diff --git a/frappe/utils/__init__.py b/frappe/utils/__init__.py
index ca4b579de9..a9fc012400 100644
--- a/frappe/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/frappe/utils/__init__.py
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ def get_datetime_str(datetime_obj):
 
 	return datetime_obj.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%f')
 
-def formatdate(string_date=None):
+def formatdate(string_date=None, format_string=None):
 	"""
 	 	Convers the given string date to :data:`user_format`
 		User format specified in defaults
@@ -242,28 +242,25 @@ def formatdate(string_date=None):
 		 * mm-dd-yyyy
 		 * dd/mm/yyyy
 	"""
-	if string_date:
-		string_date = getdate(string_date)
-	else:
-		string_date = now_datetime().date()
+	date = getdate(string_date) if string_date else now_datetime().date()
 
-	if getattr(frappe.local, "user_format", None) is None:
-		frappe.local.user_format = frappe.db.get_default("date_format")
+	if format_string:
+		return babel.dates.format_date(date, format_string or "medium", locale=(frappe.local.lang or "").replace("-", "_"))
+	else:
+		if getattr(frappe.local, "user_format", None) is None:
+			frappe.local.user_format = frappe.db.get_default("date_format")
 
-	out = frappe.local.user_format
+		out = frappe.local.user_format
 
-	return out.replace("dd", string_date.strftime("%d"))\
-		.replace("mm", string_date.strftime("%m"))\
-		.replace("yyyy", string_date.strftime("%Y"))
+		return out.replace("dd", date.strftime("%d"))\
+			.replace("mm", date.strftime("%m"))\
+			.replace("yyyy", date.strftime("%Y"))
 
 def global_date_format(date):
 	"""returns date as 1 January 2012"""
 	formatted_date = getdate(date).strftime("%d %B %Y")
 	return formatted_date.startswith("0") and formatted_date[1:] or formatted_date
 
-def localize_date(date, format_string=None, locale=None):
-	return babel.dates.format_date(date, format_string or "medium", locale=locale or (frappe.local.lang or "").replace("-", "_"))
-
 def dict_to_str(args, sep='&'):
 	"""
 	Converts a dictionary to URL