diff --git a/src/text.cpp b/src/text.cpp
index 3743f67ed..d354d21af 100644
--- a/src/text.cpp
+++ b/src/text.cpp
@@ -1024,6 +1024,22 @@ const std::string format (
   return output;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+const std::string format (
+  const std::string& fmt,
+  int arg1,
+  int arg2,
+  int arg3,
+  int arg4)
+{
+  std::string output = fmt;
+  replace_positional (output, "{1}", format (arg1));
+  replace_positional (output, "{2}", format (arg2));
+  replace_positional (output, "{3}", format (arg3));
+  replace_positional (output, "{4}", format (arg4));
+  return output;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 const std::string format (
   const std::string& fmt,
diff --git a/src/text.h b/src/text.h
index e2ed1fed4..a50777c5f 100644
--- a/src/text.h
+++ b/src/text.h
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ const std::string format (const std::string&, int, int, const std::string&);
 const std::string format (const std::string&, int, const std::string&);
 const std::string format (const std::string&, int, int);
 const std::string format (const std::string&, int, int, int);
+const std::string format (const std::string&, int, int, int, int);
 const std::string format (const std::string&, int, double);
 const std::string format (const std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&);