diff --git a/gallery_dl/formatter.py b/gallery_dl/formatter.py
index be6ed9e3..f5d961ac 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/formatter.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/formatter.py
@@ -12,12 +12,16 @@ import os
 import json
 import string
 import _string
+import datetime
 import operator
 from . import text, util
 
 _CACHE = {}
-_GLOBALS = {"_env": os.environ}
 _CONVERSIONS = None
+_GLOBALS = {
+    "_env": lambda: os.environ,
+    "_now": datetime.datetime.now,
+}
 
 
 def parse(format_string, default=None):
@@ -60,7 +64,7 @@ class StringFormatter():
     - "j". calls json.dumps
     - "t": calls str.strip
     - "d": calls text.parse_timestamp
-    - "U": calls urllib.parse.unquote
+    - "U": calls urllib.parse.unescape
     - "S": calls util.to_string()
     - "T": calls util.to_timestamü()
     - Example: {f!l} -> "example"; {f!u} -> "EXAMPLE"
@@ -147,7 +151,7 @@ class StringFormatter():
     def _apply_globals(self, gobj, funcs, fmt):
         def wrap(_):
             try:
-                obj = gobj
+                obj = gobj()
                 for func in funcs:
                     obj = func(obj)
             except Exception:
@@ -164,7 +168,7 @@ class StringFormatter():
         def wrap(kwdict):
             for key, funcs in lst:
                 try:
-                    obj = _GLOBALS[key] if key in _GLOBALS else kwdict[key]
+                    obj = _GLOBALS[key]() if key in _GLOBALS else kwdict[key]
                     for func in funcs:
                         obj = func(obj)
                     if obj:
diff --git a/test/test_formatter.py b/test/test_formatter.py
index 3d3ee4af..5ed513a6 100644
--- a/test/test_formatter.py
+++ b/test/test_formatter.py
@@ -173,13 +173,31 @@ class TestFormatter(unittest.TestCase):
         self._run_test("{d[a]:?</>/L1/too long/}", "<too long>")
         self._run_test("{d[c]:?</>/L5/too long/}", "")
 
-    def test_environ(self):
+    def test_globals_env(self):
         os.environ["FORMATTER_TEST"] = value = self.kwdict["a"]
 
         self._run_test("{_env[FORMATTER_TEST]}"  , value)
         self._run_test("{_env[FORMATTER_TEST]!l}", value.lower())
         self._run_test("{z|_env[FORMATTER_TEST]}", value)
 
+    def test_globals_now(self):
+        fmt = formatter.parse("{_now}")
+        out1 = fmt.format_map(self.kwdict)
+        self.assertRegex(out1, r"^\d{4}-\d\d-\d\d \d\d:\d\d:\d\d(\.\d+)?$")
+
+        out = formatter.parse("{_now:%Y%m%d}").format_map(self.kwdict)
+        now = datetime.datetime.now()
+        self.assertRegex(out, r"^\d{8}$")
+        self.assertEqual(out, format(now, "%Y%m%d"))
+
+        out = formatter.parse("{z|_now:%Y}").format_map(self.kwdict)
+        self.assertRegex(out, r"^\d{4}$")
+        self.assertEqual(out, format(now, "%Y"))
+
+        out2 = fmt.format_map(self.kwdict)
+        self.assertRegex(out1, r"^\d{4}-\d\d-\d\d \d\d:\d\d:\d\d(\.\d+)?$")
+        self.assertNotEqual(out1, out2)
+
     def _run_test(self, format_string, result, default=None):
         fmt = formatter.parse(format_string, default)
         output = fmt.format_map(self.kwdict)