diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 8483dcf4928..40e33e228f8 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@ Major new features:
   incosistent mutex state after fork call in multithread environment.
   In both popen and system there is no direct access to user-defined mutexes.
 
+* Improve the width of alternate representation for year in strftime.
+  For %Ey conversion specifier, the default action is now to pad the
+  number with zero to keep minimum 2 digits as well as %y.  Also, the
+  optional flag (either _ or -) can be used for %EY, so that the
+  internal %Ey is interpreted as if decorated with the appropriate
+  flag.
+
 Deprecated and removed features, and other changes affecting compatibility:
 
 * The glibc.tune tunable namespace has been renamed to glibc.cpu and the
diff --git a/manual/time.texi b/manual/time.texi
index 4d154452eba..c1d5770f9e0 100644
--- a/manual/time.texi
+++ b/manual/time.texi
@@ -1393,6 +1393,9 @@ The preferred calendar time representation for the current locale.
 The century of the year.  This is equivalent to the greatest integer not
 greater than the year divided by 100.
 
+If the @code{E} modifier is specified (@code{%EC}), the locale's
+alternate representation for year (the era name) is used instead.
+
 This format was first standardized by POSIX.2-1992 and by @w{ISO C99}.
 
 @item %d
@@ -1568,10 +1571,22 @@ The preferred time of day representation for the current locale.
 The year without a century as a decimal number (range @code{00} through
 @code{99}).  This is equivalent to the year modulo 100.
 
+If the @code{E} modifier is specified (@code{%Ey}), the locale's
+alternate representation for year (the era year) is used instead.  The
+default action is to pad the number with zero to keep minimum 2 digits
+as well as @code{%y}.
+
 @item %Y
 The year as a decimal number, using the Gregorian calendar.  Years
 before the year @code{1} are numbered @code{0}, @code{-1}, and so on.
 
+If the @code{E} modifier is specified (@code{%EY}), the locale's
+alternate representation for year (generally the combination of
+@code{%EC} and @code{%Ey}) is used instead.  In this case, the
+optional flag (either @code{_} or @code{-}) can be used, so that the
+internal @code{%Ey} is interpreted as if decorated with the
+appropriate flag.
+
 @item %z
 @w{RFC 822}/@w{ISO 8601:1988} style numeric time zone (e.g.,
 @code{-0600} or @code{+0100}), or nothing if no time zone is
diff --git a/time/Makefile b/time/Makefile
index 743bd99f182..9f94e07e3bc 100644
--- a/time/Makefile
+++ b/time/Makefile
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ tests	:= test_time clocktest tst-posixtz tst-strptime tst_wcsftime \
 	   tst-getdate tst-mktime tst-mktime2 tst-ftime_l tst-strftime \
 	   tst-mktime3 tst-strptime2 bug-asctime bug-asctime_r bug-mktime1 \
 	   tst-strptime3 bug-getdate1 tst-strptime-whitespace tst-ftime \
-	   tst-tzname tst-y2039 bug-mktime4
+	   tst-tzname tst-y2039 bug-mktime4 tst-strftime2
 
 include ../Rules
 
diff --git a/time/strftime_l.c b/time/strftime_l.c
index c71f9f47a95..8797341ea53 100644
--- a/time/strftime_l.c
+++ b/time/strftime_l.c
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ static CHAR_T const month_name[][10] =
 #endif
 
 static size_t __strftime_internal (CHAR_T *, size_t, const CHAR_T *,
-				   const struct tm *, bool *
+				   const struct tm *, int *, bool *
 				   ut_argument_spec
 				   LOCALE_PARAM) __THROW;
 
@@ -456,8 +456,9 @@ my_strftime (CHAR_T *s, size_t maxsize, const CHAR_T *format,
   tmcopy = *tp;
   tp = &tmcopy;
 #endif
+  int yr_spec = 0;		/* Override padding for %Ey.  */
   bool tzset_called = false;
-  return __strftime_internal (s, maxsize, format, tp, &tzset_called
+  return __strftime_internal (s, maxsize, format, tp, &yr_spec, &tzset_called
 			      ut_argument LOCALE_ARG);
 }
 #ifdef _LIBC
@@ -466,7 +467,7 @@ libc_hidden_def (my_strftime)
 
 static size_t
 __strftime_internal (CHAR_T *s, size_t maxsize, const CHAR_T *format,
-		     const struct tm *tp, bool *tzset_called
+		     const struct tm *tp, int *yr_spec, bool *tzset_called
 		     ut_argument_spec LOCALE_PARAM)
 {
 #if defined _LIBC && defined USE_IN_EXTENDED_LOCALE_MODEL
@@ -820,7 +821,7 @@ __strftime_internal (CHAR_T *s, size_t maxsize, const CHAR_T *format,
 	  if (modifier == L_('O'))
 	    goto bad_format;
 #ifdef _NL_CURRENT
-	  if (! (modifier == 'E'
+	  if (! (modifier == L_('E')
 		 && (*(subfmt =
 		       (const CHAR_T *) _NL_CURRENT (LC_TIME,
 						     NLW(ERA_D_T_FMT)))
@@ -838,11 +839,12 @@ __strftime_internal (CHAR_T *s, size_t maxsize, const CHAR_T *format,
 	  {
 	    CHAR_T *old_start = p;
 	    size_t len = __strftime_internal (NULL, (size_t) -1, subfmt,
-					      tp, tzset_called ut_argument
-					      LOCALE_ARG);
+					      tp, yr_spec, tzset_called
+					      ut_argument LOCALE_ARG);
 	    add (len, __strftime_internal (p, maxsize - i, subfmt,
-					   tp, tzset_called ut_argument
-					   LOCALE_ARG));
+					   tp, yr_spec, tzset_called
+					   ut_argument LOCALE_ARG));
+	    *yr_spec = 0;
 
 	    if (to_uppcase)
 	      while (old_start < p)
@@ -917,7 +919,7 @@ __strftime_internal (CHAR_T *s, size_t maxsize, const CHAR_T *format,
 #ifdef _NL_CURRENT
 	  if (! (modifier == L_('E')
 		 && (*(subfmt =
-		       (const CHAR_T *)_NL_CURRENT (LC_TIME, NLW(ERA_D_FMT)))
+		       (const CHAR_T *) _NL_CURRENT (LC_TIME, NLW(ERA_D_FMT)))
 		     != L_('\0'))))
 	    subfmt = (const CHAR_T *) _NL_CURRENT (LC_TIME, NLW(D_FMT));
 	  goto subformat;
@@ -1262,7 +1264,7 @@ __strftime_internal (CHAR_T *s, size_t maxsize, const CHAR_T *format,
 	  DO_NUMBER (1, tp->tm_wday);
 
 	case L_('Y'):
-	  if (modifier == 'E')
+	  if (modifier == L_('E'))
 	    {
 #if HAVE_STRUCT_ERA_ENTRY
 	      struct era_entry *era = _nl_get_era_entry (tp HELPER_LOCALE_ARG);
@@ -1273,6 +1275,8 @@ __strftime_internal (CHAR_T *s, size_t maxsize, const CHAR_T *format,
 # else
 		  subfmt = era->era_format;
 # endif
+		  if (pad != 0)
+		    *yr_spec = pad;
 		  goto subformat;
 		}
 #else
@@ -1294,7 +1298,9 @@ __strftime_internal (CHAR_T *s, size_t maxsize, const CHAR_T *format,
 	      if (era)
 		{
 		  int delta = tp->tm_year - era->start_date[0];
-		  DO_NUMBER (1, (era->offset
+		  if (*yr_spec != 0)
+		    pad = *yr_spec;
+		  DO_NUMBER (2, (era->offset
 				 + delta * era->absolute_direction));
 		}
 #else
diff --git a/time/tst-strftime2.c b/time/tst-strftime2.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6f2cf4ddd81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/time/tst-strftime2.c
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+/* Verify the behavior of strftime on alternate representation for year.
+
+   Copyright (C) 2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   This file is part of the GNU C Library.
+
+   The GNU C Library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+   modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+   License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+   version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+   The GNU C Library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+   Lesser General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+   License along with the GNU C Library; if not, see
+   <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
+
+#include <locale.h>
+#include <time.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+static const char *locales[] = { "ja_JP.UTF-8", "lo_LA.UTF-8", "th_TH.UTF-8" };
+#define nlocales (sizeof (locales) / sizeof (locales[0]))
+
+static const char *formats[] = { "%EY", "%_EY", "%-EY" };
+#define nformats (sizeof (formats) / sizeof (formats[0]))
+
+static const struct
+{
+  const int d, m, y;
+} dates[] =
+  {
+    { 1, 3, 88 },
+    { 7, 0, 89 },
+    { 8, 0, 89 },
+    { 1, 3, 90 },
+    { 1, 3, 97 },
+    { 1, 3, 98 }
+  };
+#define ndates (sizeof (dates) / sizeof (dates[0]))
+
+static char ref[nlocales][nformats][ndates][100];
+
+static void
+mkreftable (void)
+{
+  int i, j, k;
+  char era[10];
+  static const int yrj[] = { 63, 64, 1, 2, 9, 10 };
+  static const int yrb[] = { 2531, 2532, 2532, 2533, 2540, 2541 };
+
+  for (i = 0; i < nlocales; i++)
+    for (j = 0; j < nformats; j++)
+      for (k = 0; k < ndates; k++)
+	{
+	  if (i == 0)
+	    {
+	      sprintf (era, "%s", (k < 2) ? "\xe6\x98\xad\xe5\x92\x8c"
+					  : "\xe5\xb9\xb3\xe6\x88\x90");
+	      if (yrj[k] == 1)
+		sprintf (ref[i][j][k], "%s\xe5\x85\x83\xe5\xb9\xb4", era);
+	      else
+		{
+		  if (j == 0)
+		    sprintf (ref[i][j][k], "%s%02d\xe5\xb9\xb4", era, yrj[k]);
+		  else if (j == 1)
+		    sprintf (ref[i][j][k], "%s%2d\xe5\xb9\xb4", era, yrj[k]);
+		  else
+		    sprintf (ref[i][j][k], "%s%d\xe5\xb9\xb4", era, yrj[k]);
+		}
+	    }
+	  else if (i == 1)
+	    {
+	      sprintf (era, "\xe0\xba\x9e\x2e\xe0\xba\xaa\x2e ");
+	      sprintf (ref[i][j][k], "%s%d", era, yrb[k]);
+	    }
+	  else
+	    {
+	      sprintf (era, "\xe0\xb8\x9e\x2e\xe0\xb8\xa8\x2e ");
+	      sprintf (ref[i][j][k], "%s%d", era, yrb[k]);
+	    }
+	}
+}
+
+static int
+do_test (void)
+{
+  int i, j, k, result = 0;
+  struct tm ttm;
+  char date[11], buf[100];
+  size_t r, e;
+
+  mkreftable ();
+  for (i = 0; i < nlocales; i++)
+    {
+      if (setlocale (LC_ALL, locales[i]) == NULL)
+	{
+	  printf ("locale %s does not exist, skipping...\n", locales[i]);
+	  continue;
+	}
+      printf ("[%s]\n", locales[i]);
+      for (j = 0; j < nformats; j++)
+	{
+	  for (k = 0; k < ndates; k++)
+	    {
+	      ttm.tm_mday = dates[k].d;
+	      ttm.tm_mon  = dates[k].m;
+	      ttm.tm_year = dates[k].y;
+	      strftime (date, sizeof (date), "%F", &ttm);
+	      r = strftime (buf, sizeof (buf), formats[j], &ttm);
+	      e = strlen (ref[i][j][k]);
+	      printf ("%s\t\"%s\"\t\"%s\"", date, formats[j], buf);
+	      if (strcmp (buf, ref[i][j][k]) != 0)
+		{
+		  printf ("\tshould be \"%s\"", ref[i][j][k]);
+		  if (r != e)
+		    printf ("\tgot: %zu, expected: %zu", r, e);
+		  result = 1;
+		}
+	      else
+		printf ("\tOK");
+	      putchar ('\n');
+	    }
+	  putchar ('\n');
+	}
+    }
+  return result;
+}
+
+#include <support/test-driver.c>
