diff --git a/src/readstat.h b/src/readstat.h
index c6ece530..1b335812 100644
--- a/src/readstat.h
+++ b/src/readstat.h
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@ typedef struct readstat_variable_s {
     int                     index;
     char                    name[300];
     char                    format[256];
+    char                    informat[256];
     char                    label[1024];
     readstat_label_set_t   *label_set;
     off_t                   offset;
@@ -287,6 +288,7 @@ int readstat_variable_get_index_after_skipping(const readstat_variable_t *variab
 const char *readstat_variable_get_name(const readstat_variable_t *variable);
 const char *readstat_variable_get_label(const readstat_variable_t *variable);
 const char *readstat_variable_get_format(const readstat_variable_t *variable);
+const char *readstat_variable_get_informat(const readstat_variable_t *variable);
 readstat_type_t readstat_variable_get_type(const readstat_variable_t *variable);
 readstat_type_class_t readstat_variable_get_type_class(const readstat_variable_t *variable);
 size_t readstat_variable_get_storage_width(const readstat_variable_t *variable);
@@ -538,6 +540,7 @@ readstat_variable_t *readstat_add_variable(readstat_writer_t *writer, const char
         size_t storage_width);
 void readstat_variable_set_label(readstat_variable_t *variable, const char *label);
 void readstat_variable_set_format(readstat_variable_t *variable, const char *format);
+void readstat_variable_set_informat(readstat_variable_t *variable, const char *informat);
 void readstat_variable_set_label_set(readstat_variable_t *variable, readstat_label_set_t *label_set);
 void readstat_variable_set_measure(readstat_variable_t *variable, readstat_measure_t measure);
 void readstat_variable_set_alignment(readstat_variable_t *variable, readstat_alignment_t alignment);
diff --git a/src/readstat_variable.c b/src/readstat_variable.c
index ecd71ab5..37d5164f 100644
--- a/src/readstat_variable.c
+++ b/src/readstat_variable.c
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@ const char *readstat_variable_get_format(const readstat_variable_t *variable) {
     return NULL;
 }
 
+const char *readstat_variable_get_informat(const readstat_variable_t *variable) {
+    if (variable->informat[0])
+        return variable->informat;
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 readstat_type_t readstat_variable_get_type(const readstat_variable_t *variable) {
     return variable->type;
 }
diff --git a/src/readstat_writer.c b/src/readstat_writer.c
index c1e98907..cc376327 100644
--- a/src/readstat_writer.c
+++ b/src/readstat_writer.c
@@ -436,6 +436,14 @@ void readstat_variable_set_format(readstat_variable_t *variable, const char *for
     }
 }
 
+void readstat_variable_set_informat(readstat_variable_t *variable, const char *informat) {
+    if (informat) {
+        snprintf(variable->informat, sizeof(variable->informat), "%s", informat);
+    } else {
+        memset(variable->informat, '\0', sizeof(variable->informat));
+    }
+}
+
 void readstat_variable_set_measure(readstat_variable_t *variable, readstat_measure_t measure) {
     variable->measure = measure;
 }
diff --git a/src/sas/readstat_sas7bdat_read.c b/src/sas/readstat_sas7bdat_read.c
index 20c76a8b..dbcb47b4 100644
--- a/src/sas/readstat_sas7bdat_read.c
+++ b/src/sas/readstat_sas7bdat_read.c
@@ -704,6 +704,9 @@ static readstat_variable_t *sas7bdat_init_variable(sas7bdat_ctx_t *ctx, int i,
         len += snprintf(variable->format + len, sizeof(variable->format) - len,
                 ".%d", ctx->col_info[i].format_digits);
     }
+    if (len) { // TODO where is the informat saved?
+        readstat_variable_set_informat(variable, variable->format);
+    }
     if ((retval = sas7bdat_copy_text_ref(variable->label, sizeof(variable->label), 
                     ctx->col_info[i].label_ref, ctx)) != READSTAT_OK) {
         goto cleanup;
diff --git a/src/sas/readstat_xport_read.c b/src/sas/readstat_xport_read.c
index 6bd9ddbf..7894f162 100644
--- a/src/sas/readstat_xport_read.c
+++ b/src/sas/readstat_xport_read.c
@@ -431,6 +431,11 @@ static readstat_error_t xport_read_labels_v9(xport_ctx_t *ctx, int label_count)
                 format, format_len, ctx->converter);
         if (retval != READSTAT_OK)
             goto cleanup;
+
+        retval = readstat_convert(variable->informat, sizeof(variable->informat),
+                informat, informat_len, ctx->converter);
+        if (retval != READSTAT_OK)
+            goto cleanup;
     }
 
     retval = xport_skip_rest_of_record(ctx);
@@ -487,7 +492,13 @@ static readstat_error_t xport_read_variables(xport_ctx_t *ctx) {
 
         retval = xport_construct_format(variable->format, sizeof(variable->format),
                 namestr.nform, sizeof(namestr.nform),
-                variable->display_width, variable->decimals);
+                namestr.nfl, namestr.nfd);
+        if (retval != READSTAT_OK)
+            goto cleanup;
+
+        retval = xport_construct_format(variable->informat, sizeof(variable->informat),
+                namestr.niform, sizeof(namestr.niform),
+                namestr.nifl, namestr.nifd);
         if (retval != READSTAT_OK)
             goto cleanup;
 
diff --git a/src/sas/readstat_xport_write.c b/src/sas/readstat_xport_write.c
index 1f7b317b..8c223ffe 100644
--- a/src/sas/readstat_xport_write.c
+++ b/src/sas/readstat_xport_write.c
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ static readstat_error_t xport_write_variables(readstat_writer_t *writer) {
         copypad(namestr.nlabel, sizeof(namestr.nlabel), variable->label);
 
         if (variable->format[0]) {
-            xport_format_t format; 
+            xport_format_t format;
 
             retval = xport_parse_format(variable->format, strlen(variable->format),
                     &format, NULL, NULL);
@@ -119,16 +119,32 @@ static readstat_error_t xport_write_variables(readstat_writer_t *writer) {
             namestr.nfl = format.width;
             namestr.nfd = format.decimals;
 
-            copypad(namestr.niform, sizeof(namestr.niform), format.name);
-            namestr.nifl = format.width;
-            namestr.nifd = format.decimals;
-
             if (strlen(format.name) > 8) {
                 any_has_long_format = 1;
                 needs_long_record = 1;
             }
-        } else if (variable->display_width) {
+        } else {
             namestr.nfl = variable->display_width;
+            namestr.nfd = variable->decimals;
+        }
+
+        if (variable->informat[0]) {
+            xport_format_t informat;
+
+            retval = xport_parse_format(variable->informat, strlen(variable->informat),
+                    &informat, NULL, NULL);
+
+            if (retval != READSTAT_OK)
+                goto cleanup;
+
+            copypad(namestr.niform, sizeof(namestr.niform), informat.name);
+            namestr.nifl = informat.width;
+            namestr.nifd = informat.decimals;
+
+            if (strlen(informat.name) > 8) {
+                any_has_long_format = 1;
+                needs_long_record = 1;
+            }
         }
 
         namestr.nfj = (variable->alignment == READSTAT_ALIGNMENT_RIGHT);
@@ -176,13 +192,14 @@ static readstat_error_t xport_write_variables(readstat_writer_t *writer) {
             size_t label_len = strlen(variable->label);
             size_t name_len = strlen(variable->name);
             size_t format_len = strlen(variable->format);
+            size_t informat_len = strlen(variable->informat);
             int has_long_label = 0;
             int has_long_format = 0;
 
             has_long_label = (label_len > 40);
 
             if (variable->format[0]) {
-                xport_format_t format; 
+                xport_format_t format;
 
                 retval = xport_parse_format(variable->format, strlen(variable->format),
                         &format, NULL, NULL);
@@ -194,8 +211,21 @@ static readstat_error_t xport_write_variables(readstat_writer_t *writer) {
                 }
             }
 
+            if (variable->informat[0]) {
+                xport_format_t informat;
+
+                retval = xport_parse_format(variable->informat, strlen(variable->informat),
+                        &informat, NULL, NULL);
+                if (retval != READSTAT_OK)
+                    goto cleanup;
+
+                if (strlen(informat.name) > 8) {
+                    has_long_format = 1;
+                }
+            }
+
             if (has_long_format) {
-                uint16_t labeldef[5] = { i+1, name_len, label_len, format_len, format_len };
+                uint16_t labeldef[5] = { i+1, name_len, label_len, format_len, informat_len };
 
                 if (machine_is_little_endian()) {
                     labeldef[0] = byteswap2(labeldef[0]);
@@ -221,7 +251,7 @@ static readstat_error_t xport_write_variables(readstat_writer_t *writer) {
                 if (retval != READSTAT_OK)
                     goto cleanup;
 
-                retval = readstat_write_string(writer, variable->format);
+                retval = readstat_write_string(writer, variable->informat);
                 if (retval != READSTAT_OK)
                     goto cleanup;
 
diff --git a/src/test/test_list.h b/src/test/test_list.h
index dea6b9dc..856595c3 100644
--- a/src/test/test_list.h
+++ b/src/test/test_list.h
@@ -921,6 +921,14 @@ static rt_test_group_t _test_groups[] = {
                     { .name = "VAR2", .type = READSTAT_TYPE_STRING, .format = "$CHAR3", .label_set = "$CHAR3" }
                 }
             },
+            {
+                .label = "SAS informats",
+                .test_formats = RT_FORMAT_XPORT_8,
+                .columns = {
+                    { .name = "VAR1", .type = READSTAT_TYPE_DOUBLE, .informat = "10.3" },
+                    { .name = "VAR2", .type = READSTAT_TYPE_STRING, .informat = "$CHAR3" }
+                }
+            },
             {
                 .label = "SAS long format",
                 .test_formats = RT_FORMAT_SAS7BDAT | RT_FORMAT_XPORT_8,
diff --git a/src/test/test_read.c b/src/test/test_read.c
index 9fc432a4..1bd93895 100644
--- a/src/test/test_read.c
+++ b/src/test/test_read.c
@@ -200,6 +200,11 @@ static int handle_variable(int index, readstat_variable_t *variable,
                 readstat_variable_get_format(variable),
                 "Column formats");
 
+    if (column->informat[0])
+        push_error_if_strings_differ(rt_ctx, column->informat,
+                readstat_variable_get_informat(variable),
+                "Column informats");
+
     if (column->display_width)
         push_error_if_doubles_differ(rt_ctx, column->display_width,
                 readstat_variable_get_display_width(variable),
diff --git a/src/test/test_types.h b/src/test/test_types.h
index c0d762d4..f9f303e2 100644
--- a/src/test/test_types.h
+++ b/src/test/test_types.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ typedef struct rt_column_s {
     char                    name[RT_MAX_STRING];
     char                    label[RT_MAX_STRING];
     char                    format[RT_MAX_STRING];
+    char                    informat[RT_MAX_STRING];
     int                     display_width;
     readstat_alignment_t    alignment;
     readstat_measure_t      measure;
diff --git a/src/test/test_write.c b/src/test/test_write.c
index 8d68997a..9bc7545f 100644
--- a/src/test/test_write.c
+++ b/src/test/test_write.c
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@ readstat_error_t write_file_to_buffer(rt_test_file_t *file, rt_buffer_t *buffer,
         readstat_variable_set_label_set(variable, label_set);
         if (column->format[0])
             readstat_variable_set_format(variable, column->format);
+        if (column->informat[0])
+            readstat_variable_set_informat(variable, column->informat);
         if (column->display_width)
             readstat_variable_set_display_width(variable, column->display_width);