diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/util/TimeUtil.java b/src/java/com/threerings/util/TimeUtil.java
index 9c88cc307..eaa5ea7eb 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/util/TimeUtil.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/util/TimeUtil.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: TimeUtil.java,v 1.4 2004/08/27 02:20:36 mdb Exp $
+// $Id$
 //
 // Narya library - tools for developing networked games
 // Copyright (C) 2002-2004 Three Rings Design, Inc., All Rights Reserved
@@ -21,95 +21,128 @@
 
 package com.threerings.util;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+
 /**
  * Utility for times.
  */
 public class TimeUtil
 {
-    /** Granularity constant. */
+    /** Time unit constant. */
     public static final byte MILLISECOND = 0;
 
-    /** Granularity constant. */
+    /** Time unit constant. */
     public static final byte SECOND = 1;
 
-    /** Granularity constant. */
+    /** Time unit constant. */
     public static final byte MINUTE = 2;
 
-    /** Granularity constant. */
+    /** Time unit constant. */
     public static final byte HOUR = 3;
 
-    /** Granularity constant. */
+    /** Time unit constant. */
     public static final byte DAY = 4;
 
     // TODO: Weeks?, months?
+    protected static final byte MAX_UNIT = DAY;
 
     /**
      * Get a translatable string specifying the magnitude of the specified
      * duration. Results will be between "1 second" and "X hours", with
-     * all times rounded to the nearest unit.
+     * all times rounded to the nearest unit. "0 units" will never be
+     * displayed, the minimum is 1.
      */
-    public static String getTimeOrderString (
-        long duration, byte minGranularity)
+    public static String getTimeOrderString (long duration, byte minUnit)
     {
-        return getTimeOrderString(duration, minGranularity, Byte.MAX_VALUE);
+        return getTimeOrderString(duration, minUnit, MAX_UNIT);
     }
 
     /**
      * Get a translatable string specifying the magnitude of the specified
      * duration, with the units of time bounded between the minimum and
-     * maximum specified.
+     * maximum specified. "0 units" will never be returned, the minimum is 1.
      */
     public static String getTimeOrderString (
-        long duration, byte minGranularity, byte maxGranularity)
+        long duration, byte minUnit, byte maxUnit)
     {
         // enforce sanity
-        minGranularity = (byte) Math.min(minGranularity, maxGranularity);
+        minUnit = (byte) Math.min(minUnit, maxUnit);
+        maxUnit = (byte) Math.min(maxUnit, MAX_UNIT);
 
-        if (minGranularity == MILLISECOND) {
-            if (duration < 2) {
-                return "m.1millisecond";
-            } else if (duration < 1000 || maxGranularity == MILLISECOND) {
-                return MessageBundle.tcompose("m.milliseconds",
-                    String.valueOf(duration));
+        for (byte uu = MILLISECOND; uu <= MAX_UNIT; uu++) {
+            int quantity = getQuantityPerUnit(uu);
+            if ((minUnit <= uu) && (duration < quantity || maxUnit == uu)) {
+                duration = Math.max(1, duration);
+                return MessageBundle.tcompose(getTransKey(uu),
+                        String.valueOf(duration));
+            }
+            duration = Math.round(duration / quantity);
+        }
+
+        // will not happen, because eventually gg will be MAX_UNIT
+        Thread.dumpStack();
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get a translatable string specifying the duration, down to the
+     * minimum granularity.
+     */
+    public static String getTimeString (long duration, byte minUnit)
+    {
+        // sanity
+        minUnit = (byte) Math.min(minUnit, MAX_UNIT);
+        duration = Math.abs(duration);
+
+        ArrayList list = new ArrayList();
+        int parts = 0; // how many parts are in the translation string?
+        for (byte uu = MILLISECOND; uu <= MAX_UNIT; uu++) {
+            int quantity = getQuantityPerUnit(uu);
+            if (minUnit <= uu) {
+                list.add(MessageBundle.tcompose(getTransKey(uu),
+                            String.valueOf(duration % quantity)));
+                parts++;
+            }
+            duration /= quantity;
+            if (duration <= 0 && parts > 0) {
+                break;
             }
         }
 
-        int seconds = (int) Math.round(duration / 1000f);
-        if (minGranularity <= SECOND) {
-            if (seconds < 2) {
-                return "m.1second";
-            } else if (seconds < 60 || maxGranularity == SECOND) {
-                return MessageBundle.tcompose("m.seconds",
-                    String.valueOf(seconds));
-            }
-        }
-
-        int minutes = (int) Math.round(seconds / 60f);
-        if (minGranularity <= MINUTE) {
-            if (minutes < 2) {
-                return "m.1minute";
-            } else if (minutes < 60 || maxGranularity == MINUTE) {
-                return MessageBundle.tcompose("m.minutes",
-                    String.valueOf(minutes));
-            }
-        }
-
-        int hours = (int) Math.round(minutes / 60f);
-        if (minGranularity <= HOUR) {
-            if (hours < 2) {
-                return "m.1hour";
-            } else if (hours < 24 || maxGranularity == HOUR) {
-                return MessageBundle.tcompose("m.hours", String.valueOf(hours));
-            }
-        }
-
-        int days = (int) Math.round(hours / 24f);
-        if (days < 2) {
-            return "m.1day";
+        if (parts == 1) {
+            return (String) list.get(0);
         } else {
-            return MessageBundle.tcompose("m.days", String.valueOf(days));
+            return MessageBundle.compose("m.times_" + parts, list.toArray());
         }
+    }
 
-        // TODO: weeks? months? 
+    /**
+     * Internal method to get the quantity for the specified unit.
+     * (Not very OO)
+     */
+    protected static int getQuantityPerUnit (byte unit)
+    {
+        switch (unit) {
+        case MILLISECOND: return 1000;
+        case SECOND: case MINUTE: return 60;
+        case HOUR: return 24;
+        default: return -1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Internal method to get the translation key for the specified unit.
+     * (Not very OO)
+     */
+    protected static String getTransKey (byte unit)
+    {
+        switch (unit) {
+        case MILLISECOND: return "m.millisecond";
+        case SECOND: return "m.second";
+        case MINUTE: return "m.minute";
+        case HOUR: return "m.hour";
+        case DAY: return "m.day";
+        default: return null;
+        }
     }
 }