diff --git a/manual/custom.py b/manual/custom.py
index aaec02e502..6a2327db4c 100644
--- a/manual/custom.py
+++ b/manual/custom.py
@@ -4,13 +4,15 @@
 
 import os
 import re
-from functools import partial
+from functools import lru_cache, partial
+from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
 
-from calibre.linux import cli_index_strings, entry_points
 from epub import EPUBHelpBuilder
 from sphinx.util.console import bold
 from sphinx.util.logging import getLogger
 
+from calibre.linux import cli_index_strings, entry_points
+
 
 def info(*a):
     getLogger(__name__).info(*a)
@@ -19,10 +21,36 @@ def info(*a):
 include_pat = re.compile(r'^.. include:: (\S+.rst)', re.M)
 
 
+@lru_cache(2)
+def formatter_funcs():
+    from calibre.db.legacy import LibraryDatabase
+    from calibre.utils.ffml_processor import FFMLProcessor
+    from calibre.utils.formatter_functions import formatter_functions
+
+    ans = {}
+    with TemporaryDirectory() as tdir:
+        db = LibraryDatabase(tdir) # needed to load formatter_funcs
+        ffml = FFMLProcessor()
+        all_funcs = formatter_functions().get_builtins()
+        for func_name, func in all_funcs.items():
+            ans[func_name] = ffml.document_to_rst(func.doc, func_name)
+        db.close()
+        del db
+    return ans
+
+
+def ffdoc(m):
+    func_name = m.group(1)
+    return formatter_funcs()[func_name]
+
+
 def source_read_handler(app, docname, source):
     src = source[0]
-    if app.builder.name != 'gettext' and app.config.language != 'en':
-        src = re.sub(r'(\s+generated/)en/', r'\1' + app.config.language + '/', src)
+    if app.builder.name != 'gettext':
+        if app.config.language != 'en':
+            src = re.sub(r'(\s+generated/)en/', r'\1' + app.config.language + '/', src)
+        if docname == 'template_lang':
+            src = re.sub(r':ffdoc:`(.+?)`', ffdoc, src)
     # Sphinx does not call source_read_handle for the .. include directive
     for m in reversed(tuple(include_pat.finditer(src))):
         included_doc_name = m.group(1).lstrip('/')
diff --git a/manual/template_lang.rst b/manual/template_lang.rst
index 8e1adbd30f..99f30d5b0b 100644
--- a/manual/template_lang.rst
+++ b/manual/template_lang.rst
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ In the function documentation below, the notation ``[something]*`` means that ``
 The functions intended for use in Single Function Mode are:
 
 
-* ``capitalize()`` -- returns the value with the first letter upper case and the rest lower case.
+* :ffdoc:`capitalize`
 * ``contains(pattern, text if match, text if not match)`` -- checks if the value is matched by the regular expression ``pattern``. Returns ``text if match`` if the pattern matches the value, otherwise returns ``text if no match``.
 * ``count(separator)`` -- interprets the value as a list of items separated by ``separator`` and returns the number of items in the list. Most lists use a comma as the separator, but ``authors`` uses an ampersand (&). Examples: ``{tags:count(,)}``, ``{authors:count(&)}``. Aliases: ``count()``, ``list_count()``
 * ``format_number(template)`` -- interprets the value as a number and formats that number using a Python formatting template such as ``{0:5.2f}`` or ``{0:,d}`` or ``${0:5,.2f}``. The formatting template must begin with ``{0:`` and end with ``}`` as in the above examples. Exception: you can leave off the leading "{0:" and trailing "}" if the format template contains only a format. See the template language and the `Python documentation <https://docs.python.org/3/library/string.html#formatstrings>`_ for more examples. Returns the empty string if formatting fails.