diff --git a/core/modules/filters.js b/core/modules/filters.js
index a5e02b543..06fa603b5 100644
--- a/core/modules/filters.js
+++ b/core/modules/filters.js
@@ -253,7 +253,8 @@ exports.compileFilter = function(filterString) {
 					if(operand.indirect) {
 						operand.value = self.getTextReference(operand.text,"",currTiddlerTitle);
 					} else if(operand.variable) {
-						operand.value = widget.getVariable(operand.text,{defaultValue: ""});
+						var varTree = $tw.utils.parseFilterVariable(operand.text);
+						operand.value = widget.getVariable(varTree.name,{params:varTree.params,defaultValue: ""});
 					} else {
 						operand.value = operand.text;
 					}
diff --git a/core/modules/parsers/parseutils.js b/core/modules/parsers/parseutils.js
index 8d83efd1b..0743229c2 100644
--- a/core/modules/parsers/parseutils.js
+++ b/core/modules/parsers/parseutils.js
@@ -123,6 +123,19 @@ exports.parseStringLiteral = function(source,pos) {
 	}
 };
 
+exports.parseMacroParameters = function(node,source,pos) {
+	// Process parameters
+	var parameter = $tw.utils.parseMacroParameter(source,pos);
+	while(parameter) {
+		node.params.push(parameter);
+		pos = parameter.end;
+		// Get the next parameter
+		parameter = $tw.utils.parseMacroParameter(source,pos);
+	}
+	node.end = pos;
+	return node;
+}
+
 /*
 Look for a macro invocation parameter. Returns null if not found, or {type: "macro-parameter", name:, value:, start:, end:}
 */
@@ -187,14 +200,8 @@ exports.parseMacroInvocation = function(source,pos) {
 	}
 	node.name = name.match[1];
 	pos = name.end;
-	// Process parameters
-	var parameter = $tw.utils.parseMacroParameter(source,pos);
-	while(parameter) {
-		node.params.push(parameter);
-		pos = parameter.end;
-		// Get the next parameter
-		parameter = $tw.utils.parseMacroParameter(source,pos);
-	}
+	node = $tw.utils.parseMacroParameters(node,source,pos);
+	pos = node.end;
 	// Skip whitespace
 	pos = $tw.utils.skipWhiteSpace(source,pos);
 	// Look for a double greater than sign
@@ -208,6 +215,29 @@ exports.parseMacroInvocation = function(source,pos) {
 	return node;
 };
 
+exports.parseFilterVariable = function(source) {
+	var node = {
+			name: "",
+			params: [],
+		},
+		pos = 0,
+		reName = /([^\s"']+)/g;
+	// If there is no whitespace or it is an empty string then there are no macro parameters
+	if(/^\S*$/.test(source)) {
+		node.name = source;
+		return node;
+	}
+	// Get the variable name
+	var nameMatch = $tw.utils.parseTokenRegExp(source,pos,reName);
+	if(nameMatch) {
+		node.name = nameMatch.match[1];
+		pos = nameMatch.end;
+		node = $tw.utils.parseMacroParameters(node,source,pos);
+		delete node.end;
+	}
+	return node;
+};
+
 /*
 Look for an HTML attribute definition. Returns null if not found, otherwise returns {type: "attribute", name:, valueType: "string|indirect|macro", value:, start:, end:,}
 */
diff --git a/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/test-filters.js b/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/test-filters.js
index 9b8c2bd44..34603177b 100644
--- a/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/test-filters.js
+++ b/editions/test/tiddlers/tests/test-filters.js
@@ -825,6 +825,42 @@ function runTests(wiki) {
 		expect(wiki.filterTiddlers("[charcode[]]").join(" ")).toBe("");
 	});
 
+	it("should parse filter variable parameters", function(){
+	  expect($tw.utils.parseFilterVariable("currentTiddler")).toEqual(
+		{ name: 'currentTiddler', params: [  ] }
+	  );
+	  expect($tw.utils.parseFilterVariable("now DDMM")).toEqual(
+		{ name: 'now', params: [{ type: 'macro-parameter', start: 3, value: 'DDMM', end: 8 }] }
+	  );
+	  expect($tw.utils.parseFilterVariable("now DDMM UTC")).toEqual(
+		{ name: 'now', params: [{ type: 'macro-parameter', start: 3, value: 'DDMM', end: 8 }, { type: 'macro-parameter', start: 8, value: 'UTC', end: 12 }] }
+	  );
+	  expect($tw.utils.parseFilterVariable("now format:DDMM")).toEqual(
+		{ name: 'now', params: [{ type: 'macro-parameter', name:'format', start: 3, value: 'DDMM', end: 15 }] }	  	
+	  );
+	  expect($tw.utils.parseFilterVariable("now format:'DDMM'")).toEqual(
+		{ name: 'now', params: [{ type: 'macro-parameter', name:'format', start: 3, value: 'DDMM', end: 17 }] }	  	
+	  );
+	  expect($tw.utils.parseFilterVariable("nowformat:'DDMM'")).toEqual(
+		{ name: 'nowformat:\'DDMM\'', params: [] }
+	  );
+	  expect($tw.utils.parseFilterVariable("nowformat:'DD MM'")).toEqual(
+		{ name: 'nowformat:', params: [{ type: 'macro-parameter', start: 10, value: 'DD MM', end: 17 }] }
+	  );
+	  expect($tw.utils.parseFilterVariable("now [UTC]YYYY0MM0DD0hh0mm0ssXXX")).toEqual(
+		{ name: 'now', params: [{ type: 'macro-parameter', start: 3, value: '[UTC]YYYY0MM0DD0hh0mm0ssXXX', end: 31 }] }
+	  );
+	  expect($tw.utils.parseFilterVariable("now '[UTC]YYYY0MM0DD0hh0mm0ssXXX'")).toEqual(
+		{ name: 'now', params: [{ type: 'macro-parameter', start: 3, value: '[UTC]YYYY0MM0DD0hh0mm0ssXXX', end: 33 }] }
+	  );
+	  expect($tw.utils.parseFilterVariable("now format:'[UTC]YYYY0MM0DD0hh0mm0ssXXX'")).toEqual(
+		{ name: 'now', params: [{ type: 'macro-parameter', start: 3, name:'format', value: '[UTC]YYYY0MM0DD0hh0mm0ssXXX', end: 40 }] }
+	  );
+	  expect($tw.utils.parseFilterVariable("")).toEqual(
+		{ name: '', params: [] }
+	  );
+	});
+
 }
 
 });