diff --git a/src/text.cpp b/src/text.cpp
index d354d21af..f229f056e 100644
--- a/src/text.cpp
+++ b/src/text.cpp
@@ -998,6 +998,20 @@ const std::string format (
   return output;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+const std::string format (
+  const std::string& fmt,
+  int arg1,
+  const std::string& arg2,
+  const std::string& arg3)
+{
+  std::string output = fmt;
+  replace_positional (output, "{1}", format (arg1));
+  replace_positional (output, "{2}", arg2);
+  replace_positional (output, "{3}", arg3);
+  return output;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 const std::string format (
   const std::string& fmt,
diff --git a/src/text.h b/src/text.h
index a50777c5f..f3cb8e2f2 100644
--- a/src/text.h
+++ b/src/text.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ const std::string format (const std::string&, const std::string&, int);
 const std::string format (const std::string&, const std::string&, double);
 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, const std::string&, 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);