diff --git a/lib/core/settings.py b/lib/core/settings.py
index bca1cb83f..fed08b686 100644
--- a/lib/core/settings.py
+++ b/lib/core/settings.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from lib.core.enums import OS
 from thirdparty import six
 
 # sqlmap version (<major>.<minor>.<month>.<monthly commit>)
-VERSION = "1.10.9.31"
+VERSION = "1.10.9.32"
 TYPE = "dev" if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] != '0' else "stable"
 TYPE_COLORS = {"dev": 33, "stable": 90, "pip": 34}
 VERSION_STRING = "sqlmap/%s#%s" % ('.'.join(VERSION.split('.')[:-1]) if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] == '0' else VERSION, TYPE)
diff --git a/lib/core/target.py b/lib/core/target.py
index c39364b03..f61cd56ea 100644
--- a/lib/core/target.py
+++ b/lib/core/target.py
@@ -666,8 +666,12 @@ def _createFilesDir():
     if not any((conf.fileRead, conf.commonFiles, conf.xxe)):
         return
 
-    # Note: normalize the hostname consistently with conf.outputPath / conf.dumpPath (see _createDumpDir)
-    conf.filePath = paths.SQLMAP_FILES_PATH % normalizeUnicode(getUnicode(conf.hostname))
+    # Note: normalize the hostname consistently with conf.outputPath / conf.dumpPath (see _createDumpDir).
+    # safeStringFormat() (not raw '%') because SQLMAP_FILES_PATH embeds SQLMAP_OUTPUT_PATH, which comes
+    # straight from --output-dir - a literal '%' anywhere in that user-supplied path (e.g. an unexpanded
+    # '$(date +%Y%m%d)' on a shell that doesn't support command substitution) would otherwise make the
+    # '%' operator try to parse it as a format directive and crash
+    conf.filePath = safeStringFormat(paths.SQLMAP_FILES_PATH, normalizeUnicode(getUnicode(conf.hostname)))
 
     if not os.path.isdir(conf.filePath):
         try:
diff --git a/tests/test_target_parsing.py b/tests/test_target_parsing.py
index da43993ca..7a3c778da 100644
--- a/tests/test_target_parsing.py
+++ b/tests/test_target_parsing.py
@@ -483,6 +483,18 @@ class TestCreateDirs(_TargetTestBase):
         self.assertTrue(os.path.isdir(conf.filePath))
         self.assertIn("example.com", conf.filePath)
 
+    def test_files_dir_survives_percent_in_output_dir(self):
+        # --output-dir carries a literal '%' straight into SQLMAP_FILES_PATH (e.g. an unexpanded
+        # '$(date +%Y%m%d)' on a shell without command substitution, as in #6133) - the '%' operator
+        # would try to parse '%Y' as a format directive and crash; safeStringFormat() must not
+        self._outdir("f_out_%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
+        conf.hostname = "example.com"
+        conf.fileRead = "/etc/passwd"
+        conf.commonFiles = None
+        _createFilesDir()
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isdir(conf.filePath))
+        self.assertIn("example.com", conf.filePath)
+
     def test_target_dir_and_target_txt(self):
         self._outdir("t_out")
         conf.hostname = "example.com"