diff --git a/src/pelican/plugins/pybtex/style.py b/src/pelican/plugins/pybtex/style.py
index 5c6e3bb..305323f 100644
--- a/src/pelican/plugins/pybtex/style.py
+++ b/src/pelican/plugins/pybtex/style.py
@@ -6,39 +6,8 @@
 
 from pybtex.style.formatting import toplevel
 import pybtex.style.formatting.unsrt
-from pybtex.style.formatting.unsrt import date
 from pybtex.style.template import field, node, optional, sentence, tag, words
 
-
-def _monkeypatch_method(cls):
-    def decorator(func):
-        setattr(cls, func.__name__, func)
-        return func
-
-    return decorator
-
-
-@_monkeypatch_method(pybtex.style.formatting.unsrt.Style)
-def get_patent_template(self, e):
-    """Format patent bibtex entry.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    e
-        The entry to be formatted.
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-        The formatted entry object.
-    """
-    return toplevel[
-        sentence[self.format_names("author")],
-        self.format_title(e, "title"),
-        sentence(capfirst=False)[tag("em")[field("number")], date],
-        optional[self.format_url(e), optional[" (visited on ", field("urldate"), ")"]],
-    ]
-
-
 # format month by converting integers to month name
 _MONTH_NAMES = {
     1: "January",
@@ -74,3 +43,34 @@ def _month_field(children, data):
 
 # Ensures we always have the month correctly formatted
 pybtex.style.formatting.unsrt.date = words[_month_field(), field("year")]
+
+
+def _monkeypatch_method(cls):
+    def decorator(func):
+        setattr(cls, func.__name__, func)
+        return func
+
+    return decorator
+
+
+@_monkeypatch_method(pybtex.style.formatting.unsrt.Style)
+def get_patent_template(self, e):
+    """Format patent bibtex entry.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    e
+        The entry to be formatted.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+        The formatted entry object.
+    """
+    return toplevel[
+        sentence[self.format_names("author")],
+        self.format_title(e, "title"),
+        sentence(capfirst=False)[
+            tag("em")[field("number")], pybtex.style.formatting.unsrt.date
+        ],
+        optional[self.format_url(e), optional[" (visited on ", field("urldate"), ")"]],
+    ]
diff --git a/src/pelican/plugins/pybtex/utils.py b/src/pelican/plugins/pybtex/utils.py
index f7634e8..94a7f16 100644
--- a/src/pelican/plugins/pybtex/utils.py
+++ b/src/pelican/plugins/pybtex/utils.py
@@ -140,6 +140,18 @@ def format_bibtex_pygments(
     "oct": 10,
     "nov": 11,
     "dec": 12,
+    "1": 1,
+    "2": 2,
+    "3": 3,
+    "4": 4,
+    "5": 5,
+    "6": 6,
+    "7": 7,
+    "8": 8,
+    "9": 9,
+    "10": 10,
+    "11": 11,
+    "12": 12,
 }
 
 
@@ -155,7 +167,7 @@ def _get_month_number(m: str) -> int:
     -------
         An integer, representing the month number.
     """
-    return _MONTH_NUMBERS[m.lower()[:3]]
+    return _MONTH_NUMBERS[m.lower()[:3].strip()]
 
 
 def generate_context(
diff --git a/tests/data/biblio-patent/content/article.bib b/tests/data/biblio-patent/content/article.bib
index a13cab5..fc21ec6 100644
--- a/tests/data/biblio-patent/content/article.bib
+++ b/tests/data/biblio-patent/content/article.bib
@@ -11,3 +11,14 @@ @patent{pat
     year = "1876",
     url = "https://www.google.com/patents/US174465",
 }
+
+@patent{pat2,
+    author = "A. G. Bell",
+    title = "Improvement in telegraphy",
+    nationality = "United States",
+    number = "174465",
+    day = "7",
+    month = "3",
+    year = "1876",
+    url = "https://www.google.com/patents/US174465",
+}
diff --git a/tests/data/biblio-patent/content/article.rst b/tests/data/biblio-patent/content/article.rst
index 8f8fa1b..27a1d92 100644
--- a/tests/data/biblio-patent/content/article.rst
+++ b/tests/data/biblio-patent/content/article.rst
@@ -13,4 +13,6 @@ This is an article
 :summary: Short version for index and feeds
 :pybtex_sources: article.bib
 
-This will be turned into a citation [@@pat].
+This will be turned into a citation [@@pat2].
+
+This will be turned into another citation [@@pat].
diff --git a/tests/test_pybtex.py b/tests/test_pybtex.py
index 315e6af..7da6ad9 100644
--- a/tests/test_pybtex.py
+++ b/tests/test_pybtex.py
@@ -339,12 +339,16 @@ def test_biblio_patent(setup_pelican: tuple[list[logging.LogRecord], pathlib.Pat
         soup = BeautifulSoup(f, "html.parser")
 
     publication_keys = [
+        "pat2",
         "pat",
     ]
 
     para = soup.find_all("p")
 
-    text_to_be_checked = ((publication_keys[0], "1", para[0]),)
+    text_to_be_checked = (
+        (publication_keys[0], "1", para[0]),
+        (publication_keys[1], "2", para[1]),
+    )
 
     for key, label, paragraph in text_to_be_checked:
         a = paragraph.find_all("a")
@@ -369,6 +373,11 @@ def test_biblio_patent(setup_pelican: tuple[list[logging.LogRecord], pathlib.Pat
 
     # prefixed by "pybtex-"
     assert details[0].attrs["id"].endswith(publication_keys[0])
+    assert details[1].attrs["id"].endswith(publication_keys[1])
+
+    # assert that the month number was correctly translated in both entries
+    assert "March 1876" in details[0].find_all("summary")[0].text
+    assert "March 1876" in details[1].find_all("summary")[0].text
 
     _assert_log_no_errors(records)
     _assert_log_contains(