diff --git a/IPython/utils/tests/test_text.py b/IPython/utils/tests/test_text.py
index 0fa23cb..c4c0629 100644
--- a/IPython/utils/tests/test_text.py
+++ b/IPython/utils/tests/test_text.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 import os
+import math
 
 import nose.tools as nt
 
@@ -42,3 +43,45 @@ def test_columnize_long():
     items = [l*size for l in 'abc']
     out = text.columnize(items, displaywidth=size-1)
     nt.assert_equals(out, '\n'.join(items+['']))
+
+def test_eval_formatter():
+    f = text.EvalFormatter()
+    ns = dict(n=12, pi=math.pi, stuff='hello there', os=os)
+    s = f.format("{n} {n/4} {stuff.split()[0]}", **ns)
+    nt.assert_equals(s, "12 3 hello")
+    s = f.format(' '.join(['{n//%i}'%i for i in range(1,8)]), **ns)
+    nt.assert_equals(s, "12 6 4 3 2 2 1")
+    s = f.format('{[n//i for i in range(1,8)]}', **ns)
+    nt.assert_equals(s, "[12, 6, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1]")
+    s = f.format("{stuff!s}", **ns)
+    nt.assert_equals(s, ns['stuff'])
+    s = f.format("{stuff!r}", **ns)
+    nt.assert_equals(s, repr(ns['stuff']))
+    
+    nt.assert_raises(NameError, f.format, '{dne}', **ns)
+
+
+def test_eval_formatter_slicing():
+    f = text.EvalFormatter()
+    f.allow_slicing = True
+    ns = dict(n=12, pi=math.pi, stuff='hello there', os=os)
+    s = f.format(" {stuff.split()[:]} ", **ns)
+    nt.assert_equals(s, " ['hello', 'there'] ")
+    s = f.format(" {stuff.split()[::-1]} ", **ns)
+    nt.assert_equals(s, " ['there', 'hello'] ")
+    s = f.format("{stuff[::2]}", **ns)
+    nt.assert_equals(s, ns['stuff'][::2])
+    
+    nt.assert_raises(SyntaxError, f.format, "{n:x}", **ns)
+    
+
+def test_eval_formatter_no_slicing():
+    f = text.EvalFormatter()
+    f.allow_slicing = False
+    ns = dict(n=12, pi=math.pi, stuff='hello there', os=os)
+    
+    s = f.format('{n:x} {pi**2:+f}', **ns)
+    nt.assert_equals(s, "c +9.869604")
+    
+    nt.assert_raises(SyntaxError, f.format, "{a[:]}")
+
diff --git a/IPython/utils/text.py b/IPython/utils/text.py
index a23905f..9b2070f 100644
--- a/IPython/utils/text.py
+++ b/IPython/utils/text.py
@@ -597,18 +597,47 @@ class EvalFormatter(Formatter):
     Out[4]: '6'
     """
     
-    def get_value(self, key, args, kwargs):
-        if isinstance(key, (int, long)):
-            return args[key]
-        elif key in kwargs:
-            return kwargs[key]
-        else:
-            # evaluate the expression using kwargs as namespace
-            try:
-                return eval(key, kwargs)
-            except Exception:
-                # classify all bad expressions as key errors
-                raise KeyError(key)
+    # should we allow slicing by disabling the format_spec feature?
+    allow_slicing = True
+    
+    # copied from Formatter._vformat with minor changes to allow eval
+    # and replace the format_spec code with slicing
+    def _vformat(self, format_string, args, kwargs, used_args, recursion_depth):
+        if recursion_depth < 0:
+            raise ValueError('Max string recursion exceeded')
+        result = []
+        for literal_text, field_name, format_spec, conversion in \
+                self.parse(format_string):
+
+            # output the literal text
+            if literal_text:
+                result.append(literal_text)
+
+            # if there's a field, output it
+            if field_name is not None:
+                # this is some markup, find the object and do
+                #  the formatting
+
+                if self.allow_slicing and format_spec:
+                    # override format spec, to allow slicing:
+                    field_name = ':'.join([field_name, format_spec])
+                    format_spec = ''
+
+                # eval the contents of the field for the object
+                # to be formatted
+                obj = eval(field_name, kwargs)
+
+                # do any conversion on the resulting object
+                obj = self.convert_field(obj, conversion)
+
+                # expand the format spec, if needed
+                format_spec = self._vformat(format_spec, args, kwargs,
+                                            used_args, recursion_depth-1)
+
+                # format the object and append to the result
+                result.append(self.format_field(obj, format_spec))
+
+        return ''.join(result)
 
 
 def columnize(items, separator='  ', displaywidth=80):