diff --git a/str.h b/str.h
index 575a72f..9ea533e 100644
--- a/str.h
+++ b/str.h
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@
 #define	TIME_AHMS	2 /* 1h10m37s	*/
 #define	TIME_AHM	3 /* 1h10w	*/
 
+#define TIMEFMT_FOR_EDIT(f)			\
+		(  (f) == TIME_HMS  ? TIME_HMS	\
+		 : (f) == TIME_HM   ? TIME_HMS	\
+		 : (f) == TIME_AHMS ? TIME_AHMS	\
+		 : (f) == TIME_AHM  ? TIME_AHMS	\
+		 : 0)
+
 size_t	 tokenise	(const wchar_t *, wchar_t ***result);
 void	 tokfree	(wchar_t ***);
 time_t	 parsetime	(const wchar_t *);
diff --git a/ui.c b/ui.c
index 48c6ef7..40a269f 100644
--- a/ui.c
+++ b/ui.c
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ wchar_t	*defstr = NULL;
 wchar_t	*tstr;
 time_t	 ret;
 
-	defstr = maketime(def, TIME_AHMS);
+	defstr = maketime(def, TIMEFMT_FOR_EDIT(time_format));
 
 	if ((tstr = prompt(pr, defstr, NULL)) == NULL) {
 		free(defstr);