor_settings
@@ -335,8 +329,7 @@ diagnostics:
         mip: Amon
         derive: true
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, version: Ed2-7,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *taylor_settings
@@ -356,8 +349,7 @@ diagnostics:
         mip: Amon
         derive: true
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, version: Ed2-7,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *taylor_settings
@@ -372,11 +364,10 @@ diagnostics:
     variables:
       pr:
         preprocessor: clim
-        reference_dataset: GPCP-SG
+        reference_dataset: GPCP-V2.2
         mip: Amon
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: GPCP-SG, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, version: v2.2,
-         start_year: 1986, end_year: 2005, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: GPCP-V2.2, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, start_year: 1986, end_year: 2005, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *taylor_settings
@@ -402,8 +393,7 @@ diagnostics:
         mip: Amon
         derive: true
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: UWisc, project: OBS, type: sat, version: v2,
-         start_year: 1988, end_year: 2007, tier: 3}
+      - {dataset: UWisc, project: OBS, type: sat, version: v2, start_year: 1988, end_year: 2007, tier: 3}
     scripts:
       clim: &intera_settings
         script: clouds/clouds_interannual.ncl
@@ -435,11 +425,10 @@ diagnostics:
     variables:
       clt:
         preprocessor: clim
-        reference_dataset: MODIS
+        reference_dataset: MODIS-1-0
         mip: Amon
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: MODIS, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, version: C5,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: MODIS-1-0, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *intera_settings
@@ -459,8 +448,7 @@ diagnostics:
         mip: Amon
         derive: true
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, version: Ed2-7,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *intera_settings
@@ -480,8 +468,7 @@ diagnostics:
         mip: Amon
         derive: true
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, version: Ed2-7,
-         start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: CERES-EBAF, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3B, start_year: 2001, end_year: 2010, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *intera_settings
@@ -496,11 +483,10 @@ diagnostics:
     variables:
       pr:
         preprocessor: clim
-        reference_dataset: GPCP-SG
+        reference_dataset: GPCP-V2.2
         mip: Amon
     additional_datasets:
-      - {dataset: GPCP-SG, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, version: v2.2,
-         start_year: 1986, end_year: 2005, tier: 1}
+      - {dataset: GPCP-V2.2, project: obs4MIPs, level: L3, start_year: 1986, end_year: 2005, tier: 1}
     scripts:
       clim:
         <<: *intera_settings