diff --git a/src/pro/label_date.pro b/src/pro/label_date.pro
index d73c3b1f5..899776d04 100644
--- a/src/pro/label_date.pro
+++ b/src/pro/label_date.pro
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FUNCTION LABEL_DATE, axis, index, x, level, DATE_FORMAT = format, MONTHS = months
+FUNCTION LABEL_DATE, axis, index, x, level, DATE_FORMAT = date_format, MONTHS = months, AM_PM=ampm,  DAYS_OF_WEEK=dow, OFFSET=offset, ROUND_UP=rndup
 ;+
 ; NAME:
 ;	LABEL_DATE
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ FUNCTION LABEL_DATE, axis, index, x, level, DATE_FORMAT = format, MONTHS = month
 ;	None.
 ; RESTRICTIONS:
 ;	Only one date axis may be simultaneously active.
+;       ROUND_UP, OFFSET currently not implemented.
 ; PROCEDURE:
 ;	Straightforward.
 ; EXAMPLE:
@@ -53,39 +54,72 @@ FUNCTION LABEL_DATE, axis, index, x, level, DATE_FORMAT = format, MONTHS = month
 ;	
 ; MODIFICATION HISTORY:
 ;	DMS, RSI.	April, 1993.	Written.
-;       GD              March 2021 added level
+;       GD              March 2021 added level & many options.
 ;-
  
-COMMON label_date_com, fmt, month_chr
- 
-if keyword_set(format) then begin	;Save format string?
-   if keyword_set(months) then month_chr = months else month_chr = ['Jan','Feb','Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec']
-   fmt = format
+COMMON label_date_com, fmt, month_chr, dow_chr, ampm_chr, defmonth, defdow, defampm
+COMPILE_OPT idl2, hidden
+ON_ERROR, 2
+; NOTE: it will be more efficient to rewrite internally 'fmt' as a string
+; with Time Format Codes (CMOI etc) and use this format code for all
+; values of X. (This is what IDL does.)
+if n_elements(date_format) gt 0 then begin ;Save format string?
+   fmt = date_format
+
+   if n_elements(months) gt 0 then month_chr = months else month_chr=0
+   defmonth = ['Jan','Feb','Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec']
+   if n_elements(dow) gt 0 then dow_chr=dow else dow_chr=0
+   defdow = ['Mon','Tue','Wed','Thu','Fri','Sat','Sun']
+   if n_elements(ampm) gt 0 then ampm_chr=ampm else ampm=0
+   defampm = ['am','pm']
+
    return, 0
 endif
 
 IF (n_elements(level) lt 1) then level = 0
 
-if n_elements(month_chr) ne 12 or n_elements(fmt) le 0 then $
-   message,' Not initialized.'
-
-caldat, long(x), month, day, year ;Get the calendar date from julian
-n = strlen(fmt[level])
+;Get the calendar date from julian
+; GDL_DOW and ICAP options are undocumented (!) GDL expensions 
+caldat, long(x), month, day, year, hour , minute , second, gdl_dow=dow, gdl_icap=icap
+level_index=level mod n_elements(fmt)
+curr_fmt=fmt[level_index]
+n = strlen(curr_fmt)
+if n eq 0 then begin
+   curr_fmt='%W %M %D %H:%I:%S %Y'
+   n = strlen(curr_fmt)
+endif
 out = ''
 
 for i=0, n-1 do begin           ;Each format character...
-   c = strmid(fmt[level], i, 1)        ;The character.
+   c = strmid(curr_fmt, i, 1)        ;The character.
    if c eq '%' then begin
       i = i + 1
-      c = strmid(fmt[level], i, 1)     ;The function
-      case c of                 ;format character?
-         'M' : out = out + month_chr(month-1)
-         'N' : out = out + string(format='(i2.2)', month)
-         'D' : out = out + string(format='(i2.2)', day)
-         'Y' : out = out + string(format='(i4)', year)
-         'Z' : out = out + string(format='(i2.2)', year  mod 100)
+      c = strmid(curr_fmt, i, 1)     ;The function
+      case c of                        ;format character?
+         'M' : if n_elements(month_chr) eq 12 then out+=month_chr(month-1) else out+=defmonth(month-1) 
+         'N' : out += string(format='(i2.2)', month)
+         'D' : out += string(format='(i2.2)', day)
+         'Y' : out += string(format='(i5)', year)
+         'Z' : out += string(format='(i3.3)', year  mod 100)
+         'H' : out = out + string(format='(i2.2)', hour)
+         'I' : out = out + string(format='(i2.2)', minute)
+         'S' : begin
+            if strmid(curr_fmt,i+1,1) eq '%' then begin
+               ndigits= strmid(curr_fmt,i+2,1)
+               test = strpos('O123456789', ndigits)
+               if test ge 0 then begin
+                  i+=2
+                  subformat='(f'+strtrim(3+test,2)+'.'+strtrim(test,2)+')'
+                  out = out + string(format=subformat, second)
+               endif
+            endif else  out = out + string(format='(i2.2)', fix(second))
+          end
+         
+         
+         'W' : if n_elements(dow_chr) eq 7 then out+=dow_chr(dow-1) else out+=defdow(dow-1) 
+         'A' : if n_elements(ampm_chr) eq 2 then out+=ampm_chr(icap) else out+=defampm(icap)
          '%' : out = out + '%'
-         else : message, 'Illegal character in date format string: '+fmt[level]
+         else : out = out + ""
       endcase
    endif else out = out + c
 endfor