On December 13, 1916, the addition of a pair of gilt crossed swords on the ribbon was authorized to recognize a higher grade of wartime merit.

In addition, reflecting the increasing number of recommendations for repeat awards as World War I progressed, on April 1, 1916, the Emperor authorized one or two 8-mm wide silver clasps on the ribbon.

28 of its recipients were officers of general's rank; the other two were the naval aviator Gottfried von Banfield (1916) and the cryptologist Hermann Pokorny (1918).

While the Bronze and Silver Military Merit Medals were essentially reserved for Austro-Hungarians only, ten of the 30 Grand Military Merit Medals were awarded to foreigners (9 German generals and 1 Ottoman general, Enver Pasha).

A new series of Silver and Bronze Military Merit Medals was created on April 18, 1917, which featured the bust of Emperor Karl I, who had acceded to the Austro-Hungarian throne after the death of Franz Joseph I on November 21, 1916.

Bronze, silver or gold medal with bust of the reigning emperor on the obverse and the words "SIGNUM LAUDIS" (Latin for "Sign of Praise") on the reverse, surrounded by a wreath, half-laurels and half-oak leaves.

However, previously awarded medals continued to be worn by veterans in many of the successor states of the empire.

In Hungary, which was under the regency of Miklós Horthy, many imperial decorations were continued or revived in modified forms.

The obverse featured the double cross of the Hungarian coat of arms and the reverse added the date 1922 below the words SIGNUM LAUDIS.