diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index a85d835..697c5ea 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -19,3 +19,4 @@ Version 0.0.2
 - support for global variables type "double"
 - added setup options to configure rerun display behaviour
 - changed display of menu lists, do flush first after complete rendering
+- added support for custom tokens in dislaychannel
diff --git a/designer.c b/designer.c
index 75cf0d7..0d4669d 100644
--- a/designer.c
+++ b/designer.c
@@ -170,6 +170,37 @@ void cSkinDesigner::ListAvailableFonts(void) {
     fontManager->ListAvailableFonts();
 }
 
+bool cSkinDesigner::SetCustomToken(string option) {
+    splitstring s(option.c_str());
+    vector<string> flds = s.split('=', 0);
+
+    if (flds.size() != 2)
+        return false;
+
+    string key = trim(flds[0]);
+    string val = trim(flds[1]);
+
+    if (!globals)
+        return true;
+
+    map<string, string>::iterator hit = globals->customTokens.find(key);
+    if (hit != globals->customTokens.end()) {
+        globals->customTokens.erase(key);
+    }
+    globals->customTokens.insert(pair<string,string>(key, val));
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+void cSkinDesigner::ListCustomTokens(void) {
+    if (!globals)
+        return;
+
+    for (map<string, string>::iterator it = globals->customTokens.begin(); it != globals->customTokens.end(); it++) {
+        dsyslog("skindesigner: custom token \"%s\" = \"%s\"", (it->first).c_str(), (it->second).c_str());
+    }
+}
+
 /*********************************************************************************
 * PRIVATE FUNCTIONS
 *********************************************************************************/    
diff --git a/designer.h b/designer.h
index f3edf7b..3f0989e 100644
--- a/designer.h
+++ b/designer.h
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ public:
     void ActivateBackupSkin(void) { useBackupSkin = true; };
     void Reload(void);
     void ListAvailableFonts(void);
+    bool SetCustomToken(string option);
+    void ListCustomTokens(void);
 };
 
 #endif //__SKINDESIGNER_H
diff --git a/displaychannel.c b/displaychannel.c
index 4e99002..7442b87 100644
--- a/displaychannel.c
+++ b/displaychannel.c
@@ -163,6 +163,10 @@ void cSDDisplayChannel::Flush(void) {
     if (!doOutput)
         return;
 
+    if (initial) {
+        channelView->DrawCustomTokens();
+    }
+
     if (initial || channelChange) {
         channelView->DrawDate();
     }
diff --git a/dtd/displaychannel.dtd b/dtd/displaychannel.dtd
index 538540b..be0f22e 100644
--- a/dtd/displaychannel.dtd
+++ b/dtd/displaychannel.dtd
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 <!ELEMENT displaychannel (background | channelinfo | epginfo | progressbar | progressbarback |  
                           statusinfo | screenresolution | channelgroup | 
                           signalquality | signalqualityback | scrapercontent |  
-                          datetime | message)* >
+                          datetime | message | customtokens)* >
 <!ATTLIST displaychannel
   x CDATA #REQUIRED
   y CDATA #REQUIRED
@@ -83,4 +83,9 @@
   debug CDATA #IMPLIED
 >
 
+<!ELEMENT customtokens (area|areascroll)*>
+<!ATTLIST customtokens
+  debug CDATA #IMPLIED
+>
+
 %functions;
diff --git a/libcore/helpers.c b/libcore/helpers.c
index b4b507a..f24f6e7 100644
--- a/libcore/helpers.c
+++ b/libcore/helpers.c
@@ -121,6 +121,24 @@ bool FirstFileInFolder(string &path, string &extension, string &fileName) {
     return false;
 }
 
+// trim from start
+string &ltrim(string &s) {
+    s.erase(s.begin(), find_if(s.begin(), s.end(), not1(ptr_fun<int, int>(isspace))));
+    return s;
+}
+
+// trim from end
+string &rtrim(string &s) {
+    s.erase(find_if(s.rbegin(), s.rend(), not1(ptr_fun<int, int>(isspace))).base(), s.end());
+    return s;
+}
+
+// trim from both ends
+string &trim(string &s) {
+    return ltrim(rtrim(s));
+}
+
+
 // split: receives a char delimiter; returns a vector of strings
 // By default ignores repeated delimiters, unless argument rep == 1.
 vector<string>& splitstring::split(char delim, int rep) {
diff --git a/libcore/helpers.h b/libcore/helpers.h
index 74ddf94..884738d 100644
--- a/libcore/helpers.h
+++ b/libcore/helpers.h
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ bool FileExists(const string &path, const string &name, const string &ext);
 bool FolderExists(const string &path);
 bool FirstFileInFolder(string &path, string &extension, string &fileName);
 
+string &ltrim(string &s);
+string &rtrim(string &s);
+string &trim(string &s);
+
 class splitstring : public std::string {
     std::vector<std::string> flds;
 public:
diff --git a/libtemplate/globals.h b/libtemplate/globals.h
index eda9ec9..09c9756 100644
--- a/libtemplate/globals.h
+++ b/libtemplate/globals.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ public:
     map <string, string> stringVars;
     map <string, string> fonts;
     map <string, map< string, string > > translations;
+    map <string, string> customTokens;
     bool ReadFromXML(void);
     bool Translate(string text, string &translation);
     void Debug(void);
diff --git a/libtemplate/templateview.c b/libtemplate/templateview.c
index abaedc8..f1704f8 100644
--- a/libtemplate/templateview.c
+++ b/libtemplate/templateview.c
@@ -593,6 +593,7 @@ void cTemplateViewChannel::SetViewElements(void) {
     viewElementsAllowed.insert("scrapercontent");
     viewElementsAllowed.insert("datetime");
     viewElementsAllowed.insert("message");
+    viewElementsAllowed.insert("customtokens");
 }
 
 string cTemplateViewChannel::GetViewElementName(eViewElement ve) {
@@ -637,6 +638,9 @@ string cTemplateViewChannel::GetViewElementName(eViewElement ve) {
         case veMessage:
             name = "Message";
             break;
+        case veCustomTokens:
+            name = "Custom Tokens";
+            break;
         default:
             name = "Unknown";
             break;
@@ -673,6 +677,8 @@ void cTemplateViewChannel::AddPixmap(string sViewElement, cTemplatePixmap *pix,
         ve = veDateTime;
     } else if (!sViewElement.compare("message")) {
         ve = veMessage;
+    } else if (!sViewElement.compare("customtokens")) {
+        ve = veCustomTokens;
     }
 
     if (ve == veUndefined) {
diff --git a/libtemplate/templateview.h b/libtemplate/templateview.h
index 414deaa..6603275 100644
--- a/libtemplate/templateview.h
+++ b/libtemplate/templateview.h
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ public:
     int GetNumPixmapsViewElement(eViewElement ve);
     int GetNumListViewMenuItems(void);
     bool GetScalingWindow(cRect &scalingWindow);
+    map<string,string> GetCustomTokens(void) { return globals->customTokens; };
     //Checks for parsing template XML files
     bool ValidSubView(const char *subView);
     bool ValidViewElement(const char *viewElement);
diff --git a/libtemplate/templateviewelement.h b/libtemplate/templateviewelement.h
index 84db627..9c32a4c 100644
--- a/libtemplate/templateviewelement.h
+++ b/libtemplate/templateviewelement.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ enum eViewElement {
     veBackground,
     veDateTime,
     veMessage,
+    veCustomTokens,
     //DisplayChannel ViewElements
     veChannelInfo,
     veChannelGroup,
diff --git a/skindesigner.c b/skindesigner.c
index 131a23b..9001d97 100644
--- a/skindesigner.c
+++ b/skindesigner.c
@@ -157,6 +157,10 @@ const char **cPluginSkinDesigner::SVDRPHelpPages(void) {
     static const char *HelpPages[] = {
         "RELD\n"
         "    force reload of templates and caches",
+        "SCTK\n"
+        "    Set custom Token name = value",
+        "LCTK\n"
+        "    List custom Tokens",
         "LSTF\n"
         "    List available Fonts",
         0
@@ -176,17 +180,39 @@ cString cPluginSkinDesigner::SVDRPCommand(const char *Command, const char *Optio
         }
     }
 
-    if (!activeSkin)
-        return NULL;
+    if (!activeSkin) {
+        ReplyCode = 550;
+        return "";
+    }
 
     if (strcasecmp(Command, "RELD") == 0) {
         activeSkin->Reload();
+        ReplyCode = 250;
         return "SKINDESIGNER reload of templates and caches forced.";
     } else if (strcasecmp(Command, "LSTF") == 0) {
         activeSkin->ListAvailableFonts();
+        ReplyCode = 250;
         return "SKINDESIGNER available fonts listed in syslog.";
+    } else if (strcasecmp(Command, "SCTK") == 0) {
+        if (!Option) {
+            ReplyCode = 501;
+            return "SKINDESIGNER SCTK Error: no Token name = value set";
+        }
+        bool optionOk = activeSkin->SetCustomToken(Option);
+        if (optionOk) {
+            ReplyCode = 250;
+            return cString::sprintf("SKINDESIGNER Set custom Token %s", Option);
+        } else {
+            ReplyCode = 501;
+            return cString::sprintf("SKINDESIGNER Invalid custom Token %s", Option);
+        }
+    } else if (strcasecmp(Command, "LCTK") == 0) {
+        activeSkin->ListCustomTokens();
+        ReplyCode = 250;
+        return "SKINDESIGNER Custom Tokens listed in Log";
     }
-    return NULL;
+    ReplyCode = 502;
+    return "";
 }
 
 VDRPLUGINCREATOR(cPluginSkinDesigner); // Don't touch this!
diff --git a/skins/metrixhd/xmlfiles/displaychannel.xml b/skins/metrixhd/xmlfiles/displaychannel.xml
index ba8c347..22ff0b2 100644
--- a/skins/metrixhd/xmlfiles/displaychannel.xml
+++ b/skins/metrixhd/xmlfiles/displaychannel.xml
@@ -219,4 +219,12 @@
             <drawtext align="center" valign="center" width="{areawidth} - 80" font="{light}" fontsize="40%" color="{clrWhite}" text="{text}" />
         </area>
     </message>
+
+    <!-- Available Variables customtokens:
+    all custom tokens set by the svdrp command SCTK are available in this viewelement
+    For instance, use an appropriate script which runs periodically as cronjob and
+    sets these custom tokens with svdrpsend or dbus2vdr
+    --> 
+    <customtokens>
+    </customtokens>
 </displaychannel>
diff --git a/skinskeleton/xmlfiles/displaychannel.xml b/skinskeleton/xmlfiles/displaychannel.xml
index d9ce5eb..efa41dd 100644
--- a/skinskeleton/xmlfiles/displaychannel.xml
+++ b/skinskeleton/xmlfiles/displaychannel.xml
@@ -132,4 +132,12 @@
     <message>
     </message>
 
+    <!-- Available Variables customtokens:
+    all custom tokens set by the svdrp command SCTK are available in this viewelement
+    For instance, use an appropriate script which runs periodically as cronjob and
+    sets these custom tokens with svdrpsend or dbus2vdr
+    --> 
+    <customtokens>
+    </customtokens>
+    
 </displaychannel>
diff --git a/views/displaychannelview.c b/views/displaychannelview.c
index da24a5a..d55164a 100644
--- a/views/displaychannelview.c
+++ b/views/displaychannelview.c
@@ -479,6 +479,17 @@ void cDisplayChannelView::DisplayMessage(eMessageType Type, const char *Text) {
     DrawViewElement(veMessage, &stringTokens, &intTokens);
 }
 
+void cDisplayChannelView::DrawCustomTokens(void) {
+    if (!ViewElementImplemented(veCustomTokens)) {
+        return;
+    }
+    if (!tmplView)
+        return;
+    map < string, string > stringTokens = tmplView->GetCustomTokens();
+    map < string, int > intTokens;
+    DrawViewElement(veCustomTokens, &stringTokens, &intTokens);
+}
+
 void cDisplayChannelView::Action(void) {
     SetInitFinished();
     FadeIn();
diff --git a/views/displaychannelview.h b/views/displaychannelview.h
index 599ac5f..9d16e25 100644
--- a/views/displaychannelview.h
+++ b/views/displaychannelview.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ public:
     void DrawChannelGroups(const cChannel *Channel, cString ChannelName);
     void ClearChannelGroups(void);
     void DisplayMessage(eMessageType Type, const char *Text);
+    void DrawCustomTokens(void);
     void DoStart(void) { Start(); };
     void Flush(void) { DoFlush(); };
 };