diff --git a/bin/date/date.c b/bin/date/date.c
--- a/bin/date/date.c
+++ b/bin/date/date.c
@@ -372,13 +372,14 @@
 strftime_ns(char * __restrict s, size_t maxsize, const char * __restrict format,
     const struct tm * __restrict t, long nsec)
 {
-	size_t prefixlen;
 	size_t ret;
 	char *newformat;
 	char *oldformat;
 	const char *prefix;
 	const char *suffix;
 	const char *tok;
+	long number;
+	int i, len, prefixlen, width, zeroes;
 	bool seen_percent;
 
 	seen_percent = false;
@@ -392,36 +393,53 @@
 			 * If the previous token was a percent sign,
 			 * then there are two percent tokens in a row.
 			 */
-			if (seen_percent)
-				seen_percent = false;
-			else
-				seen_percent = true;
+			seen_percent = !seen_percent;
+			prefixlen = tok - newformat;
+			width = 0;
 			break;
 		case 'N':
-			if (seen_percent) {
-				oldformat = newformat;
-				prefix = oldformat;
-				prefixlen = tok - oldformat - 1;
-				suffix = tok + 1;
-				/*
-				 * Construct a new format string from the
-				 * prefix (i.e., the part of the old format
-				 * from its beginning to the currently handled
-				 * "%N" conversion specification), the
-				 * nanoseconds, and the suffix (i.e., the part
-				 * of the old format from the next token to the
-				 * end).
-				 */
-				if (asprintf(&newformat, "%.*s%.9ld%s",
-				    (int)prefixlen, prefix, nsec,
-				    suffix) < 0) {
-					err(1, "asprintf");
-				}
-				free(oldformat);
-				tok = newformat + prefixlen + 9;
+			if (!seen_percent)
+				break;
+			oldformat = newformat;
+			prefix = oldformat;
+			suffix = tok + 1;
+			/*
+			 * Prepare the number we are about to print.  If
+			 * the requested width is less than 9, we need to
+			 * cut off the least significant digits.  If it is
+			 * more than 9, we will have to append zeroes.
+			 */
+			number = nsec;
+			zeroes = 0;
+			if (width == 0) {
+				width = 9;
+			} else if (width > 9) {
+				zeroes = width - 9;
+				width = 9;
+			} else {
+				for (i = 0; i < 9 - width; i++)
+					number /= 10;
 			}
+			/*
+			 * Construct a new format string from the prefix
+			 * (i.e., the part of the old format from its
+			 * beginning to the currently handled "%N"
+			 * conversion specification), the nanoseconds, and
+			 * the suffix (i.e., the part of the old format
+			 * from the next token to the end).
+			 */
+			asprintf(&newformat, "%.*s%.*ld%.*d%n%s", prefixlen,
+			    prefix, width, number, zeroes, 0, &len, suffix);
+			if (newformat == NULL)
+				err(1, "asprintf");
+			free(oldformat);
+			tok = newformat + len - 1;
 			seen_percent = false;
 			break;
+		case '0': case '1': case '2': case '3': case '4':
+		case '5': case '6': case '7': case '8': case '9':
+			width = width * 10 + *tok - '0';
+			break;
 		default:
 			seen_percent = false;
 			break;
diff --git a/bin/date/tests/format_string_test.sh b/bin/date/tests/format_string_test.sh
--- a/bin/date/tests/format_string_test.sh
+++ b/bin/date/tests/format_string_test.sh
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@
 	format_string_test M M 04 20
 	format_string_test m m 02 11
 	format_string_test N N 000000000 000000000
+	format_string_test 3N 3N 000 000
+	format_string_test 12N 12N 000000000000 000000000000
 	format_string_test p p AM PM
 	format_string_test R R 07:04 21:20
 	format_string_test r r "07:04:03 AM" "09:20:00 PM"