diff --git a/configs/cfg/sourcemod.cfg b/configs/cfg/sourcemod.cfg
index 591f8ed2..ba55b366 100644
--- a/configs/cfg/sourcemod.cfg
+++ b/configs/cfg/sourcemod.cfg
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ sm_menu_sounds 1
 // Default: 30
 sm_vote_delay 30
 
+// Default datetime formatting rules when displaying to clients.
+// For full options, see: http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/007908799/xsh/strftime.html
+// --
+// Default: %m/%d/%Y - %H:%M:%S
+// 12 hour format: %m/%d/%Y - %I:%M:%S %p
+sm_datetime_format "%m/%d/%Y - %H:%M:%S"
+
 // Specifies the amount of time that is allowed between chat messages.  This
 // includes the say and say_team commands.  If a client sends a message faster
 // than this time, they receive a flood token.  When the client has accumulated
diff --git a/core/smn_core.cpp b/core/smn_core.cpp
index 6c912ba2..440a0de5 100644
--- a/core/smn_core.cpp
+++ b/core/smn_core.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #endif
 
 HandleType_t g_PlIter;
+ConVar sm_datetime_format("sm_datetime_format", "%m/%d/%Y - %H:%M:%S", 0, "Default formatting time rules");
 
 class CoreNativeHelpers : 
 	public SMGlobalClass,
@@ -118,7 +119,12 @@ static cell_t FormatTime(IPluginContext *pContext, const cell_t *params)
 {
 	char *format, *buffer;
 	pContext->LocalToString(params[1], &buffer);
-	pContext->LocalToString(params[3], &format);
+	pContext->LocalToStringNULL(params[3], &format);
+
+	if (format == NULL)
+	{
+		format = const_cast<char *>(sm_datetime_format.GetString());
+	}
 
 #if defined SUBPLATFORM_SECURECRT
 	_invalid_parameter_handler handler = _set_invalid_parameter_handler(_ignore_invalid_parameter);
diff --git a/plugins/basetriggers.sp b/plugins/basetriggers.sp
index 35afcb40..d90fe38e 100644
--- a/plugins/basetriggers.sp
+++ b/plugins/basetriggers.sp
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ public Action:Command_Say(client, args)
 	else if (strcmp(text[startidx], "thetime", false) == 0)
 	{
 		decl String:ctime[64];
-		FormatTime(ctime, 64, "%m/%d/%Y - %H:%M:%S");
+		FormatTime(ctime, 64, NULL_STRING);
 		
 		if(GetConVarInt(g_Cvar_TriggerShow))
 		{
diff --git a/plugins/include/sourcemod.inc b/plugins/include/sourcemod.inc
index c07ae657..5a8750d8 100644
--- a/plugins/include/sourcemod.inc
+++ b/plugins/include/sourcemod.inc
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ native GetTime(bigStamp[2]={0,0});
  *
  * @param buffer		Destination string buffer.
  * @param maxlength		Maximum length of output string buffer.
- * @param format		Formatting rules.
+ * @param format		Formatting rules (passing NULL_STRING will use the rules defined in sm_datetime_format).
  * @param stamp			Optional time stamp.
  * @noreturn
  * @error			Buffer too small or invalid time format.