diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py
index 1ca8d08797..05b96a946f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ class TemplateDialog(QDialog, Ui_TemplateDialog):
                  icon_field_key=None, icon_rule_kind=None, doing_emblem=False,
                  text_is_placeholder=False, dialog_is_st_editor=False,
                  global_vars=None, all_functions=None, builtin_functions=None,
-                 python_context_object=None, dialog_number=None,
+                 python_context_object=None, dialog_number=None, kwargs=None,
                  formatter=SafeFormat, icon_dir='cc_icons'):
         # If dialog_number isn't None then we want separate non-modal windows
         # that don't stay on top of the main dialog. This lets Alt-Tab work to
@@ -517,6 +517,7 @@ class TemplateDialog(QDialog, Ui_TemplateDialog):
         self.dialog_is_st_editor = dialog_is_st_editor
         self.global_vars = global_vars or {}
         self.python_context_object = python_context_object or PythonTemplateContext()
+        self.kwargs = kwargs
 
         cols = []
         self.fm = fm
@@ -779,7 +780,7 @@ class TemplateDialog(QDialog, Ui_TemplateDialog):
             tb.setIcon(QIcon.ic('edit_input.png'))
             tb.setToolTip(_('Open Edit metadata on this book'))
             tb.clicked.connect(partial(self.metadata_button_clicked, r))
-            tb.setEnabled(mi[r].get('id', -1) >= 0)
+            tb.setEnabled(int(mi[r].get('id', -1)) >= 0)
             tv.setCellWidget(r, 1, tb)
             w = QLineEdit(tv)
             w.setReadOnly(True)
@@ -1092,12 +1093,11 @@ def evaluate(book, context):
             else:
                 sys.settrace(None)
             try:
-                v = self.formatter().safe_format(txt, mi, _('EXCEPTION:'),
-                                 mi, global_vars=self.global_vars,
+                v = self.formatter().safe_format(txt, self.kwargs[r] if self.kwargs is not None else mi,
+                                  _('EXCEPTION:'), mi, global_vars=self.global_vars,
                                  template_functions=self.all_functions,
                                  break_reporter=self.break_reporter if r == break_on_mi else None,
-                                 python_context_object=self.python_context_object,
-                                 database=db)
+                                 python_context_object=self.python_context_object, database=db)
                 w = tv.cellWidget(r, 2)
                 w.setText(v.translate(translate_table))
                 w.setCursorPosition(0)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/save_template.py b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/save_template.py
index ba51d2bd74..cb6d2195a4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/save_template.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/save_template.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from qt.core import QWidget, pyqtSignal
 from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog, question_dialog
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.template_dialog import TemplateDialog
 from calibre.gui2.preferences.save_template_ui import Ui_Form
-from calibre.library.save_to_disk import FORMAT_ARG_DESCS, preprocess_template
+from calibre.library.save_to_disk import FORMAT_ARG_DESCS, Formatter, get_component_metadata, preprocess_template
 from calibre.utils.formatter import validation_formatter
 
 
@@ -26,10 +26,14 @@ class SaveTemplate(QWidget, Ui_Form):
 
     def initialize(self, name, default, help, field_metadata):
         variables = sorted(FORMAT_ARG_DESCS.keys())
+        help_text = self.orig_help_text
         if name == 'send_to_device':
-            self.help_label.setText(self.orig_help_text + ' ' + _(
+            help_text = help_text + ' ' + _(
                 'This setting can be overridden for <b>individual devices</b>,'
-                ' by clicking the device icon and choosing "Configure this device".'))
+                ' by clicking the device icon and choosing "Configure this device".')
+        self.help_label.setText(help_text + ' ' +
+            _('<b>Title and series</b> will have articles moved to the end unless '
+              'you change the tweak "{}"').format('save_template_title_series_sorting'))
         rows = []
         for var in variables:
             rows.append(f'<tr><td>{var}</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td>{FORMAT_ARG_DESCS[var]}</td></tr>')
@@ -52,13 +56,22 @@ class SaveTemplate(QWidget, Ui_Form):
         from calibre.gui2.ui import get_gui
         db = get_gui().current_db
         view = get_gui().library_view
-        mi = tuple(map(db.new_api.get_proxy_metadata, view.get_selected_ids()[:10]))
+        mi = tuple(map(db.new_api.get_metadata, view.get_selected_ids()[:10]))
         if not mi:
             error_dialog(self, _('Must select books'),
                          _('One or more books must be selected so the template '
                            'editor can show the template results'), show=True)
             return
-        t = TemplateDialog(self, self.opt_template.text(), fm=self.field_metadata, mi=mi)
+        from calibre.library.save_to_disk import config
+        opts = config().parse()
+        if self.option_name == 'save_to_disk':
+            timefmt = opts.timefmt
+        elif self.option_name == 'send_to_device':
+            timefmt = opts.send_timefmt
+
+        template = self.opt_template.text()
+        fmt_args = [get_component_metadata(template, one, one.get('id'), timefmt=timefmt) for one in mi]
+        t = TemplateDialog(self, template, fm=self.field_metadata, kwargs=fmt_args, mi=mi, formatter=Formatter)
         t.setWindowTitle(_('Edit template'))
         if t.exec():
             self.opt_template.set_value(t.rule[1])
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/saving.py b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/saving.py
index d2280760c0..203d335931 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/saving.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/saving.py
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ class ConfigWidget(ConfigWidgetBase, Ui_Form):
         self.save_template.initialize('save_to_disk', self.proxy['template'],
                 self.proxy.help('template'),
                 self.gui.library_view.model().db.field_metadata)
+        self.opt_timefmt.setToolTip('<p>' + self.opt_timefmt.toolTip() + '</p><p>' +
+                    _('Changes will not appear in the template editor until you press the apply button.') + '</p>')
         self.save_template.blockSignals(False)
 
     def restore_defaults(self):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/sending.py b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/sending.py
index 14df6ce7b2..0484c697c1 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/sending.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/sending.py
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ class ConfigWidget(ConfigWidgetBase, Ui_Form):
         self.send_template.initialize('send_to_device', self.proxy['send_template'],
                 self.proxy.help('send_template'),
                 self.gui.library_view.model().db.field_metadata)
+        self.opt_send_timefmt.setToolTip('<p>' + self.opt_send_timefmt.toolTip() + '</p><p>' +
+                        _('Changes will not appear in the template editor until you press the apply button.') + '</p>')
+
         self.send_template.blockSignals(False)
 
     def restore_defaults(self):
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/save_to_disk.py b/src/calibre/library/save_to_disk.py
index d6be25aae7..36440ba8d5 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/save_to_disk.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/save_to_disk.py
@@ -172,10 +172,7 @@ class Formatter(TemplateFormatter):
             return key
 
 
-def get_components(template, mi, id, timefmt='%b %Y', length=250,
-        sanitize_func=ascii_filename, replace_whitespace=False,
-        to_lowercase=False, safe_format=True, last_has_extension=True,
-        single_dir=False):
+def get_component_metadata(template, mi, id_, timefmt='%b %Y'):
     tsorder = tweaks['save_template_title_series_sorting']
     format_args = FORMAT_ARGS.copy()
     format_args.update(mi.all_non_none_fields())
@@ -201,8 +198,6 @@ def get_components(template, mi, id, timefmt='%b %Y', length=250,
         format_args['series'] = title_sort(mi.series, order=tsorder)
         if mi.series_index is not None:
             format_args['series_index'] = mi.format_series_index()
-    else:
-        template = re.sub(r'\{series_index[^}]*?\}', '', template)
     if mi.rating is not None:
         format_args['rating'] = mi.format_rating(divide_by=2.0)
     if mi.identifiers:
@@ -214,11 +209,13 @@ def get_components(template, mi, id, timefmt='%b %Y', length=250,
         format_args['timestamp'] = strftime(timefmt, mi.timestamp.timetuple())
     if not is_date_undefined(mi.pubdate) and hasattr(mi.pubdate, 'timetuple'):
         format_args['pubdate'] = strftime(timefmt, mi.pubdate.timetuple())
+    else:
+        format_args.pop('pubdate', None)
     if (hasattr(mi, 'last_modified') and not is_date_undefined(mi.last_modified) and
                 hasattr(mi.last_modified, 'timetuple')):
         format_args['last_modified'] = strftime(timefmt, mi.last_modified.timetuple())
 
-    format_args['id'] = str(id)
+    format_args['id'] = str(id_)
     # Now format the custom fields
     custom_metadata = mi.get_all_user_metadata(make_copy=False)
     for key in custom_metadata:
@@ -240,6 +237,13 @@ def get_components(template, mi, id, timefmt='%b %Y', length=250,
                     format_args[key] = str(format_args[key])
                 else:
                     format_args[key] = ''
+    return format_args
+
+def get_components(template, mi, id_, timefmt='%b %Y', length=250,
+        sanitize_func=ascii_filename, replace_whitespace=False,
+        to_lowercase=False, safe_format=True, last_has_extension=True,
+        single_dir=False):
+    format_args = get_component_metadata(template, mi, id_, timefmt)
     if safe_format:
         components = Formatter().safe_format(template, format_args,
                                             'G_C-EXCEPTION!', mi)