diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a5b8120..659557e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ Thumbs.db
 #######################
 /.vscode
 /composer.lock
+.phpunit.result.cache
 # vim
 *~
 *.swp
diff --git a/src/IntlLocaleFormatter.php b/src/IntlLocaleFormatter.php
index 5bb62e4..783a0c1 100644
--- a/src/IntlLocaleFormatter.php
+++ b/src/IntlLocaleFormatter.php
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ class IntlLocaleFormatter extends AbstractLocaleFormatter
 
   /** @var string[] strftime to ICU placeholders */
   protected $formats = [
-    '%a' => 'EEE',  // An abbreviated textual representation of the day	Sun through Sat
+    '%a' => 'ccc',  // An abbreviated textual representation of the day	Sun through Sat
     '%A' => 'EEEE',  // A full textual representation of the day	Sunday through Saturday
-    '%b' => 'MMM',  // Abbreviated month name, based on the locale	Jan through Dec
+    '%b' => 'LLL',  // Abbreviated month name, based on the locale	Jan through Dec
     '%B' => 'MMMM',  // Full month name, based on the locale	January through December
     '%h' => 'MMM',  // Abbreviated month name, based on the locale (an alias of %b)	Jan through Dec
   ];
diff --git a/src/php-8.1-strftime.php b/src/php-8.1-strftime.php
index f8a8c79..75a6bb3 100644
--- a/src/php-8.1-strftime.php
+++ b/src/php-8.1-strftime.php
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@
   namespace PHP81_BC;
 
   use DateTime;
-  use DateTimeInterface;
   use DateTimeZone;
+  use DateTimeInterface;
   use Exception;
   use InvalidArgumentException;
+  use Locale;
+  use PHP81_BC\strftime\DateLocaleFormatter;
+  use PHP81_BC\strftime\IntlLocaleFormatter;
 
   /**
    * Locale-formatted strftime using IntlDateFormatter (PHP 8.1 compatible)
@@ -22,7 +25,9 @@
    *
    * @param  string $format Date format
    * @param  integer|string|DateTime $timestamp Timestamp
+   * @param  string|null $locale locale
    * @return string
+   * @throws InvalidArgumentException
    * @author BohwaZ <https://bohwaz.net/>
    */
   function strftime (string $format, $timestamp = null, ?string $locale = null) : string {
@@ -34,15 +39,15 @@ function strftime (string $format, $timestamp = null, ?string $locale = null) :
       } catch (Exception $e) {
         throw new InvalidArgumentException('$timestamp argument is neither a valid UNIX timestamp, a valid date-time string or a DateTime object.', 0, $e);
       }
-    }
 
-    $timestamp->setTimezone(new DateTimeZone(date_default_timezone_get()));
+      $timestamp->setTimezone(new DateTimeZone(date_default_timezone_get()));
+    }
 
     if (class_exists('\\IntlDateFormatter') && !isset($_SERVER['STRFTIME_NO_INTL'])) {
-      $locale = \Locale::canonicalize($locale ?? setlocale(LC_TIME, '0'));
-      $locale_formatter = new \PHP81_BC\strftime\IntlLocaleFormatter($locale);
+      $locale = Locale::canonicalize($locale ?? (Locale::getDefault() ?? setlocale(LC_TIME, '0')));
+      $locale_formatter = new IntlLocaleFormatter($locale);
     } else {
-      $locale_formatter = new \PHP81_BC\strftime\DateLocaleFormatter($locale);
+      $locale_formatter = new DateLocaleFormatter($locale);
     }
 
     // Same order as https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.strftime.php
@@ -151,7 +156,7 @@ function strftime (string $format, $timestamp = null, ?string $locale = null) :
         case '#':
         case '-':
           // remove leading zeros but keep last char if also zero
-          return preg_replace('/^0+(?=.)/', '', $result);
+          return preg_replace('/^[0\s]+(?=.)/', '', $result);
       }
 
       return $result;
diff --git a/tests/strftimeTest.php b/tests/strftimeTest.php
index 48d86a6..4c78163 100644
--- a/tests/strftimeTest.php
+++ b/tests/strftimeTest.php
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ public function testDayFormats () {
       $result = strftime('%e', '20220306 13:02:03');
       $this->assertEquals(' 6', $result, '%e: Day of the month, with a space preceding single digits');
 
+      $result = strftime('%#e', '20220306 13:02:03');
+      $this->assertEquals('6', $result, '%#e: Day of the month, without leading space');
+
+      $result = strftime('%-e', '20220306 13:02:03');
+      $this->assertEquals('6', $result, '%-e: Day of the month, without leading space');
+
       $result = strftime('%j', '20220306 13:02:03');
       $this->assertEquals('065', $result, '%j: Day of the year, 3 digits with leading zeros');