diff --git a/src/dosubst.c b/src/dosubst.c
index 36f07510..b0d271a1 100644
--- a/src/dosubst.c
+++ b/src/dosubst.c
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ check_subst_args(UserFunc *f, int n)
 int DoSubst(ParsePtr p, DynamicBuffer *dbuf, Trigger *t, TimeTrig const *tt, int dse, int mode)
 {
     int diff = dse - DSEToday;
+    int rdiff = dse - RealToday;
+    int bangdiff = diff;
     int curtime = MinutesPastMidnight(0);
     int err, done;
     int c;
@@ -682,8 +684,19 @@ int DoSubst(ParsePtr p, DynamicBuffer *dbuf, Trigger *t, TimeTrig const *tt, int
                 break;
 
             case '!':
-                snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "%s", (tdiff >= 0 ? tr("is") :
-                                                           tr("was")));
+                if (altmode) {
+                    bangdiff = rdiff;
+                } else {
+                    bangdiff = diff;
+                }
+                if (bangdiff > 0) {
+                    snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "%s", tr("is"));
+                } else if (bangdiff < 0) {
+                    snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "%s", tr("was"));
+                } else {
+                    snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "%s", (tdiff >= 0 ? tr("is") :
+                                                  tr("was")));
+                }
                 SHIP_OUT(s);
                 break;
 
diff --git a/tests/tstlang.rem b/tests/tstlang.rem
index 897a4567..75afce1c 100644
--- a/tests/tstlang.rem
+++ b/tests/tstlang.rem
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ endif
 
 REM MSG Language: %(LANGID)
 # Set up a few useful definitions
-fset show(x) "%%" + x + " yields: " + char(34) + "%" + x + char(34) + "% and %%*" + x + " yields: " + char(34) + "%*" + x + char(34) + "%"
+fset show(x) iif(x == "!", "%%" + x + " yields: " + char(34) + "%" + x + char(34), "%%" + x + " yields: " + char(34) + "%" + x + char(34) + "% and %%*" + x + " yields: " + char(34) + "%*" + x + char(34) + "%")
 set a trigger(today()+2) + " ++2"
 set l language()
 set tt now()+134