diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index a1e0a53..2e308d4 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -98,6 +98,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "humantime"
+version = "2.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "9a3a5bfb195931eeb336b2a7b4d761daec841b97f947d34394601737a7bba5e4"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "indexmap"
 version = "1.6.2"
@@ -127,6 +133,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "chrono",
  "clap",
+ "humantime",
  "posixmq",
 ]
 
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 61c7b1f..a7b199d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ anyhow = "1.0"
 clap = "3.0.0-beta.2"
 posixmq = "1.0"
 chrono = "0.4"
+humantime = "2.1"
 
 [package.metadata.deb]
 extended-description = "`mqrs` is a small cli application to handle POSIX message queues."
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 23249a3..f0fce16 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -73,8 +73,7 @@ optional arguments are supported:
   (format: `%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S`)
 - `-p`, `--priority <priority>`: Use priority PRIO, PRIO >= 0
   [default: 0]
-- `-o`, `--timeout <timeout>`: Timeout in `<timeout>[s]` (default) or
-  `<timeout>ms`
+- `-o`, `--timeout <timeout>`: As for example in "5h 23min 42ms"
 
 ### Receive a message from a queue
 Use the `recv` command to receive one or more messages from a message
@@ -84,5 +83,4 @@ queue. Following optional arguments are supported:
 - `-t`, `--timestamp`: Print a timestamp before each message
 - `-d`, `--deadline <deadline>`: Deadline until messages are received
   (format: `%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S`)
-- `-o,` `--timeout <timeout>`: Timeout in `<timeout>[s]` (default) or
-  `<timeout>ms`
+- `-o,` `--timeout <timeout>`: As for example in "5h 23min 42ms"
diff --git a/mqrs.1 b/mqrs.1
index f4af9fc..e2fb028 100644
--- a/mqrs.1
+++ b/mqrs.1
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ Produce verbose output
 Deadline until messages are received (format: "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
 .TP 8
 .B \-o, \-\-timeout \fI<timeout>\fP
-Timeout in "<timeout>[s]" (default) or "<timeout>ms"
+Timeout as for example in "5h 23min 42ms"
 .RE
 .SS send [FLAGS] [OPTIONS] \fI<QUEUE>\fP \fI<MESSAGE>\fP
 Send a message to a message queue.
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ Deadline until messages are received (format: "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
 Use priority PRIO, PRIO >= 0 [default: 0]
 .TP 8
 .B \-o, \-\-timeout \fI<timeout>\fP
-Timeout in "<timeout>[s]" (default) or "<timeout>ms"
+Timeout as for example in "5h 23min 42ms"
 .RE
 .SS unlink [FLAGS] \fI<QUEUE>\fP
 Deletes an existing POSIX message queue.
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 8cf86b7..a8a6481 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ mod info;
 mod recv;
 mod send;
 mod unlink;
-mod utils;
 
 #[derive(Clap, Debug)]
 #[clap(
diff --git a/src/recv.rs b/src/recv.rs
index 8c045d5..afb6758 100644
--- a/src/recv.rs
+++ b/src/recv.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-use crate::utils;
 use anyhow::Result;
 use chrono::{DateTime, Local};
 use clap::Clap;
+use humantime::Duration;
 use posixmq::PosixMq;
 use std::str;
 
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub struct Recv {
     /// Print a timestamp before each message
     #[clap(short, long)]
     pub timestamp: bool,
-    /// Timeout in "<timeout>[s]" (default) or "<timeout>ms"
+    /// Timeout, example "5h 23min 42ms"
     #[clap(short = 'o', long, conflicts_with = "deadline")]
     pub timeout: Option<String>,
     /// Deadline until messages are received (format: "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ impl Recv {
         let mut buf = vec![0; mq.attributes()?.max_msg_len];
 
         if let Some(timeout) = &self.timeout {
-            let (prio, len) = mq.recv_timeout(&mut buf, utils::parse_duration(timeout)?)?;
+            let (prio, len) = mq.recv_timeout(&mut buf, *timeout.parse::<Duration>()?)?;
 
             print_message(verbose, prio, len, self.timestamp, str::from_utf8(&buf)?);
         } else if let Some(deadline) = &self.deadline {
diff --git a/src/send.rs b/src/send.rs
index cd368c1..e9a8d5e 100644
--- a/src/send.rs
+++ b/src/send.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-use crate::utils;
 use anyhow::Result;
 use chrono::DateTime;
 use clap::Clap;
+use humantime::Duration;
 
 /// Send a message to a message queue
 #[derive(Clap, Debug)]
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ pub struct Send {
     /// Do not block
     #[clap(short, long)]
     pub non_blocking: bool,
-    /// Timeout in "<timeout>[s]" (default) or "<timeout>ms"
+    /// Timeout, example "5h 23min 42ms"
     #[clap(short = 'o', long, conflicts_with = "deadline")]
     pub timeout: Option<String>,
     /// Deadline until messages are sent (format: "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ impl Send {
             mq.open(&self.queue)?.send_timeout(
                 self.priority,
                 &self.msg.as_bytes(),
-                utils::parse_duration(timeout)?,
+                *timeout.parse::<Duration>()?,
             )?;
 
             if verbose {
diff --git a/src/utils.rs b/src/utils.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index f810f1e..0000000
--- a/src/utils.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-use anyhow::Result;
-use std::{str, time::Duration};
-
-pub fn parse_duration(timeout: &str) -> Result<Duration> {
-    if timeout.ends_with("ms") {
-        Ok(Duration::from_millis(
-            timeout[0..timeout.len() - 2].parse::<u64>()?,
-        ))
-    } else if timeout.ends_with("s") {
-        Ok(Duration::from_secs(
-            timeout[0..timeout.len() - 1].parse::<u64>()?,
-        ))
-    } else {
-        Ok(Duration::from_secs(timeout.parse::<u64>()?))
-    }
-}