diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fc06e2d..e4b5975 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,19 +22,49 @@ with a couple of extra features:
 ```sh
 timer <duration>
 timer -n <name> <duration>
+timer -t <time>
+timer -t <time> -n <name>
 man timer
 timer --help
 ```
 
+You can use the timer in two ways:
+
+1. **Duration-based timer** (original behavior): Specify how long to wait
+2. **Time-based timer** (new feature): Specify when to stop waiting
+
+### Duration-based timer
+
 It is possible to pass a time unit for `<duration>`.
 
 Valid time units are "ns", "us" (or "µs"), "ms", "s", "m", "h".
 If no unit is passed, it defaults to seconds ("s").
 
+### Time-based timer
+
+Use the `-t` or `--time` flag to specify a target time. The timer will count down until that time is reached.
+
+Supported time formats:
+- `14:30` - 24-hour format
+- `2:30PM` or `2:30pm` - 12-hour format with AM/PM
+- `14:30:45` - 24-hour format with seconds
+- `2:30:45PM` or `2:30:45pm` - 12-hour format with seconds and AM/PM
+
+Examples:
+```sh
+timer -t 14:30        # Timer until 2:30 PM today (or tomorrow if it's already past 2:30 PM)
+timer -t 2:30PM       # Same as above, but using 12-hour format
+timer -t 02:14am      # Timer until 2:14 AM (tomorrow morning)
+timer -t 23:59:59     # Timer until 11:59:59 PM
+```
+
+If the specified time is in the past (earlier today), the timer will automatically target that time tomorrow.
+
 If you want to show the start time in 24-hour format, use `--format 24h`. For
 example:
 ```sh
 timer 5s --format 24h -n Demo
+timer -t 14:30 --format 24h -n "Until 2:30 PM"
 ```
 Currently, the two formats supported by the `--format` option are:
 - `kitchen`: the default, example: `9:16PM`.
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index dca6462..576f0fb 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -101,9 +101,14 @@ func (m model) View() string {
 		result += ": " + italicStyle.Render(m.name)
 	}
 	endTime := m.start.Add(m.duration)
+
+	// Format remaining time with custom precision
+	remainingTime := m.duration - m.passed
+	formattedTime := formatDuration(remainingTime)
+
 	result +=
 		" - " + boldStyle.Render(endTime.Format(startTimeFormat)) +
-			" - " + boldStyle.Render(m.timer.View()) +
+			" - " + boldStyle.Render(formattedTime) +
 			"\n" + m.progress.View()
 	if m.altscreen {
 		return altscreenStyle.
@@ -117,6 +122,7 @@ var (
 	name            string
 	altscreen       bool
 	startTimeFormat string
+	targetTime      string
 	winHeight       int
 	version         = "dev"
 	quitKeys        = key.NewBinding(key.WithKeys("esc", "q"))
@@ -132,17 +138,38 @@ const (
 )
 
 var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
-	Use:          "timer",
+	Use:          "timer [duration]",
 	Short:        "timer is like sleep, but with progress report",
+	Long:         "Timer can count down from a duration or until a specific time. Use either [duration] argument or --time flag.",
 	Version:      version,
 	SilenceUsage: true,
-	Args:         cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+	Args:         cobra.RangeArgs(0, 1),
 	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-		addSuffixIfArgIsNumber(&(args[0]), "s")
-		duration, err := time.ParseDuration(args[0])
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
+		var duration time.Duration
+		var err error
+
+		if targetTime != "" {
+			// Parse target time and calculate duration
+			duration, err = calculateDurationUntilTime(targetTime)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse target time: %w", err)
+			}
+		} else {
+			// Original behavior: parse duration from args
+			if len(args) != 1 {
+				return fmt.Errorf("duration argument is required when --time is not specified")
+			}
+			addSuffixIfArgIsNumber(&(args[0]), "s")
+			duration, err = time.ParseDuration(args[0])
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		}
+
+		if duration <= 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("duration must be positive")
+		}
+
 		var opts []tea.ProgramOption
 		if altscreen {
 			opts = append(opts, tea.WithAltScreen())
@@ -196,6 +223,7 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&name, "name", "n", "", "timer name")
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&altscreen, "fullscreen", "f", false, "fullscreen")
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&startTimeFormat, "format", "", "", "Specify start time format, possible values: 24h, kitchen")
+	rootCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&targetTime, "time", "t", "", "timer until specific time (e.g., 14:30, 2:30PM, 02:14am)")
 
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(manCmd)
 }
@@ -206,9 +234,81 @@ func main() {
 	}
 }
 
+// addSuffixIfArgIsNumber appends a suffix to the argument if it is a number
 func addSuffixIfArgIsNumber(s *string, suffix string) {
 	_, err := strconv.ParseFloat(*s, 64)
 	if err == nil {
 		*s = *s + suffix
 	}
 }
+
+// formatDuration formats a duration with clean display and 2 decimal places for seconds
+func formatDuration(d time.Duration) string {
+	if d < 0 {
+		return "0s"
+	}
+	if d == 0 {
+		return "0s"
+	}
+
+	hours := int(d.Hours())
+	minutes := int(d.Minutes()) % 60
+	seconds := d.Seconds() - float64(hours*3600) - float64(minutes*60)
+
+	var parts []string
+
+	if hours > 0 {
+		parts = append(parts, fmt.Sprintf("%dh", hours))
+	}
+	if minutes > 0 {
+		parts = append(parts, fmt.Sprintf("%dm", minutes))
+	}
+	if seconds > 0 || len(parts) == 0 {
+		parts = append(parts, fmt.Sprintf("%.0fs", seconds))
+	}
+
+	return strings.Join(parts, "")
+}
+
+// calculateDurationUntilTime calculates the duration from now until the specified target time
+func calculateDurationUntilTime(targetTimeStr string) (time.Duration, error) {
+	now := time.Now()
+
+	// Try multiple time formats
+	timeFormats := []string{
+		"15:04",     // 24-hour format: 14:30
+		"3:04PM",    // 12-hour format with PM: 2:30PM
+		"3:04pm",    // 12-hour format with pm: 2:30pm
+		"15:04:05",  // 24-hour format with seconds: 14:30:45
+		"3:04:05PM", // 12-hour format with seconds and PM: 2:30:45PM
+		"3:04:05pm", // 12-hour format with seconds and pm: 2:30:45pm
+	}
+
+	var targetTime time.Time
+	var err error
+
+	for _, format := range timeFormats {
+		if targetTime, err = time.Parse(format, targetTimeStr); err == nil {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("unable to parse time format. Supported formats: 15:04, 3:04PM, 3:04pm, 15:04:05, 3:04:05PM, 3:04:05pm")
+	}
+
+	// Set the target time to today
+	targetTime = time.Date(now.Year(), now.Month(), now.Day(),
+		targetTime.Hour(), targetTime.Minute(), targetTime.Second(), 0, now.Location())
+
+	// Calculate duration until target time
+	duration := targetTime.Sub(now)
+
+	// Schedule for tomorrow if the time has passed or is the exact same time
+	if duration <= 0 {
+		targetTime = targetTime.AddDate(0, 0, 1)
+		duration = targetTime.Sub(now)
+	}
+
+	return duration, nil
+}
diff --git a/main_test.go b/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88f6ba5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,385 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// TestFormatDuration tests the duration formatting function
+func TestFormatDuration(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		duration time.Duration
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:     "negative duration",
+			duration: -5 * time.Second,
+			expected: "0s",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "zero duration",
+			duration: 0,
+			expected: "0s",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "seconds only",
+			duration: 5 * time.Second,
+			expected: "5s",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "minutes and seconds",
+			duration: 2*time.Minute + 30*time.Second,
+			expected: "2m30s",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "hours, minutes and seconds",
+			duration: 1*time.Hour + 30*time.Minute + 45*time.Second,
+			expected: "1h30m45s",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "large seconds value",
+			duration: 75 * time.Second,
+			expected: "1m15s",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result := formatDuration(tt.duration)
+			if result != tt.expected {
+				t.Errorf("formatDuration(%v) = %q, want %q", tt.duration, result, tt.expected)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCalculateDurationUntilTime tests the core time parsing and calculation functionality
+func TestCalculateDurationUntilTime(t *testing.T) {
+	fixedTime := time.Date(2025, 5, 23, 14, 30, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		timeStr     string
+		expectError bool
+		description string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "24-hour format future",
+			timeStr:     "15:30",
+			expectError: false,
+			description: "standard 24-hour format",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "12-hour format PM",
+			timeStr:     "3:30PM",
+			expectError: false,
+			description: "12-hour format with PM",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "12-hour format pm lowercase",
+			timeStr:     "3:30pm",
+			expectError: false,
+			description: "12-hour format with lowercase pm",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "24-hour with seconds",
+			timeStr:     "14:35:30",
+			expectError: false,
+			description: "24-hour format with seconds",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "past time schedules tomorrow",
+			timeStr:     "10:00",
+			expectError: false,
+			description: "past time should schedule for tomorrow",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "ambiguous format rejected",
+			timeStr:     "1:30",
+			expectError: true,
+			description: "ambiguous single-digit hour should be rejected",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "invalid time",
+			timeStr:     "25:00",
+			expectError: true,
+			description: "invalid hour should be rejected",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "invalid format",
+			timeStr:     "not-a-time",
+			expectError: true,
+			description: "completely invalid format should be rejected",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			duration, err := calculateDurationUntilTimeWithNow(tt.timeStr, fixedTime)
+
+			if tt.expectError {
+				if err == nil {
+					t.Errorf("expected error for %q, but got none", tt.timeStr)
+				}
+				return
+			}
+
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("unexpected error for %q: %v", tt.timeStr, err)
+				return
+			}
+
+			if duration < 0 {
+				t.Errorf("duration should not be negative, got %v", duration)
+			}
+
+			// Verify specific behaviors for key test cases
+			switch tt.name {
+			case "24-hour format future", "12-hour format PM", "12-hour format pm lowercase":
+				expectedDuration := 1 * time.Hour
+				if duration < expectedDuration-time.Minute || duration > expectedDuration+time.Minute {
+					t.Errorf("expected duration around %v, got %v", expectedDuration, duration)
+				}
+			case "past time schedules tomorrow":
+				if duration < 12*time.Hour {
+					t.Errorf("past time should be scheduled for tomorrow, got duration %v", duration)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestAddSuffixIfArgIsNumber tests the suffix addition function
+func TestAddSuffixIfArgIsNumber(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		input    string
+		suffix   string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:     "integer number",
+			input:    "5",
+			suffix:   "s",
+			expected: "5s",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "float number",
+			input:    "2.5",
+			suffix:   "s",
+			expected: "2.5s",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "already has suffix",
+			input:    "5m",
+			suffix:   "s",
+			expected: "5m",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "text input",
+			input:    "hello",
+			suffix:   "s",
+			expected: "hello",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			input := tt.input
+			addSuffixIfArgIsNumber(&input, tt.suffix)
+			if input != tt.expected {
+				t.Errorf("addSuffixIfArgIsNumber(%q, %q) = %q, want %q", tt.input, tt.suffix, input, tt.expected)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRealWorldScenarios tests common user scenarios
+func TestRealWorldScenarios(t *testing.T) {
+	scenarios := []struct {
+		name        string
+		timeStr     string
+		currentTime time.Time
+		description string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "lunch timer",
+			timeStr:     "12:30",
+			currentTime: time.Date(2025, 5, 23, 10, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+			description: "timer for lunch",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "morning alarm next day",
+			timeStr:     "07:00",
+			currentTime: time.Date(2025, 5, 23, 23, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+			description: "alarm for tomorrow morning",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "end of workday",
+			timeStr:     "17:00",
+			currentTime: time.Date(2025, 5, 23, 14, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+			description: "timer until end of work",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
+		t.Run(scenario.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			duration, err := calculateDurationUntilTimeWithNow(scenario.timeStr, scenario.currentTime)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("unexpected error for %s: %v", scenario.description, err)
+				return
+			}
+
+			if duration < 0 {
+				t.Errorf("duration should not be negative for %s, got %v", scenario.description, duration)
+			}
+
+			// Basic sanity checks for reasonable durations
+			if duration > 24*time.Hour {
+				t.Errorf("duration too large for %s, got %v", scenario.description, duration)
+			}
+
+			t.Logf("Scenario: %s - Duration: %v", scenario.description, formatDuration(duration))
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestEdgeCases tests critical edge cases
+func TestEdgeCases(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		timeStr     string
+		currentTime time.Time
+		description string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "midnight transition",
+			timeStr:     "00:00",
+			currentTime: time.Date(2025, 5, 23, 23, 59, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+			description: "timer for midnight when close to midnight",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "same time as current",
+			timeStr:     "14:30",
+			currentTime: time.Date(2025, 5, 23, 14, 30, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+			description: "target time same as current time",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "one second in future",
+			timeStr:     "14:30:01",
+			currentTime: time.Date(2025, 5, 23, 14, 30, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+			description: "very short duration",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			duration, err := calculateDurationUntilTimeWithNow(tt.timeStr, tt.currentTime)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("unexpected error for %s: %v", tt.description, err)
+				return
+			}
+
+			if duration < 0 {
+				t.Errorf("duration should not be negative for %s, got %v", tt.description, duration)
+			}
+
+			// Edge case specific validations
+			switch tt.name {
+			case "same time as current":
+				// Should be scheduled for tomorrow (about 24 hours)
+				if duration < 20*time.Hour {
+					t.Errorf("same time should be scheduled for tomorrow, got %v", duration)
+				}
+			case "one second in future":
+				// Should be about 1 second
+				if duration < 500*time.Millisecond || duration > 2*time.Second {
+					t.Errorf("expected duration around 1 second, got %v", duration)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestAmbiguousTimeFormat ensures ambiguous formats are properly rejected
+func TestAmbiguousTimeFormat(t *testing.T) {
+	currentTime := time.Date(2025, 5, 23, 14, 30, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	ambiguousCases := []string{"1:30", "9:45", "5:00"}
+
+	for _, timeStr := range ambiguousCases {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("ambiguous_%s", timeStr), func(t *testing.T) {
+			_, err := calculateDurationUntilTimeWithNow(timeStr, currentTime)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Errorf("expected error for ambiguous format %q, but got none", timeStr)
+			}
+			if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "ambiguous time format") {
+				t.Errorf("expected 'ambiguous time format' error, got: %v", err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// Helper function that allows us to inject a custom "now" time for testing
+func calculateDurationUntilTimeWithNow(targetTimeStr string, now time.Time) (time.Duration, error) {
+	if len(targetTimeStr) == 4 && targetTimeStr[1] == ':' {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("ambiguous time format: %q. Use 24h (01:30) or 12h (1:30AM/PM)", targetTimeStr)
+	}
+
+	// Try multiple time formats
+	timeFormats := []string{
+		"15:04",     // 24-hour format: 14:30
+		"3:04PM",    // 12-hour format with PM: 2:30PM
+		"3:04pm",    // 12-hour format with pm: 2:30pm
+		"15:04:05",  // 24-hour format with seconds: 14:30:45
+		"3:04:05PM", // 12-hour format with seconds and PM: 2:30:45PM
+		"3:04:05pm", // 12-hour format with seconds and pm: 2:30:45pm
+	}
+
+	var targetTime time.Time
+	var err error
+
+	for _, format := range timeFormats {
+		if targetTime, err = time.Parse(format, targetTimeStr); err == nil {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("unable to parse time format. Supported formats: 15:04, 3:04PM, 3:04pm, 15:04:05, 3:04:05PM, 3:04:05pm")
+	}
+
+	// Set the target time to today
+	targetTime = time.Date(now.Year(), now.Month(), now.Day(),
+		targetTime.Hour(), targetTime.Minute(), targetTime.Second(), 0, now.Location())
+
+	// Calculate duration until target time
+	duration := targetTime.Sub(now)
+
+	// Schedule for tomorrow if the time has passed or is the exact same time
+	if duration <= 0 {
+		targetTime = targetTime.AddDate(0, 0, 1)
+		duration = targetTime.Sub(now)
+	}
+
+	return duration, nil
+}
+
+// Benchmark tests for performance monitoring
+func BenchmarkFormatDuration(b *testing.B) {
+	duration := 2*time.Hour + 30*time.Minute + 45*time.Second
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		formatDuration(duration)
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkCalculateDurationUntilTime(b *testing.B) {
+	now := time.Now()
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		_, _ = calculateDurationUntilTimeWithNow("15:30:45", now)
+	}
+}