diff --git a/toot/commands.py b/toot/commands.py
index 7853179..69c9c58 100644
--- a/toot/commands.py
+++ b/toot/commands.py
@@ -417,4 +417,4 @@ def notifications(app, user, args):
 
 def tui(app, user, args):
     from .tui.app import TUI
-    TUI.create(app, user).run()
+    TUI.create(app, user, args).run()
diff --git a/toot/console.py b/toot/console.py
index 38e0656..f29856c 100644
--- a/toot/console.py
+++ b/toot/console.py
@@ -254,7 +254,13 @@ TUI_COMMANDS = [
     Command(
         name="tui",
         description="Launches the toot terminal user interface",
-        arguments=[],
+        arguments=[
+            (["--relative-datetimes"], {
+                "action": "store_true",
+                "default": False,
+                "help": "Show relative datetimes in status list.",
+            }),
+        ],
         require_auth=True,
     ),
 ]
diff --git a/toot/tui/app.py b/toot/tui/app.py
index 7429a73..16c284f 100644
--- a/toot/tui/app.py
+++ b/toot/tui/app.py
@@ -73,10 +73,10 @@ class TUI(urwid.Frame):
     """Main TUI frame."""
 
     @classmethod
-    def create(cls, app, user):
+    def create(cls, app, user, args):
         """Factory method, sets up TUI and an event loop."""
 
-        tui = cls(app, user)
+        tui = cls(app, user, args)
         loop = urwid.MainLoop(
             tui,
             palette=PALETTE,
@@ -87,9 +87,10 @@ class TUI(urwid.Frame):
 
         return tui
 
-    def __init__(self, app, user):
+    def __init__(self, app, user, args):
         self.app = app
         self.user = user
+        self.args = args
         self.config = config.load_config()
 
         self.loop = None  # set in `create`
diff --git a/toot/tui/timeline.py b/toot/tui/timeline.py
index 14e0342..d4b9b74 100644
--- a/toot/tui/timeline.py
+++ b/toot/tui/timeline.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import logging
+import sys
 import urwid
 import webbrowser
 
@@ -421,7 +422,15 @@ class StatusDetails(urwid.Pile):
 class StatusListItem(SelectableColumns):
     def __init__(self, status):
         edited = status.data["edited_at"]
-        created_at = time_ago(status.created_at).ljust(3, " ")
+
+        # TODO: hacky implementation to avoid creating conflicts for existing
+        # pull reuqests, refactor when merged.
+        created_at = (
+            time_ago(status.created_at).ljust(3, " ")
+            if "--relative-datetimes" in sys.argv
+            else status.created_at.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M")
+        )
+
         edited_flag = "*" if edited else " "
         favourited = ("yellow", "★") if status.original.favourited else " "
         reblogged = ("yellow", "♺") if status.original.reblogged else " "