diff --git a/example/example.cpp b/example/example.cpp
index 7411fbd3..14e751d8 100644
--- a/example/example.cpp
+++ b/example/example.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ void multi_sink_example();
 void user_defined_example();
 void err_handler_example();
 void syslog_example();
+void custom_flags_example();
 
 #include "spdlog/spdlog.h"
 #include "spdlog/cfg/env.h" // for loading levels from the environment variable
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ int main(int, char *[])
         user_defined_example();
         err_handler_example();
         trace_example();
+        custom_flags_example();
 
         // Flush all *registered* loggers using a worker thread every 3 seconds.
         // note: registered loggers *must* be thread safe for this to work correctly!
@@ -250,5 +252,34 @@ void android_example()
     auto android_logger = spdlog::android_logger_mt("android", tag);
     android_logger->critical("Use \"adb shell logcat\" to view this message.");
 }
-
 #endif
+
+
+// log patterns can now contain custom flags!
+// add custom flag '%*' which will be cound to a <my_formatter_flag> instance
+
+#include "spdlog/pattern_formatter.h"
+class my_formatter_flag : public spdlog::custom_flag_formatter
+{
+public:
+    void format(const spdlog::details::log_msg &, const std::tm &, spdlog::memory_buf_t &dest) override
+    {
+        std::string some_txt = "custom-flag";
+        dest.append(some_txt.data(), some_txt.data() + some_txt.size());
+    }
+
+    std::unique_ptr<custom_flag_formatter> clone() const override
+    {
+        return spdlog::details::make_unique<my_formatter_flag>();
+    }
+};
+
+
+void custom_flags_example()
+{    
+    
+    using spdlog::details::make_unique; //for pre c++14   
+    auto formatter = make_unique<spdlog::pattern_formatter>("[%+] [%*]");
+    formatter->add_flag<my_formatter_flag>('*').recompile();    
+    spdlog::set_formatter(std::move(formatter));    
+}
diff --git a/include/spdlog/details/registry-inl.h b/include/spdlog/details/registry-inl.h
index ff6e9773..b42383b7 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/details/registry-inl.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/details/registry-inl.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include <spdlog/common.h>
 #include <spdlog/details/periodic_worker.h>
 #include <spdlog/logger.h>
-#include <spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h>
+#include <spdlog/pattern_formatter.h>
 
 #ifndef SPDLOG_DISABLE_DEFAULT_LOGGER
 // support for the default stdout color logger
diff --git a/include/spdlog/logger-inl.h b/include/spdlog/logger-inl.h
index d9d58c29..69d6a1de 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/logger-inl.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/logger-inl.h
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 #include <spdlog/sinks/sink.h>
 #include <spdlog/details/backtracer.h>
-#include <spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h>
+#include <spdlog/pattern_formatter.h>
 
 #include <cstdio>
 
diff --git a/include/spdlog/details/pattern_formatter-inl.h b/include/spdlog/pattern_formatter-inl.h
similarity index 99%
rename from include/spdlog/details/pattern_formatter-inl.h
rename to include/spdlog/pattern_formatter-inl.h
index f4efcc23..6c3e0b79 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/details/pattern_formatter-inl.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/pattern_formatter-inl.h
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #ifndef SPDLOG_HEADER_ONLY
-#include <spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h>
+#include <spdlog/pattern_formatter.h>
 #endif
 
 #include <spdlog/details/fmt_helper.h>
diff --git a/include/spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h b/include/spdlog/pattern_formatter.h
similarity index 96%
rename from include/spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h
rename to include/spdlog/pattern_formatter.h
index 574523c5..33987e4e 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/pattern_formatter.h
@@ -87,10 +87,10 @@ public:
     void format(const details::log_msg &msg, memory_buf_t &dest) override;
 
     template<typename T, typename... Args>
-    pattern_formatter &add_flag_handler(char flag, const Args &... args)
+    pattern_formatter &add_flag(char flag, const Args &... args)
     {
         custom_handlers_[flag] = details::make_unique<T>(args...);
-        return *this;        
+        return *this;
     }
     void recompile();
 
diff --git a/include/spdlog/sinks/base_sink-inl.h b/include/spdlog/sinks/base_sink-inl.h
index 2883c058..b15fb0e6 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/sinks/base_sink-inl.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/sinks/base_sink-inl.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <spdlog/common.h>
-#include <spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h>
+#include <spdlog/pattern_formatter.h>
 
 #include <memory>
 
diff --git a/include/spdlog/sinks/dist_sink.h b/include/spdlog/sinks/dist_sink.h
index ae98fee4..8fccb4ee 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/sinks/dist_sink.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/sinks/dist_sink.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #include "base_sink.h"
 #include <spdlog/details/log_msg.h>
 #include <spdlog/details/null_mutex.h>
-#include <spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h>
+#include <spdlog/pattern_formatter.h>
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <memory>
diff --git a/include/spdlog/sinks/stdout_sinks-inl.h b/include/spdlog/sinks/stdout_sinks-inl.h
index adbcb632..20f2114f 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/sinks/stdout_sinks-inl.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/sinks/stdout_sinks-inl.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <spdlog/details/console_globals.h>
-#include <spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h>
+#include <spdlog/pattern_formatter.h>
 #include <memory>
 
 namespace spdlog {
diff --git a/include/spdlog/sinks/wincolor_sink-inl.h b/include/spdlog/sinks/wincolor_sink-inl.h
index 9001c14e..04b74942 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/sinks/wincolor_sink-inl.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/sinks/wincolor_sink-inl.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <spdlog/common.h>
-#include <spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h>
+#include <spdlog/pattern_formatter.h>
 
 namespace spdlog {
 namespace sinks {
diff --git a/include/spdlog/spdlog-inl.h b/include/spdlog/spdlog-inl.h
index 43aa49ef..02e818a4 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/spdlog-inl.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/spdlog-inl.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <spdlog/common.h>
-#include <spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h>
+#include <spdlog/pattern_formatter.h>
 
 namespace spdlog {
 
diff --git a/src/spdlog.cpp b/src/spdlog.cpp
index 38047398..c0904e6c 100644
--- a/src/spdlog.cpp
+++ b/src/spdlog.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include <spdlog/details/backtracer-inl.h>
 #include <spdlog/details/registry-inl.h>
 #include <spdlog/details/os-inl.h>
-#include <spdlog/details/pattern_formatter-inl.h>
+#include <spdlog/pattern_formatter-inl.h>
 #include <spdlog/details/log_msg-inl.h>
 #include <spdlog/details/log_msg_buffer-inl.h>
 #include <spdlog/logger-inl.h>
diff --git a/tests/includes.h b/tests/includes.h
index 98734b18..7285873a 100644
--- a/tests/includes.h
+++ b/tests/includes.h
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@
 #include "spdlog/sinks/ostream_sink.h"
 #include "spdlog/sinks/rotating_file_sink.h"
 #include "spdlog/sinks/stdout_color_sinks.h"
-#include "spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h"
\ No newline at end of file
+#include "spdlog/pattern_formatter.h"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/test_pattern_formatter.cpp b/tests/test_pattern_formatter.cpp
index 04247bc5..7315a1fb 100644
--- a/tests/test_pattern_formatter.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_pattern_formatter.cpp
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ public:
 TEST_CASE("clone-custom_formatter", "[pattern_formatter]")
 {
     auto formatter_1 = std::make_shared<spdlog::pattern_formatter>("[%n] [%t] %v", spdlog::pattern_time_type::utc, "");
-    formatter_1->add_flag_handler<custom_test_flag>('t', "custom_output").recompile();    
+    formatter_1->add_flag<custom_test_flag>('t', "custom_output").recompile();    
     auto formatter_2 = formatter_1->clone();
     std::string logger_name = "logger-name";
     spdlog::details::log_msg msg(logger_name, spdlog::level::info, "some message");
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ TEST_CASE("full filename formatter", "[pattern_formatter]")
 TEST_CASE("custom flags", "[pattern_formatter]")
 {
     auto formatter = std::make_shared<spdlog::pattern_formatter>("[%n] [%t] [%u] %v", spdlog::pattern_time_type::utc, "");
-    formatter->add_flag_handler<custom_test_flag>('t', "custom1").add_flag_handler<custom_test_flag>('u', "custom2").recompile();
+    formatter->add_flag<custom_test_flag>('t', "custom1").add_flag<custom_test_flag>('u', "custom2").recompile();
         
     memory_buf_t formatted;