diff --git a/betterlockscreen b/betterlockscreen
index 5d51af5..76ffcb2 100755
--- a/betterlockscreen
+++ b/betterlockscreen
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ init_filenames() {
 	font="sans-serif"
 	locktext='Type password to unlock...'
 	wallpaper_cmd='feh --bg-fill --no-fehbg'
+	time_format='%H:%M:%S'
 
 	# override defaults with config
 	theme_rc="$HOME/.config/betterlockscreenrc"
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ lock() {
 		-t -i "$1" \
 		--timepos='x+110:h-70' \
 		--datepos='x+43:h-45' \
-		--clock --date-align 1 --datestr "$locktext" \
+		--clock --date-align 1 --datestr "$locktext" --timestr "$time_format" \
 		--insidecolor=$insidecolor --ringcolor=$ringcolor --line-uses-inside \
 		--keyhlcolor=$keyhlcolor --bshlcolor=$bshlcolor --separatorcolor=$separatorcolor \
 		--insidevercolor=$insidevercolor --insidewrongcolor=$insidewrongcolor \
@@ -408,6 +409,12 @@ usage() {
 	echo '		to set your custom wallpaper setter'
 	echo '		the default is "feh --bg-fill --no-fehbg"'
 	echo '		E.g: betterlockscreen -wc "xwallpaper --zoom" -w'
+	echo
+	echo
+	echo '	-tf --time_format <format>'
+	echo '		to set the time format used by i3lock-color'
+	echo '		see the i3lock or strftime man pages for more details.'
+	echo '		E.g: betterlockscreen -l dim -tf "%I:%M %p"'
 }
 
 
@@ -474,6 +481,11 @@ for arg in "$@"; do
 			shift 2
 			;;
 
+		-tf | --time_format)
+			time_format="$2"
+			shift 2
+			;;
+
 		--)
 			lockargs="$lockargs ${*:2}"
 			break
diff --git a/examples/betterlockscreenrc b/examples/betterlockscreenrc
index 0f9c503..8ca0110 100644
--- a/examples/betterlockscreenrc
+++ b/examples/betterlockscreenrc
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ loginbox=00000066
 font="sans-serif"
 locktext='Type password to unlock...'
 lock_timeout=5
+time_format='%H:%M:%S'