diff --git a/manual/template_lang.rst b/manual/template_lang.rst
index d059b7360e..29c23b0aa0 100644
--- a/manual/template_lang.rst
+++ b/manual/template_lang.rst
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ The following functions are available in addition to those described in single-f
       returns "yes" if the yes/no field ``"#bool"`` is either undefined (neither True nor False) or True. More than one of ``is_undefined``, ``is_false``, or ``is_true`` can be set to 1.  This function is usually used by the ``test()`` or ``is_empty()`` functions.
     * ``ceiling(x)`` -- returns the smallest integer greater than or equal to x. Throws an exception if x is not a number.
     * ``cmp(x, y, lt, eq, gt)`` -- compares x and y after converting both to numbers. Returns ``lt`` if x < y. Returns ``eq`` if x == y. Otherwise returns ``gt``.
+	* ``connected_device_name(storage_location)`` -- if a device is connected then return the device name, otherwise return the empty string. Each storage location on a device can have a different name. The location names are 'main', 'carda' and 'cardb'. This function works only in the GUI.
     * ``current_library_name()`` -- return the last name on the path to the current calibre library. This function can be called in template program mode using the template ``{:'current_library_name()'}``.
     * ``current_library_path()`` -- return the path to the current calibre library. This function can be called in template program mode using the template ``{:'current_library_path()'}``.
     * ``days_between(date1, date2)`` -- return the number of days between ``date1`` and ``date2``. The number is positive if ``date1`` is greater than ``date2``, otherwise negative. If either ``date1`` or ``date2`` are not dates, the function returns the empty string.
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/device.py b/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
index 1fc01b1ca0..287b2bc40a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from threading import Thread, Event
 from PyQt5.Qt import (
     QMenu, QAction, QActionGroup, QIcon, Qt, pyqtSignal, QDialog,
     QObject, QVBoxLayout, QDialogButtonBox, QCursor, QCoreApplication,
-    QApplication, QEventLoop)
+    QApplication, QEventLoop, QTimer)
 
 from calibre.customize.ui import (available_input_formats, available_output_formats,
     device_plugins, disabled_device_plugins)
@@ -1100,7 +1100,12 @@ class DeviceMixin(object):  # {{{
             # Empty any device view information
             for v in dviews:
                 v.set_database([])
-            self.refresh_ondevice()
+            # Use a singleShot timer to ensure that the job event queue has
+            # emptied before the ondevice column is removed from the booklist.
+            # This deals with race conditions when repainting the booklist
+            # causing incorrect evaluation of the connected_device_name
+            # formatter function
+            QTimer.singleShot(0, self.refresh_ondevice)
         device_signals.device_connection_changed.emit(connected)
 
     def info_read(self, job):
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/formatter_functions.py b/src/calibre/utils/formatter_functions.py
index 34843fe08e..3628e1938e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/formatter_functions.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/formatter_functions.py
@@ -1668,6 +1668,39 @@ class BuiltinAuthorSorts(BuiltinFormatterFunction):
         return val_sep.join(n for n in names)
 
 
+class BuiltinConnectedDeviceName(BuiltinFormatterFunction):
+    name = 'connected_device_name'
+    arg_count = 1
+    category = 'Get values from metadata'
+    __doc__ = doc = _("connected_device_name(storage_location) -- if a device is "
+                      "connected then return the device name, otherwise return "
+                      "the empty string. Each storage location on a device can "
+                      "have a different name. The location names are 'main', "
+                      "'carda' and 'cardb'. This function works only in the GUI.")
+
+    def evaluate(self, formatter, kwargs, mi, locals, storage_location):
+        if hasattr(mi, '_proxy_metadata'):
+            # Do the import here so that we don't entangle the GUI when using
+            # command line functions
+            from calibre.gui2.ui import get_gui
+            info = get_gui().device_manager.get_current_device_information()
+            if info is None:
+                return ''
+            try:
+                if storage_location not in {'main', 'carda', 'cardb'}:
+                    raise ValueError(
+                         _('connected_device_name: invalid storage location "{0}"'
+                                    .format(storage_location)))
+                info = info['info'][4]
+                if storage_location not in info:
+                    return ''
+                return info[storage_location]['device_name']
+            except:
+                traceback.print_exc()
+                raise
+        return _('This function can be used only in the GUI')
+
+
 class BuiltinCheckYesNo(BuiltinFormatterFunction):
     name = 'check_yes_no'
     arg_count = 4
@@ -1754,7 +1787,7 @@ _formatter_builtins = [
     BuiltinAdd(), BuiltinAnd(), BuiltinApproximateFormats(), BuiltinAssign(),
     BuiltinAuthorLinks(), BuiltinAuthorSorts(), BuiltinBooksize(),
     BuiltinCapitalize(), BuiltinCheckYesNo(), BuiltinCeiling(),
-    BuiltinCmp(), BuiltinContains(),
+    BuiltinCmp(), BuiltinConnectedDeviceName(), BuiltinContains(),
     BuiltinCount(), BuiltinCurrentLibraryName(), BuiltinCurrentLibraryPath(),
     BuiltinDaysBetween(), BuiltinDivide(), BuiltinEval(), BuiltinFirstNonEmpty(),
     BuiltinField(), BuiltinFinishFormatting(), BuiltinFirstMatchingCmp(), BuiltinFloor(),