diff --git a/lib/date_format.js b/lib/date_format.js
index bf36318..d75ce20 100644
--- a/lib/date_format.js
+++ b/lib/date_format.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ exports.asString = function(/*format,*/ date) {
   var vDay = addZero(date.getDate());
   var vMonth = addZero(date.getMonth()+1);
   var vYearLong = addZero(date.getFullYear());
-  var vYearShort = addZero(date.getFullYear().toString().substring(3,4));
+  var vYearShort = addZero(date.getFullYear().toString().substring(2,4));
   var vYear = (format.indexOf("yyyy") > -1 ? vYearLong : vYearShort);
   var vHour  = addZero(date.getHours());
   var vMinute = addZero(date.getMinutes());
diff --git a/lib/layouts.js b/lib/layouts.js
index b171cee..9cfd035 100644
--- a/lib/layouts.js
+++ b/lib/layouts.js
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ function messagePassThroughLayout (loggingEvent) {
  *  - %r time in toLocaleTimeString format
  *  - %p log level
  *  - %c log category
+ *  - %h hostname
  *  - %m log data
  *  - %d date in various formats
  *  - %% %
@@ -143,7 +144,7 @@ function messagePassThroughLayout (loggingEvent) {
  */
 function patternLayout (pattern, tokens) {
   var TTCC_CONVERSION_PATTERN  = "%r %p %c - %m%n";
-  var regex = /%(-?[0-9]+)?(\.?[0-9]+)?([\[\]cdmnprx%])(\{([^\}]+)\})?|([^%]+)/;
+  var regex = /%(-?[0-9]+)?(\.?[0-9]+)?([\[\]cdhmnprx%])(\{([^\}]+)\})?|([^%]+)/;
   
   pattern = pattern || TTCC_CONVERSION_PATTERN;
 
@@ -166,6 +167,8 @@ function patternLayout (pattern, tokens) {
       // Pick up special cases
       if (format == "ISO8601") {
         format = dateFormat.ISO8601_FORMAT;
+      } else if (format == "ISO8601_WITH_TZ_OFFSET") {
+        format = dateFormat.ISO8601_WITH_TZ_OFFSET_FORMAT; 
       } else if (format == "ABSOLUTE") {
         format = dateFormat.ABSOLUTETIME_FORMAT;
       } else if (format == "DATE") {
@@ -175,6 +178,10 @@ function patternLayout (pattern, tokens) {
     // Format the date
     return dateFormat.asString(format, loggingEvent.startTime);
   }
+  
+  function hostname() {
+    return os.hostname().toString();
+  }
 
   function formatMessage(loggingEvent) {
     return formatLogData(loggingEvent.data);
@@ -218,6 +225,7 @@ function patternLayout (pattern, tokens) {
   var replacers = {
     'c': categoryName,
     'd': formatAsDate,
+    'h': hostname,
     'm': formatMessage,
     'n': endOfLine,
     'p': logLevel,
diff --git a/test/date_format-test.js b/test/date_format-test.js
index d4a5cb5..6085843 100644
--- a/test/date_format-test.js
+++ b/test/date_format-test.js
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ vows.describe('date_format').addBatch({
         dateFormat.asString(dateFormat.ABSOLUTETIME_FORMAT, date),
         '14:31:30.005'
       );
+    },
+    'should provide a custom format': function(date) {
+      date.getTimezoneOffset = function() { return 120; };
+      assert.equal(
+        dateFormat.asString("O.SSS.ss.mm.hh.dd.MM.yy", date),
+        '-0200.005.30.31.14.11.01.10'
+      );
     }
   }
 }).export(module);
diff --git a/test/fileAppender-test.js b/test/fileAppender-test.js
index cb4692a..9476ad6 100644
--- a/test/fileAppender-test.js
+++ b/test/fileAppender-test.js
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ vows.describe('log4js fileAppender').addBatch({
         , logger;
         //this config file defines one file appender (to ./tmp-tests.log)
         //and sets the log level for "tests" to WARN
-        log4js.configure('test/log4js.json');
+        log4js.configure('./test/log4js.json');
         logger = log4js.getLogger('tests');
         logger.info('this should not be written to the file');
         logger.warn('this should be written to the file');
diff --git a/test/layouts-test.js b/test/layouts-test.js
index 9af1242..c355bdd 100644
--- a/test/layouts-test.js
+++ b/test/layouts-test.js
@@ -209,6 +209,9 @@ vows.describe('log4js layouts').addBatch({
     '%n should output a new line': function(args) {
       test(args, '%n', '\n');
     },
+    '%h should output hostname' : function(args) {
+      test(args, '%h', require('os').hostname().toString());
+    },
     '%c should handle category names like java-style package names': function(args) {
       test(args, '%c{1}', 'tests');
       test(args, '%c{2}', 'of.tests');
@@ -221,9 +224,11 @@ vows.describe('log4js layouts').addBatch({
       test(args, '%d', '2010-12-05 14:18:30.045');
     },
     '%d should allow for format specification': function(args) {
+      test(args, '%d{ISO8601_WITH_TZ_OFFSET}', '2010-12-05T14:18:30-0000');
       test(args, '%d{ISO8601}', '2010-12-05 14:18:30.045');
       test(args, '%d{ABSOLUTE}', '14:18:30.045');
       test(args, '%d{DATE}', '05 12 2010 14:18:30.045');
+      test(args, '%d{yy MM dd hh mm ss}', '10 12 05 14 18 30');
       test(args, '%d{yyyy MM dd}', '2010 12 05');
       test(args, '%d{yyyy MM dd hh mm ss SSS}', '2010 12 05 14 18 30 045');
     },