diff --git a/doc/source/definition.rst b/doc/source/definition.rst
index 13c44fda8..18485905e 100644
--- a/doc/source/definition.rst
+++ b/doc/source/definition.rst
@@ -437,6 +437,9 @@ You can define variables that will be realized in a `Job Template`.
 
 Would create jobs ``build-i386`` and ``build-amd64``.
 
+You can also reference a variable ``{template-name}`` in any value and it will
+be subtitued by the name of the current job template being processed.
+
 .. _variable_references:
 
 Variable References
diff --git a/jenkins_jobs/formatter.py b/jenkins_jobs/formatter.py
index 008d66e74..7eaab5980 100644
--- a/jenkins_jobs/formatter.py
+++ b/jenkins_jobs/formatter.py
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ def deep_format(obj, paramdict, allow_empty=False):
     # limitations on the values in paramdict - the post-format result must
     # still be valid YAML (so substituting-in a string containing quotes, for
     # example, is problematic).
-    if hasattr(obj, 'format'):
+    if getattr(obj, 'verbatim', False) is True:
+        ret = obj
+    elif hasattr(obj, 'format'):
         try:
             ret = CustomFormatter(allow_empty).format(obj, **paramdict)
         except KeyError as exc:
@@ -129,3 +131,10 @@ class CustomFormatter(Formatter):
                 )
                 return ''
             raise
+
+
+class VerbatimString(str):
+    """
+    String which is not expanded by `deep_format`.
+    """
+    verbatim = True
diff --git a/jenkins_jobs/parser.py b/jenkins_jobs/parser.py
index b4704663c..b3b9bcffc 100644
--- a/jenkins_jobs/parser.py
+++ b/jenkins_jobs/parser.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import os
 
 from jenkins_jobs.constants import MAGIC_MANAGE_STRING
 from jenkins_jobs.errors import JenkinsJobsException
-from jenkins_jobs.formatter import deep_format
+from jenkins_jobs.formatter import deep_format, VerbatimString
 import jenkins_jobs.local_yaml as local_yaml
 from jenkins_jobs import utils
 
@@ -346,6 +346,7 @@ class YamlParser(object):
 
         for values in itertools.product(*dimensions):
             params = copy.deepcopy(project)
+            params['template-name'] = VerbatimString(template_name)
             params = self._applyDefaults(params, template)
 
             try:
@@ -387,7 +388,6 @@ class YamlParser(object):
                 if key not in params:
                     params[key] = template[key]
 
-            params['template-name'] = template_name
             try:
                 expanded = deep_format(
                     template, params,
diff --git a/tests/yamlparser/fixtures/complete001.xml b/tests/yamlparser/fixtures/complete001.xml
index c34f622f4..40fee172e 100644
--- a/tests/yamlparser/fixtures/complete001.xml
+++ b/tests/yamlparser/fixtures/complete001.xml
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <project>
   <actions/>
-  <description>&lt;!-- Managed by Jenkins Job Builder --&gt;</description>
+  <description>JJB template: complete001_{version}
+&lt;!-- Managed by Jenkins Job Builder --&gt;</description>
   <keepDependencies>false</keepDependencies>
   <blockBuildWhenDownstreamBuilding>false</blockBuildWhenDownstreamBuilding>
   <blockBuildWhenUpstreamBuilding>false</blockBuildWhenUpstreamBuilding>
diff --git a/tests/yamlparser/fixtures/complete001.yaml b/tests/yamlparser/fixtures/complete001.yaml
index 2a9ce7ec6..f64b8084c 100644
--- a/tests/yamlparser/fixtures/complete001.yaml
+++ b/tests/yamlparser/fixtures/complete001.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+- defaults:
+    name: global
+    description: |
+        JJB template: {template-name}
+
 - wrapper:
     name: timeout-wrapper
     wrappers:
@@ -85,10 +90,11 @@
     version:
         - 1.2
     jobs:
-        - 'complete001_{version}'
+        - 'complete001'
 
 - job-template:
     name: 'complete001_{version}'
+    id: 'complete001'
     scm:
       - gerrit-scm:
          project_pattern: openstack-infra/jenkins-job-builder