diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/status_indicator_widget.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/status_indicator_widget.rs
index 8f492c06..5b2fe720 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/status_indicator_widget.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/status_indicator_widget.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,23 @@ pub(crate) struct StatusIndicatorWidget {
     frame_requester: FrameRequester,
 }
 
+// Format elapsed seconds into a compact human-friendly form used by the status line.
+// Examples: 0s, 59s, 1m00s, 59m59s, 1h00m00s, 2h03m09s
+fn fmt_elapsed_compact(elapsed_secs: u64) -> String {
+    if elapsed_secs < 60 {
+        return format!("{elapsed_secs}s");
+    }
+    if elapsed_secs < 3600 {
+        let minutes = elapsed_secs / 60;
+        let seconds = elapsed_secs % 60;
+        return format!("{minutes}m{seconds:02}s");
+    }
+    let hours = elapsed_secs / 3600;
+    let minutes = (elapsed_secs % 3600) / 60;
+    let seconds = elapsed_secs % 60;
+    format!("{hours}h{minutes:02}m{seconds:02}s")
+}
+
 impl StatusIndicatorWidget {
     pub(crate) fn new(app_event_tx: AppEventSender, frame_requester: FrameRequester) -> Self {
         Self {
@@ -136,13 +153,14 @@ impl WidgetRef for StatusIndicatorWidget {
         self.frame_requester
             .schedule_frame_in(Duration::from_millis(32));
         let elapsed = self.elapsed_seconds();
+        let pretty_elapsed = fmt_elapsed_compact(elapsed);
 
         // Plain rendering: no borders or padding so the live cell is visually indistinguishable from terminal scrollback.
         let mut spans = vec![" ".into()];
         spans.extend(shimmer_spans(&self.header));
         spans.extend(vec![
             " ".into(),
-            format!("({elapsed}s • ").dim(),
+            format!("({pretty_elapsed} • ").dim(),
             "Esc".dim().bold(),
             " to interrupt)".dim(),
         ]);
@@ -184,6 +202,22 @@ mod tests {
     use std::time::Instant;
     use tokio::sync::mpsc::unbounded_channel;
 
+    use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn fmt_elapsed_compact_formats_seconds_minutes_hours() {
+        assert_eq!(fmt_elapsed_compact(0), "0s");
+        assert_eq!(fmt_elapsed_compact(1), "1s");
+        assert_eq!(fmt_elapsed_compact(59), "59s");
+        assert_eq!(fmt_elapsed_compact(60), "1m00s");
+        assert_eq!(fmt_elapsed_compact(61), "1m01s");
+        assert_eq!(fmt_elapsed_compact(3 * 60 + 5), "3m05s");
+        assert_eq!(fmt_elapsed_compact(59 * 60 + 59), "59m59s");
+        assert_eq!(fmt_elapsed_compact(3600), "1h00m00s");
+        assert_eq!(fmt_elapsed_compact(3600 + 60 + 1), "1h01m01s");
+        assert_eq!(fmt_elapsed_compact(25 * 3600 + 2 * 60 + 3), "25h02m03s");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn renders_with_working_header() {
         let (tx_raw, _rx) = unbounded_channel::<AppEvent>();