diff --git a/lib/utils.py b/lib/utils.py
index a1fd259e0b065e8c0e4cb98fbf3c1448513e7f49..ffb8b70f20531225ae9010259ac1a45d02642e73 100644
--- a/lib/utils.py
+++ b/lib/utils.py
@@ -3188,6 +3188,31 @@ def FormatTime(val):
   return time.strftime("%F %T", time.localtime(val))
 
 
+def FormatSeconds(secs):
+  """Formats seconds for easier reading.
+
+  @type secs: number
+  @param secs: Number of seconds
+  @rtype: string
+  @return: Formatted seconds (e.g. "2d 9h 19m 49s")
+
+  """
+  parts = []
+
+  secs = round(secs, 0)
+
+  if secs > 0:
+    # Negative values would be a bit tricky
+    for unit, one in [("d", 24 * 60 * 60), ("h", 60 * 60), ("m", 60)]:
+      (complete, secs) = divmod(secs, one)
+      if complete or parts:
+        parts.append("%d%s" % (complete, unit))
+
+  parts.append("%ds" % secs)
+
+  return " ".join(parts)
+
+
 def ReadWatcherPauseFile(filename, now=None, remove_after=3600):
   """Reads the watcher pause file.
 
diff --git a/test/ganeti.utils_unittest.py b/test/ganeti.utils_unittest.py
index 2c964d57c5ecec95949c08457deec77bf42265bb..68ef826727b036ca0718b1e7d05a729ef4ff31a0 100755
--- a/test/ganeti.utils_unittest.py
+++ b/test/ganeti.utils_unittest.py
@@ -2364,5 +2364,27 @@ class TestEnsureDirs(unittest.TestCase):
     os.rmdir(self.dir)
     os.umask(self.old_umask)
 
+
+class TestFormatSeconds(unittest.TestCase):
+  def test(self):
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(1), "1s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(3600), "1h 0m 0s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(3599), "59m 59s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(7200), "2h 0m 0s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(7201), "2h 0m 1s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(7281), "2h 1m 21s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(29119), "8h 5m 19s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(19431228), "224d 21h 33m 48s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(-1), "-1s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(-282), "-282s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(-29119), "-29119s")
+
+  def testFloat(self):
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(1.3), "1s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(1.9), "2s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(3912.12311), "1h 5m 12s")
+    self.assertEqual(utils.FormatSeconds(3912.8), "1h 5m 13s")
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
   testutils.GanetiTestProgram()