diff --git a/Control/AthenaMonitoring/python/ExampleMonitorAlgorithm.py b/Control/AthenaMonitoring/python/ExampleMonitorAlgorithm.py
index 9513330bed0af67459ebc5a5b055b8707cb91a7f..7bd5f4b5370b9821cf7e098d056b9f9d66bb89b4 100644
--- a/Control/AthenaMonitoring/python/ExampleMonitorAlgorithm.py
+++ b/Control/AthenaMonitoring/python/ExampleMonitorAlgorithm.py
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ def ExampleMonitoringConfig(inputFlags):
         # Using templates for histogram titles or paths
         array1D.defineHistogram('c', title='Layer {0}', path='Keys', xmax=3.)
         array1D.defineHistogram('c;c_alternate', title='Layer', path='Keys/{0}', xmax=3.)
+        array1D.defineHistogram('c;c_{0}_formatted', path='Keys', xmax=3.)
         array2D.defineHistogram('c', title='Cluster {1}, Layer {0}', path='Keys/{1}', xmax=3.)
 
         # Making a histogram only for certain elements of the array
diff --git a/Control/AthenaMonitoring/share/test_unit_ExampleMonitorAlgorithm_online.ref b/Control/AthenaMonitoring/share/test_unit_ExampleMonitorAlgorithm_online.ref
index 6702998ffd7ffeea801d15ae374a62dc8d0caa45..9fd794750c3c316f92782a7b1b1c264b0405fe23 100644
--- a/Control/AthenaMonitoring/share/test_unit_ExampleMonitorAlgorithm_online.ref
+++ b/Control/AthenaMonitoring/share/test_unit_ExampleMonitorAlgorithm_online.ref
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ TH1F /top/Keys/clusterB/c_layer2_clusterB: 979 uncompressed (hash 1313380230)
 TH1F /top/Keys/clusterB/c_layer1_clusterB: 979 uncompressed (hash 1105958788)
 TH1F /top/Keys/c_restricted_layer2_clusterX: 989 uncompressed (hash 255957623)
 TH1F /top/Keys/c_restricted_layer1_clusterB: 989 uncompressed (hash 457873993)
+TH1F /top/Keys/c_layer2_formatted: 968 uncompressed (hash 2820051072)
 TH1F /top/Keys/c_layer2: 952 uncompressed (hash 1161596241)
+TH1F /top/Keys/c_layer1_formatted: 968 uncompressed (hash 2614268030)
 TH1F /top/Keys/c_layer1: 952 uncompressed (hash 955944271)
 TH1F /top/EtaPhi/a_3_1: 578 uncompressed (hash 3580844046)
 TH1F /top/EtaPhi/a_3_0: 578 uncompressed (hash 3475986445)
@@ -48,7 +50,9 @@ TH1F /OneRing/Keys/clusterB/c_layer2_clusterB: 979 uncompressed (hash 1313380230
 TH1F /OneRing/Keys/clusterB/c_layer1_clusterB: 979 uncompressed (hash 1105958788)
 TH1F /OneRing/Keys/c_restricted_layer2_clusterX: 989 uncompressed (hash 255957623)
 TH1F /OneRing/Keys/c_restricted_layer1_clusterB: 989 uncompressed (hash 457873993)
+TH1F /OneRing/Keys/c_layer2_formatted: 968 uncompressed (hash 2820051072)
 TH1F /OneRing/Keys/c_layer2: 952 uncompressed (hash 1161596241)
+TH1F /OneRing/Keys/c_layer1_formatted: 968 uncompressed (hash 2614268030)
 TH1F /OneRing/Keys/c_layer1: 952 uncompressed (hash 955944271)
 TH1F /OneRing/EtaPhi/a_3_1: 578 uncompressed (hash 3580844046)
 TH1F /OneRing/EtaPhi/a_3_0: 578 uncompressed (hash 3475986445)
diff --git a/Control/AthenaMonitoringKernel/python/GenericMonitoringTool.py b/Control/AthenaMonitoringKernel/python/GenericMonitoringTool.py
index 4c615119d9bc1d65dda837bce4e16d348c3ab04a..c651b28bda19f38207c7d372a28560b1c1d55a07 100644
--- a/Control/AthenaMonitoringKernel/python/GenericMonitoringTool.py
+++ b/Control/AthenaMonitoringKernel/python/GenericMonitoringTool.py
@@ -130,13 +130,21 @@ class GenericMonitoringArray:
                 # assume we have list of strings or ints; convert to list of 1-element tuples
                 pattern = [(_2,) for _2 in pattern]
         for postfix, tool in self.Tools.items():
-            aliased = unAliased+';'+aliasBase+postfix
-
             try:
                 accessors = tuple(self.Accessors[postfix])
                 if pattern is not None:
                     if accessors not in pattern:
                         continue
+                # two options for alias formatting,
+                #   a) default convention: (var_0, var_1, etc.)
+                #   b) custom formatting: 'alias{0}custom'.format(*(0, 1))
+                aliasBaseFormatted = aliasBase.format(*accessors)
+                if aliasBaseFormatted==aliasBase:
+                    # if format call did not do anything, use default
+                    aliased = unAliased+';'+aliasBase+postfix
+                else:
+                    # if format call changed the alias, use custom
+                    aliased = aliasBaseFormatted
                 if title is not None:
                     kwargs['title'] = title.format(*accessors)
                 if path is not None:
@@ -144,7 +152,7 @@ class GenericMonitoringArray:
             except IndexError as e:
                 log.error('In title or path template of histogram {0}, too many positional '\
                     'arguments were requested. Title and path templates were "{1}" and "{2}", '\
-                    'while only {3} fillers were given: {4}.'.format(aliased, title,\
+                    'while only {3} fillers were given: {4}.'.format(aliasBase, title,\
                     path, len(accessors), accessors))
                 raise e
 
diff --git a/Control/AthenaMonitoringKernel/test/GenericMonCreation_test.py b/Control/AthenaMonitoringKernel/test/GenericMonCreation_test.py
index 6a0040702eb48b39e5177354cb9922bb40b5b593..c38357c9aa078dad8eeb83b66c267b0c82fcc95c 100644
--- a/Control/AthenaMonitoringKernel/test/GenericMonCreation_test.py
+++ b/Control/AthenaMonitoringKernel/test/GenericMonCreation_test.py
@@ -106,6 +106,15 @@ class TestGMT(unittest.TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
             gma.defineHistogram('y', path='{1}')
 
+    def test_aliasTemplate(self):
+        gma = GenericMonitoringArray('TestGMA', [['a','b']])
+        gma.defineHistogram('x;x-alias-{}-formatted')
+        d = histogramDictionary(list(gma[0].Histograms)+list(gma[1].Histograms))
+        self.assertEqual(d['x-alias-a-formatted']['alias'], 'x-alias-a-formatted')
+        self.assertEqual(d['x-alias-b-formatted']['alias'], 'x-alias-b-formatted')
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            gma.defineHistogram('y;y-alias-{1}-formatted')
+
     def test_forwardsHistogramArguments(self):
         gma = GenericMonitoringArray('TestGMA', [2])
         gma.defineHistogram('x,y', type='TH2D', weight='z')