diff --git a/cmd/nerdctl/image/image_history_test.go b/cmd/nerdctl/image/image_history_test.go
index 16667641600..699a7cf6fe1 100644
--- a/cmd/nerdctl/image/image_history_test.go
+++ b/cmd/nerdctl/image/image_history_test.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/nerdctl/mod/tigron/require"
 	"github.com/containerd/nerdctl/mod/tigron/test"
 
+	"github.com/containerd/nerdctl/v2/pkg/formatter"
 	"github.com/containerd/nerdctl/v2/pkg/testutil"
 	"github.com/containerd/nerdctl/v2/pkg/testutil/nerdtest"
 )
@@ -93,11 +94,6 @@ func TestImageHistory(t *testing.T) {
 					history, err := decode(stdout)
 					assert.NilError(t, err, info)
 					assert.Equal(t, len(history), 2, info)
-					assert.Equal(t, history[0].Size, "0B", info)
-					// FIXME: how is this going to age?
-					assert.Equal(t, history[0].CreatedSince, "4 years ago", info)
-					assert.Equal(t, history[0].Snapshot, "<missing>", info)
-					assert.Equal(t, history[0].Comment, "", info)
 
 					localTimeL1, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, "2021-03-31T10:21:23-07:00")
 					localTimeL2, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, "2021-03-31T10:21:21-07:00")
@@ -108,8 +104,13 @@ func TestImageHistory(t *testing.T) {
 					assert.Equal(t, compTime2.UTC().String(), localTimeL2.UTC().String(), info)
 					assert.Equal(t, history[1].CreatedBy, "/bin/sh -c #(nop) ADD file:3b16ffee2b26d8af5…", info)
 
+					assert.Equal(t, history[0].Size, "0B", info)
+					assert.Equal(t, history[0].CreatedSince, formatter.TimeSinceInHuman(compTime1), info)
+					assert.Equal(t, history[0].Snapshot, "<missing>", info)
+					assert.Equal(t, history[0].Comment, "", info)
+
 					assert.Equal(t, history[1].Size, "5.947MB", info)
-					assert.Equal(t, history[1].CreatedSince, "4 years ago", info)
+					assert.Equal(t, history[1].CreatedSince, formatter.TimeSinceInHuman(compTime2), info)
 					assert.Equal(t, history[1].Snapshot, "sha256:56bf55b8eed1f0b4794a30386e4d1d3da949c…", info)
 					assert.Equal(t, history[1].Comment, "", info)
 				}),
diff --git a/pkg/formatter/formatter_test.go b/pkg/formatter/formatter_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6e039039e11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/formatter/formatter_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+/*
+   Copyright The containerd Authors.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package formatter
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"gotest.tools/v3/assert"
+)
+
+func TestTimeSinceInHuman(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Now()
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		input    time.Time
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:     "1 second ago",
+			input:    now.Add(-1 * time.Second),
+			expected: "1 second ago",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "59 seconds ago",
+			input:    now.Add(-59 * time.Second),
+			expected: "59 seconds ago",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "1 minute ago",
+			input:    now.Add(-1 * time.Minute),
+			expected: "About a minute ago",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "1 hour ago",
+			input:    now.Add(-1 * time.Hour),
+			expected: "About an hour ago",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "1 day ago",
+			input:    now.Add(-24 * time.Hour),
+			expected: "24 hours ago",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "4 days ago",
+			input:    now.Add(-4 * 24 * time.Hour),
+			expected: "4 days ago",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "1 year ago",
+			input:    now.Add(-365 * 24 * time.Hour),
+			expected: "12 months ago",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "4 years ago",
+			input:    now.Add(-4 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour),
+			expected: "4 years ago",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "zero duration",
+			input:    now,
+			expected: "Less than a second ago",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			result := TimeSinceInHuman(tt.input)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expected, result)
+		})
+	}
+}