diff --git a/manual/template_lang.rst b/manual/template_lang.rst
index 216f2e87c9..3f7d286136 100644
--- a/manual/template_lang.rst
+++ b/manual/template_lang.rst
@@ -195,7 +195,8 @@ The syntax of the language is shown by the following grammar. For a discussion o
     function        ::= identifier '(' expression [ ',' expression ]* ')'
     compare         ::= expression compare_op expression
     compare_op      ::= '==' | '!=' | '>=' | '>' | '<=' | '<' | '==#' | '!=#' | '>=#' | '>#' | '<=#' | '<#'
-    if_expression   ::= 'if' expression 'then' expression_list ['else' statement] 'fi'
+    if_expression   ::= 'if' expression 'then' expression_list [elif_expression] ['else' expression_list] 'fi'
+    elif_expression ::= 'elif' expression 'then' expression_list elif_expression | ''
     assignment      ::= identifier '=' expression
     constant        ::= " string " | ' string ' | number
     identifier      ::= sequence of letters or ``_`` characters
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py
index 0712369e9e..239a986a6e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class TemplateHighlighter(QSyntaxHighlighter):
     Formats = {}
     BN_FACTOR = 1000
 
-    KEYWORDS = ["program", 'if', 'then', 'else', 'fi']
+    KEYWORDS = ["program", 'if', 'then', 'else', 'elif', 'fi']
 
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         super(TemplateHighlighter, self).__init__(parent)
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py b/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py
index 2407551d2b..fa36965db1 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py
@@ -233,6 +233,13 @@ class _Parser(object):
         except:
             return False
 
+    def token_is_elif(self):
+        try:
+            token = self.prog[self.lex_pos]
+            return token[1] == 'elif' and token[0] == self.LEX_KEYWORD
+        except:
+            return False
+
     def token_is_fi(self):
         try:
             token = self.prog[self.lex_pos]
@@ -282,6 +289,8 @@ class _Parser(object):
             self.error(_("Missing 'then' in if statement"))
         self.consume()
         then_part = self.expression_list()
+        if self.token_is_elif():
+            return IfNode(condition, then_part, [self.if_expression(),])
         if self.token_is_else():
             self.consume()
             else_part = self.expression_list()
@@ -609,7 +618,7 @@ class TemplateFormatter(string.Formatter):
     lex_scanner = re.Scanner([
             (r'(==#|!=#|<=#|<#|>=#|>#)', lambda x,t: (_Parser.LEX_NUMERIC_INFIX, t)),
             (r'(==|!=|<=|<|>=|>)',       lambda x,t: (_Parser.LEX_STRING_INFIX, t)),  # noqa
-            (r'(if|then|else|fi)\b',     lambda x,t: (_Parser.LEX_KEYWORD, t)),  # noqa
+            (r'(if|then|else|elif|fi)\b',lambda x,t: (_Parser.LEX_KEYWORD, t)),  # noqa
             (r'[(),=;]',                 lambda x,t: (_Parser.LEX_OP, t)),  # noqa
             (r'-?[\d\.]+',               lambda x,t: (_Parser.LEX_CONST, t)),  # noqa
             (r'\$',                      lambda x,t: (_Parser.LEX_ID, t)),  # noqa