diff --git a/example.toml b/example.toml
index de3be7ae4..241dcf2cc 100644
--- a/example.toml
+++ b/example.toml
@@ -270,3 +270,7 @@ battery_low_percent_threshold = 0   # set to e.g. 15 to enable battery_under_thr
 
 # [widget.notifications]
 # hide_when_no_unread = true
+
+# [widget.clock]
+# format = "{:%H:%M}\n{:%d/%m}"
+# vertical_format = "{:%H\n%M}"
diff --git a/src/shell/bar/widgets/clock_widget.cpp b/src/shell/bar/widgets/clock_widget.cpp
index 677d720e3..a247ebf01 100644
--- a/src/shell/bar/widgets/clock_widget.cpp
+++ b/src/shell/bar/widgets/clock_widget.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,22 @@
 #include "ui/palette.h"
 #include "ui/style.h"
 
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <cmath>
+
+namespace {
+  constexpr float kStackedPrimaryScale = 0.72f;
+  constexpr float kStackedSecondaryScale = 0.58f;
+
+  std::pair<std::string_view, std::string_view> splitFirstLine(std::string_view text) {
+    const std::size_t newline = text.find('\n');
+    if (newline == std::string_view::npos) {
+      return {text, {}};
+    }
+    return {text.substr(0, newline), text.substr(newline + 1)};
+  }
+} // namespace
+
 ClockWidget::ClockWidget(wl_output* output, std::string format, std::string verticalFormat)
     : m_output(output), m_format(std::move(format)), m_verticalFormat(std::move(verticalFormat)) {}
 
@@ -60,36 +76,97 @@ void ClockWidget::create() {
   // a stable ink envelope instead of the current text's ink.
   m_label = label.get();
   area->addChild(std::move(label));
+
+  auto secondaryLabel = std::make_unique<Label>();
+  secondaryLabel->setBold(false);
+  secondaryLabel->setTextAlign(TextAlign::Center);
+  secondaryLabel->setFontSize(Style::fontSizeBody * m_contentScale * kStackedSecondaryScale);
+  secondaryLabel->setVisible(false);
+  m_secondaryLabel = secondaryLabel.get();
+  area->addChild(std::move(secondaryLabel));
+
   setRoot(std::move(area));
 }
 
 void ClockWidget::doLayout(Renderer& renderer, float containerWidth, float containerHeight) {
   auto* rootNode = root();
-  if (m_label == nullptr || rootNode == nullptr) {
+  if (m_label == nullptr || m_secondaryLabel == nullptr || rootNode == nullptr) {
     return;
   }
   m_isVertical = containerHeight > containerWidth;
   update(renderer);
-  m_label->setColor(widgetForegroundOr(colorSpecFromRole(ColorRole::OnSurface)));
-  // Horizontal clocks should use single-line metrics so capsule height matches sibling widgets.
+  const ColorSpec foreground = widgetForegroundOr(colorSpecFromRole(ColorRole::OnSurface));
+  m_label->setColor(foreground);
+  m_secondaryLabel->setColor(foreground);
+
+  const bool showSecondary = !m_isVertical && !m_lastSecondaryText.empty();
+  float primaryFontSize = Style::fontSizeBody * m_contentScale * (showSecondary ? kStackedPrimaryScale : 1.0f);
+  float secondaryFontSize = Style::fontSizeBody * m_contentScale * kStackedSecondaryScale;
+
+  // Horizontal clocks use single-line metrics unless the configured format
+  // explicitly contains line breaks.
+  m_label->setFontSize(primaryFontSize);
+  m_secondaryLabel->setFontSize(secondaryFontSize);
   m_label->setMaxLines(m_isVertical ? 0 : 1);
   m_label->setMinWidth(0.0f);
   m_label->setMaxWidth(m_isVertical ? containerWidth : 0.0f);
   m_label->measure(renderer);
-  m_label->setPosition(0.0f, 0.0f);
-  rootNode->setSize(m_label->width(), m_label->height());
+
+  m_secondaryLabel->setVisible(showSecondary);
+  m_secondaryLabel->setMaxLines(0);
+  m_secondaryLabel->setMinWidth(0.0f);
+  m_secondaryLabel->setMaxWidth(0.0f);
+  if (showSecondary) {
+    m_secondaryLabel->measure(renderer);
+  }
+
+  float width = showSecondary ? std::max(m_label->width(), m_secondaryLabel->width()) : m_label->width();
+  float height = showSecondary ? m_label->height() + m_secondaryLabel->height() : m_label->height();
+  if (!m_isVertical && showSecondary && containerHeight > 0.0f && height > containerHeight) {
+    const float fitScale = std::min(containerHeight / height, 1.0f);
+    primaryFontSize *= fitScale;
+    secondaryFontSize *= fitScale;
+    m_label->setFontSize(primaryFontSize);
+    m_secondaryLabel->setFontSize(secondaryFontSize);
+    m_label->measure(renderer);
+    m_secondaryLabel->measure(renderer);
+    width = std::max(m_label->width(), m_secondaryLabel->width());
+    height = m_label->height() + m_secondaryLabel->height();
+  }
+
+  m_label->setPosition(showSecondary ? std::round((width - m_label->width()) * 0.5f) : 0.0f, 0.0f);
+  if (showSecondary) {
+    m_secondaryLabel->setPosition(std::round((width - m_secondaryLabel->width()) * 0.5f), m_label->height());
+  }
+  rootNode->setSize(width, height);
 }
 
 void ClockWidget::doUpdate(Renderer& renderer) {
-  if (m_label == nullptr) {
+  if (m_label == nullptr || m_secondaryLabel == nullptr) {
     return;
   }
 
   auto text = formatTimeText();
-
   if (text != m_lastText) {
     m_lastText = std::move(text);
-    m_label->setText(m_lastText);
+  }
+
+  std::string primaryText = m_lastText;
+  std::string secondaryText;
+  if (!m_isVertical) {
+    const auto [primary, secondary] = splitFirstLine(m_lastText);
+    primaryText = std::string(primary);
+    secondaryText = std::string(secondary);
+  }
+
+  if (primaryText != m_lastPrimaryText) {
+    m_lastPrimaryText = std::move(primaryText);
+    m_label->setText(m_lastPrimaryText);
     m_label->measure(renderer);
   }
+  if (secondaryText != m_lastSecondaryText) {
+    m_lastSecondaryText = std::move(secondaryText);
+    m_secondaryLabel->setText(m_lastSecondaryText);
+    m_secondaryLabel->measure(renderer);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/shell/bar/widgets/clock_widget.h b/src/shell/bar/widgets/clock_widget.h
index 8ecc19df4..87d09503f 100644
--- a/src/shell/bar/widgets/clock_widget.h
+++ b/src/shell/bar/widgets/clock_widget.h
@@ -23,5 +23,8 @@ private:
   std::string m_verticalFormat;
   bool m_isVertical = false;
   Label* m_label = nullptr;
+  Label* m_secondaryLabel = nullptr;
   std::string m_lastText;
+  std::string m_lastPrimaryText;
+  std::string m_lastSecondaryText;
 };
diff --git a/src/time/time_format.cpp b/src/time/time_format.cpp
index 2d8f99261..69a6ab41c 100644
--- a/src/time/time_format.cpp
+++ b/src/time/time_format.cpp
@@ -51,9 +51,24 @@ namespace {
 
 namespace {
 
+  std::string normalizeFormatEscapes(std::string_view fmt) {
+    std::string out;
+    out.reserve(fmt.size());
+    for (std::size_t i = 0; i < fmt.size(); ++i) {
+      if (fmt[i] == '\\' && i + 1 < fmt.size() && fmt[i + 1] == 'n') {
+        out.push_back('\n');
+        ++i;
+      } else {
+        out.push_back(fmt[i]);
+      }
+    }
+    return out;
+  }
+
   bool shouldUseStrftimeCompat(std::string_view fmt) {
     return fmt.find("%-") != std::string_view::npos ||
-           (fmt.find('{') == std::string_view::npos && fmt.find('%') != std::string_view::npos);
+           (fmt.find('%') != std::string_view::npos &&
+            (fmt.find('{') == std::string_view::npos || fmt.find("{:") != std::string_view::npos));
   }
 
   std::string strftimeSpec(std::string_view spec, const std::tm& local) {
@@ -129,19 +144,20 @@ namespace {
 
 std::string formatLocalTime(const char* fmt) {
   using namespace std::chrono;
+  const std::string normalizedFmt = normalizeFormatEscapes(fmt);
   const auto now = floor<seconds>(system_clock::now());
   const std::time_t raw = system_clock::to_time_t(now);
   std::tm localTm{};
   localtime_r(&raw, &localTm);
-  if (auto compat = formatStrftimeCompat(fmt, localTm)) {
+  if (auto compat = formatStrftimeCompat(normalizedFmt, localTm)) {
     return *compat;
   }
 
   const auto local = current_zone()->to_local(now);
   try {
-    return std::vformat(std::locale(""), fmt, std::make_format_args(local));
+    return std::vformat(std::locale(""), normalizedFmt, std::make_format_args(local));
   } catch (...) {
-    return fmt;
+    return normalizedFmt;
   }
 }