diff --git a/django/contrib/humanize/templatetags/humanize.py b/django/contrib/humanize/templatetags/humanize.py
index cfa93fe534..0c6d389e34 100644
--- a/django/contrib/humanize/templatetags/humanize.py
+++ b/django/contrib/humanize/templatetags/humanize.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from django.utils.translation import ungettext, ugettext as _
 from django.utils.encoding import force_unicode
 from django import template
 from django.template import defaultfilters
-from datetime import date
+from datetime import date, datetime
 import re
 
 register = template.Library()
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def naturalday(value, arg=None):
     present day returns representing string. Otherwise, returns a string
     formatted according to settings.DATE_FORMAT.
     """
-    try: 
+    try:
         value = date(value.year, value.month, value.day)
     except AttributeError:
         # Passed value wasn't a date object
@@ -100,3 +100,35 @@ def naturalday(value, arg=None):
         return _(u'yesterday')
     return defaultfilters.date(value, arg)
 register.filter(naturalday)
+
+def naturaltime(value, arg=None):
+    """
+    For date and time values shows how many seconds, minutes or hours ago compared to
+    current timestamp returns representing string. Otherwise, returns a string
+    formatted according to settings.DATE_FORMAT
+    """
+    try:
+        value = datetime(value.year, value.month, value.day, value.hour, value.minute, value.second)
+    except AttributeError:
+        return value
+    except ValueError:
+        return value
+
+    delta = datetime.now() - value
+    if delta.days != 0:
+        value = date(value.year, value.month, value.day)
+        return naturalday(value, arg)
+    elif delta.seconds == 0:
+        return _(u'now')
+    elif delta.seconds < 60:
+        return _(u'%s seconds ago' % (delta.seconds))
+    elif delta.seconds / 60 < 2:
+        return _(r'a minute ago')
+    elif delta.seconds / 60 < 60:
+        return _(u'%s minutes ago' % (delta.seconds/60))
+    elif delta.seconds / 60 / 60 < 2:
+        return _(u'an hour ago')
+    elif delta.seconds / 60 / 60 < 24:
+        return _(u'%s hours ago' % (delta.seconds/60/60))
+    return naturalday(value, arg)
+register.filter(naturaltime)
diff --git a/docs/ref/contrib/humanize.txt b/docs/ref/contrib/humanize.txt
index ef48f48fcc..f7afb9c5e8 100644
--- a/docs/ref/contrib/humanize.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/contrib/humanize.txt
@@ -82,6 +82,31 @@ Examples (when 'today' is 17 Feb 2007):
     * Any other day is formatted according to given argument or the
       :setting:`DATE_FORMAT` setting if no argument is given.
 
+.. templatefilter:: naturaltime
+
+naturaltime
+-----------
+
+.. versionadded:: 1.4
+
+For date and time values shows how many seconds, minutes or hours ago compared
+to current timestamp returns representing string. Otherwise, it behaves like
+:tfilter:`naturaldate`, so it can also take string argument for date formating.
+
+**Argument:** Date formatting string as described in the :tfilter:`date` tag.
+
+Examples (when 'now' is 17 Feb 2007 16:30:00):
+
+    * ``17 Feb 2007 16:30:00`` becomes ``now``.
+    * ``17 Feb 2007 16:29:31`` becomes ``29 seconds ago``.
+    * ``17 Feb 2007 16:29:00`` becomes ``a minute ago``.
+    * ``17 Feb 2007 16:25:35`` becomes ``4 minutes ago``.
+    * ``17 Feb 2007 15:30:29`` becomes ``an hours ago``.
+    * ``17 Feb 2007 13:31:29`` becomes ``2 hours ago``.
+    * ``16 Feb 2007 13:31:29`` becomes ``yesterday``.
+    * Any other day is formatted according to given argument or the
+      :setting:`DATE_FORMAT` setting if no argument is given.
+
 .. templatefilter:: ordinal
 
 ordinal
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/humanize/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/humanize/tests.py
index 7eeaaee594..476de786ce 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/humanize/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/humanize/tests.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from datetime import timedelta, date
+from datetime import timedelta, date, datetime
 
 from django.template import Template, Context, add_to_builtins
 from django.utils import unittest
@@ -72,6 +72,32 @@ class HumanizeTests(unittest.TestCase):
                        someday_result, u"I'm not a date value", None)
         self.humanize_tester(test_list, result_list, 'naturalday')
 
+    def test_naturaltime(self):
+        from django.template import defaultfilters
+        now = datetime.now()
+        seconds_ago = now - timedelta(seconds=30)
+        a_minute_ago = now - timedelta(minutes=1, seconds=30)
+        minutes_ago = now - timedelta(minutes=2)
+        an_hour_ago = now - timedelta(hours=1, minutes=30, seconds=30)
+        hours_ago = now - timedelta(hours=23, minutes=50, seconds=50)
+
+        test_list = (now, a_minute_ago, an_hour_ago)
+        result_list = (_(u'now'), _(u'a minute ago'), _(u'an hour ago'))
+        self.humanize_tester(test_list, result_list, 'naturaltime')
+
+        t = Template('{{ seconds_ago|%s }}' % 'naturaltime')
+        rendered = t.render(Context(locals())).strip()
+        self.assertTrue(u' seconds ago' in rendered)
+
+        t = Template('{{ minutes_ago|%s }}' % 'naturaltime')
+        rendered = t.render(Context(locals())).strip()
+        self.assertTrue(u' minutes ago' in rendered)
+
+        t = Template('{{ hours_ago|%s }}' % 'naturaltime')
+        rendered = t.render(Context(locals())).strip()
+        self.assertTrue(u' hours ago' in rendered)
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()