diff --git a/bin/cylc-suite-state b/bin/cylc-suite-state
index 445871cc1c3..dec2032e5b6 100755
--- a/bin/cylc-suite-state
+++ b/bin/cylc-suite-state
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ from cylc.dbstatecheck import (
 from cylc.cfgspec.globalcfg import GLOBAL_CFG
 from cylc.command_polling import Poller
 from cylc.task_state import TASK_STATUSES_ORDERED
+from cylc.cycling.loader import get_point
 
 from isodatetime.parsers import TimePointParser, DurationParser
 
@@ -105,7 +106,16 @@ class SuitePoller(Poller):
                 sleep(self.interval)
         if cylc.flags.verbose:
             sys.stdout.write('\n')
-        return connected
+
+        if connected and self.args['cycle']:
+            fmt = self.args['template']
+            if not fmt:
+                fmt = self.checker.get_remote_point_format()
+            if fmt:
+                my_parser = TimePointParser()
+                my_point = my_parser.parse(self.args['cycle'], dump_format=fmt)
+                self.args['cycle'] = str(my_point)
+        return connected, self.args['cycle']
 
     def check(self):
         # return True if desired suite state achieved, else False
@@ -211,7 +221,7 @@ def main():
             except ValueError:
                 sys.exit("ERROR: Cannot parse offset: %s" % options.offset)
             if oper == "-":
-                my_target_point -= my_shift
+                my_target_point -= my_shiftcycle_point_format
             else:
                 my_target_point += my_shift
         else:
@@ -233,14 +243,8 @@ def main():
         sys.exit("ERROR: invalid status '" + options.status + "'")
 
     # Reformat cycle point for querying targeted suite
-    if options.template:
-        if options.cycle:
-            my_parser = TimePointParser()
-            my_target_point = my_parser.parse(options.cycle,
-                                              dump_format=options.template)
-            options.cycle = str(my_target_point)
-        else:
-            sys.exit("ERROR: No cycle point to reformat using template")
+    if options.template and not options.cycle:
+        sys.exit("ERROR: No cycle point to reformat using template")
 
     # this only runs locally (use of --host or --user results in remote
     # re-invocation).
@@ -253,7 +257,8 @@ def main():
                 'task': options.task,
                 'cycle': options.cycle,
                 'status': options.status,
-                'message': options.msg
+                'message': options.msg,
+                'template': options.template
                 }
 
     spoller = SuitePoller("requested state",
@@ -261,7 +266,9 @@ def main():
                           options.max_polls,
                           args=pollargs)
 
-    if not spoller.connect():
+    connected, formatted_pt = spoller.connect()
+
+    if not connected:
         sys.exit("ERROR: cannot connect to the suite DB")
 
     if options.status and options.task and options.cycle:
@@ -279,7 +286,7 @@ def main():
         spoller.checker.display_maps(
             spoller.checker.suite_state_query(
                 task=options.task,
-                cycle=options.cycle,
+                cycle=formatted_pt,
                 status=options.status))
 
 
diff --git a/lib/cylc/dbstatecheck.py b/lib/cylc/dbstatecheck.py
index 922416fcfcd..5112b5b6031 100644
--- a/lib/cylc/dbstatecheck.py
+++ b/lib/cylc/dbstatecheck.py
@@ -76,6 +76,16 @@ def display_maps(self, res):
             for row in res:
                 sys.stdout.write((", ").join(row).encode("utf-8") + "\n")
 
+    def get_remote_point_format(self):
+        """Query a remote suite database for a 'cycle point format' entry"""
+        q = "select value from suite_params where key==?"
+        vals = ['cycle_point_format']
+        self.c.execute(q, vals)
+        res = self.c.fetchone()
+        if res:
+            return res[0]
+        return None
+
     def state_lookup(self, state):
         """allows for multiple states to be searched via a status alias"""
         if state in self.STATE_ALIASES:
diff --git a/lib/cylc/scheduler.py b/lib/cylc/scheduler.py
index 309bc821213..01fc8373943 100644
--- a/lib/cylc/scheduler.py
+++ b/lib/cylc/scheduler.py
@@ -415,7 +415,10 @@ def configure(self):
             self.load_tasks_for_run()
         self.profiler.log_memory("scheduler.py: after load_tasks")
 
-        self.pool.put_rundb_suite_params(self.initial_point, self.final_point)
+        self.pool.put_rundb_suite_params(
+            self.initial_point,
+            self.final_point,
+            self.config.cfg['cylc']['cycle point format'])
         self.pool.put_rundb_suite_template_vars(self.template_vars)
         self.configure_suite_environment()
 
@@ -943,7 +946,10 @@ def command_reload_suite(self):
         self.configure_suite_environment()
         if self.gen_reference_log or self.reference_test_mode:
             self.configure_reftest(recon=True)
-        self.pool.put_rundb_suite_params(self.initial_point, self.final_point)
+        self.pool.put_rundb_suite_params(
+            self.initial_point,
+            self.final_point,
+            self.config.cfg['cylc']['cycle point format'])
         self.do_update_state_summary = True
 
     def command_set_runahead(self, interval=None):
diff --git a/lib/cylc/task_pool.py b/lib/cylc/task_pool.py
index d6676be5b99..a24b05a90d0 100644
--- a/lib/cylc/task_pool.py
+++ b/lib/cylc/task_pool.py
@@ -1420,7 +1420,7 @@ def match_ext_triggers(self):
             if itask.state.external_triggers:
                 ets.retrieve(itask)
 
-    def put_rundb_suite_params(self, initial_point, final_point):
+    def put_rundb_suite_params(self, initial_point, final_point, format=None):
         """Put run mode, initial/final cycle point in runtime database.
 
         This method queues the relevant insert statements.
@@ -1430,6 +1430,10 @@ def put_rundb_suite_params(self, initial_point, final_point):
             {"key": "initial_point", "value": str(initial_point)},
             {"key": "final_point", "value": str(final_point)},
         ])
+        if format:
+            self.db_inserts_map[self.TABLE_SUITE_PARAMS].extend([
+                {"key": "cycle_point_format", "value": str(format)}
+            ])
         if self.is_held:
             self.db_inserts_map[self.TABLE_SUITE_PARAMS].append(
                 {"key": "is_held", "value": 1})
diff --git a/tests/suite-state/06-format.t b/tests/suite-state/06-format.t
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..3e8b7fa71b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/suite-state/06-format.t
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# THIS FILE IS PART OF THE CYLC SUITE ENGINE.
+# Copyright (C) 2008-2017 NIWA
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Test cylc suite-state "template" option
+. $(dirname $0)/test_header
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+set_test_number 5
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+install_suite $TEST_NAME_BASE format
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+TEST_NAME=$TEST_NAME_BASE-run
+suite_run_ok $TEST_NAME cylc run --debug $SUITE_NAME
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+TEST_NAME=$TEST_NAME_BASE-cli-template-poll
+run_ok $TEST_NAME cylc suite-state $SUITE_NAME -p 20100101T0000Z \
+        --task=foo --status=succeeded
+contains_ok $TEST_NAME.stdout <<__OUT__
+polling for 'succeeded': satisfied
+__OUT__
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+TEST_NAME=$TEST_NAME_BASE-cli-template-dump
+run_ok $TEST_NAME cylc suite-state $SUITE_NAME -p 20100101T0000Z
+contains_ok $TEST_NAME.stdout <<__OUT__
+foo, 2010-01-01, succeeded
+__OUT__
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+purge_suite $SUITE_NAME
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+exit 0
diff --git a/tests/suite-state/format/suite.rc b/tests/suite-state/format/suite.rc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ec3e4270a4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/suite-state/format/suite.rc
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+[cylc]
+    UTC mode = True
+    cycle point format = CCYY-MM-DD
+    [[reference test]]
+        live mode suite timeout = PT1M
+
+[scheduling]
+    initial cycle point = 20100101
+
+[[dependencies]]
+    [[[R1]]]
+        graph = foo
+
+[runtime]
+    [[foo]]
+        script = true