diff --git a/get-shit-done/bin/gsd-tools.cjs b/get-shit-done/bin/gsd-tools.cjs
index 5d34852f2..555d52b2e 100755
--- a/get-shit-done/bin/gsd-tools.cjs
+++ b/get-shit-done/bin/gsd-tools.cjs
@@ -1045,7 +1045,15 @@ async function runCommand(command, args, cwd, raw, defaultValue) {
         core.output(intel.intelQuery(term, planningDir), raw);
       } else if (subcommand === 'status') {
         const planningDir = path.join(cwd, '.planning');
-        core.output(intel.intelStatus(planningDir), raw);
+        const status = intel.intelStatus(planningDir);
+        if (!raw && status.files) {
+          for (const file of Object.values(status.files)) {
+            if (file.updated_at) {
+              file.updated_at = core.timeAgo(new Date(file.updated_at));
+            }
+          }
+        }
+        core.output(status, raw);
       } else if (subcommand === 'diff') {
         const planningDir = path.join(cwd, '.planning');
         core.output(intel.intelDiff(planningDir), raw);
diff --git a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs
index ebc969ca8..c1a637b24 100644
--- a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs
+++ b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs
@@ -1560,6 +1560,32 @@ function atomicWriteFileSync(filePath, content, encoding = 'utf-8') {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Format a Date as a fuzzy relative time string (e.g. "5 minutes ago").
+ * @param {Date} date
+ * @returns {string}
+ */
+function timeAgo(date) {
+  const seconds = Math.floor((Date.now() - date.getTime()) / 1000);
+  if (seconds < 5) return 'just now';
+  if (seconds < 60) return `${seconds} seconds ago`;
+  const minutes = Math.floor(seconds / 60);
+  if (minutes === 1) return '1 minute ago';
+  if (minutes < 60) return `${minutes} minutes ago`;
+  const hours = Math.floor(minutes / 60);
+  if (hours === 1) return '1 hour ago';
+  if (hours < 24) return `${hours} hours ago`;
+  const days = Math.floor(hours / 24);
+  if (days === 1) return '1 day ago';
+  if (days < 30) return `${days} days ago`;
+  const months = Math.floor(days / 30);
+  if (months === 1) return '1 month ago';
+  if (months < 12) return `${months} months ago`;
+  const years = Math.floor(days / 365);
+  if (years === 1) return '1 year ago';
+  return `${years} years ago`;
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   output,
   error,
@@ -1607,4 +1633,5 @@ module.exports = {
   getAgentsDir,
   checkAgentsInstalled,
   atomicWriteFileSync,
+  timeAgo,
 };
diff --git a/tests/core.test.cjs b/tests/core.test.cjs
index 6550c8811..39ba9e2a2 100644
--- a/tests/core.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/core.test.cjs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ const {
   findProjectRoot,
   detectSubRepos,
   planningDir,
+  timeAgo,
 } = require('../get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs');
 
 // ─── loadConfig ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -1750,3 +1751,103 @@ describe('planningDir', () => {
     );
   });
 });
+
+// ─── timeAgo ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('timeAgo', () => {
+  const now = () => Date.now();
+  const dateAt = (msAgo) => new Date(now() - msAgo);
+
+  // ─── seconds boundary ───
+  test('returns "just now" for dates under 5 seconds old', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(0)), 'just now');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(4_000)), 'just now');
+  });
+
+  test('returns "N seconds ago" between 5 and 59 seconds', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(5_000)), '5 seconds ago');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(30_000)), '30 seconds ago');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(59_000)), '59 seconds ago');
+  });
+
+  // ─── minutes boundary ───
+  test('transitions to minutes at 60 seconds', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(60_000)), '1 minute ago');
+  });
+
+  test('uses singular "1 minute ago" for exactly one minute', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(60_000)), '1 minute ago');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(119_000)), '1 minute ago');
+  });
+
+  test('uses plural "N minutes ago" for 2-59 minutes', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(120_000)), '2 minutes ago');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(5 * 60_000)), '5 minutes ago');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(59 * 60_000)), '59 minutes ago');
+  });
+
+  // ─── hours boundary ───
+  test('transitions to hours at 60 minutes', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(60 * 60_000)), '1 hour ago');
+  });
+
+  test('uses singular "1 hour ago" for exactly one hour', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(60 * 60_000)), '1 hour ago');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(119 * 60_000)), '1 hour ago');
+  });
+
+  test('uses plural "N hours ago" for 2-23 hours', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(2 * 3600_000)), '2 hours ago');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(23 * 3600_000)), '23 hours ago');
+  });
+
+  // ─── days boundary ───
+  test('transitions to days at 24 hours', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(24 * 3600_000)), '1 day ago');
+  });
+
+  test('uses singular "1 day ago" for exactly one day', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(24 * 3600_000)), '1 day ago');
+  });
+
+  test('uses plural "N days ago" for 2-29 days', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(2 * 86400_000)), '2 days ago');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(29 * 86400_000)), '29 days ago');
+  });
+
+  // ─── months boundary ───
+  test('transitions to months at 30 days', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(30 * 86400_000)), '1 month ago');
+  });
+
+  test('uses singular "1 month ago" for exactly one month (30 days)', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(30 * 86400_000)), '1 month ago');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(59 * 86400_000)), '1 month ago');
+  });
+
+  test('uses plural "N months ago" for 2-11 months', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(60 * 86400_000)), '2 months ago');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(180 * 86400_000)), '6 months ago');
+  });
+
+  // ─── years boundary ───
+  test('transitions to years at 365 days', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(365 * 86400_000)), '1 year ago');
+  });
+
+  test('uses singular "1 year ago" for exactly one year', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(365 * 86400_000)), '1 year ago');
+  });
+
+  test('uses plural "N years ago" for 2+ years', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(2 * 365 * 86400_000)), '2 years ago');
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(dateAt(10 * 365 * 86400_000)), '10 years ago');
+  });
+
+  // ─── edge cases ───
+  test('handles future dates as "just now" (negative elapsed)', () => {
+    // A date 5 seconds in the future has negative elapsed time, which floors to a negative
+    // number of seconds and hits the "under 5 seconds" branch.
+    assert.strictEqual(timeAgo(new Date(Date.now() + 5_000)), 'just now');
+  });
+});