diff --git a/.config/kak/autoload/util.kak b/.config/kak/autoload/util.kak
index db9a30c7..30daf9e2 100644
--- a/.config/kak/autoload/util.kak
+++ b/.config/kak/autoload/util.kak
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 define-command \
 -docstring %{
     Insert the date, with the args passed as a string
-    to date -d
+    to date -d.
 } \
-insert-date -params 1.. %{
-    evaluate-commands -draft -save-regs '|' %{
-        set-register | "date -d '%arg{@}' -f +%%Y-%%m-%%d"
-        execute-keys '|<ret>'
+insert-date -params 0.. %{
+    evaluate-commands -draft -save-regs '|"' %{
+        set-register | "date -d '%arg{@}' '+%%Y-%%m-%%d' | tr -d '\n'"
+        echo -debug "Inserting date: %reg{pipe}"
+        # we delete the trailing newline
+        execute-keys '!<ret>'
     }
 }