diff --git a/src/cformat.jl b/src/cformat.jl
index 31fef5b..a1d8e2e 100644
--- a/src/cformat.jl
+++ b/src/cformat.jl
@@ -1,16 +1,80 @@
 formatters = Dict{ Compat.ASCIIString, Function }()
 
-function sprintf1( fmt::Compat.ASCIIString, x )
+if VERSION >= v"0.6.0-dev.1671"
+
+sprintf1( fmt::Compat.ASCIIString, x ) = eval(Expr(:call, generate_formatter( fmt ), x))
+
+function checkfmt(fmt)
+    test = Base.Printf.parse( fmt )
+    (length( test ) == 1 && typeof( test[1] ) <: Tuple) ||
+        error( "Only one AND undecorated format string is allowed")
+end
+
+function generate_formatter( fmt::Compat.ASCIIString )
     global formatters
-    f = generate_formatter( fmt )
-    f( x )
+
+    haskey( formatters, fmt ) && return formatters[fmt]
+
+    if !contains( fmt, "'" )
+        checkfmt(fmt)
+        return (formatters[ fmt ] = @eval(x->@sprintf( $fmt, x )))
+    end
+
+    conversion = fmt[end]
+    conversion in "sduifF" ||
+        error( string("thousand separator not defined for ", conversion, " conversion") )
+
+    fmtactual = replace( fmt, "'", "", 1 )
+    checkfmt( fmtactual )
+    conversion in "sfF" ||
+        return (formatters[ fmt ] = @eval(x->checkcommas(@sprintf( $fmtactual, x ))))
+
+    formatters[ fmt ] =
+        if endswith( fmtactual, 's')
+            @eval((x::Real)->((eltype(x) <: Rational)
+                              ? addcommasrat(@sprintf( $fmtactual, x ))
+                              : addcommasreal(@sprintf( $fmtactual, x ))))
+        else
+            @eval((x::Real)->addcommasreal(@sprintf( $fmtactual, x )))
+        end
 end
 
+function addcommasreal(s)
+    dpos = findfirst( s, '.' )
+    dpos != 0 && return string(addcommas( s[1:dpos-1] ), s[ dpos:end ])
+    # find the rightmost digit
+    for i in length( s ):-1:1
+        isdigit( s[i] ) && return string(addcommas( s[1:i] ), s[i+1:end])
+    end
+    s
+end
+
+function addcommasrat(s)
+    # commas are added to only the numerator
+    spos = findfirst( s, '/' )
+    string(addcommas( s[1:spos-1] ), s[spos:end])
+end
+
+function checkcommas(s)
+    for i in length( s ):-1:1
+        if isdigit( s[i] )
+            s = string(addcommas( s[1:i] ), s[i+1:end])
+            break
+        end
+    end
+    s
+end
+
+else
+
+sprintf1( fmt::Compat.ASCIIString, x ) = (generate_formatter( fmt ))(x)
+
 function generate_formatter( fmt::Compat.ASCIIString )
     global formatters
     if haskey( formatters, fmt )
         return formatters[fmt]
     end
+
     func = @compat Symbol("sprintf_", replace(base64encode(fmt), "=", "!"))
 
     if !contains( fmt, "'" )
@@ -77,6 +141,7 @@ function generate_formatter( fmt::Compat.ASCIIString )
     formatters[ fmt ] = f
     f
 end
+end
 
 function addcommas( s::Compat.ASCIIString )
     len = length(s)
diff --git a/test/cformat.jl b/test/cformat.jl
index d6f7932..15b396f 100644
--- a/test/cformat.jl
+++ b/test/cformat.jl
@@ -8,11 +8,13 @@ _erfinv(z) = sqrt(π) * Base.Math.@horner(z, 0, 1, 0, π/12, 0, 7π^2/480, 0, 12
 function test_equality()
     println( "test cformat equality...")
     srand(10)
-    fmts = Compat.ASCIIString[ "%10.4f", "%f", "%e", "%10f", "%.3f", "%.3e" ]
-    for fmt in fmts
-        l = :( x-> x )
-        l.args[2].args[2] = @compat Expr(:macrocall, Symbol("@sprintf"), fmt, :x)
-        mfmtr = eval( l )
+    fmts = [ (x->@sprintf("%10.4f",x), "%10.4f"),
+             (x->@sprintf("%f", x),    "%f"),
+             (x->@sprintf("%e", x),    "%e"),
+             (x->@sprintf("%10f", x),  "%10f"),
+             (x->@sprintf("%.3f", x),  "%.3f"),
+             (x->@sprintf("%.3e", x),  "%.3e")]
+    for (mfmtr,fmt) in fmts
         for i in 1:10000
             n = _erfinv( rand() * 1.99 - 1.99/2.0 )
             expect = mfmtr( n )
@@ -21,11 +23,11 @@ function test_equality()
         end
     end
 
-    fmts = Compat.ASCIIString[ "%d", "%10d", "%010d", "%-10d" ]
-    for fmt in fmts
-        l = :( x-> x )
-        l.args[2].args[2] = @compat Expr(:macrocall, Symbol("@sprintf"), fmt, :x)
-        mfmtr = eval( l )
+    fmts = [ (x->@sprintf("%d",x),    "%d"),
+             (x->@sprintf("%10d",x),  "%10d"),
+             (x->@sprintf("%010d",x), "%010d"),
+             (x->@sprintf("%-10d",x), "%-10d")]
+    for (mfmtr,fmt) in fmts
         for i in 1:10000
             j = round(Int, _erfinv( rand() * 1.99 - 1.99/2.0 ) * 100000 )
             expect = mfmtr( j )