diff --git a/options/options.c b/options/options.c
index ebccc5976f82d..76a929a5ce81b 100644
--- a/options/options.c
+++ b/options/options.c
@@ -405,8 +405,8 @@ const m_option_t mp_opts[] = {
 
     OPT_FLAG("rebase-start-time", rebase_start_time, 0),
 
-    OPT_TIME("ab-loop-a", ab_loop[0], 0, .min = MP_NOPTS_VALUE),
-    OPT_TIME("ab-loop-b", ab_loop[1], 0, .min = MP_NOPTS_VALUE),
+    OPT_REL_TIME("ab-loop-a", ab_loop[0], 0),
+    OPT_REL_TIME("ab-loop-b", ab_loop[1], 0),
 
     OPT_CHOICE_OR_INT("playlist-start", playlist_pos, 0, 0, INT_MAX,
                       ({"auto", -1}, {"no", -1})),
@@ -918,7 +918,6 @@ const struct MPOpts mp_default_opts = {
     .cache_pause = 1,
     .cache_pause_wait = 1.0,
     .chapterrange = {-1, -1},
-    .ab_loop = {MP_NOPTS_VALUE, MP_NOPTS_VALUE},
     .edition_id = -1,
     .default_max_pts_correction = -1,
     .correct_pts = 1,
diff --git a/options/options.h b/options/options.h
index 1c58ca14b1536..75a3bb7688ebf 100644
--- a/options/options.h
+++ b/options/options.h
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ typedef struct MPOpts {
     struct m_rel_time play_length;
     int rebase_start_time;
     int play_frames;
-    double ab_loop[2];
+    struct m_rel_time ab_loop[2];
     double step_sec;
     int position_resume;
     int position_save_on_quit;
diff --git a/player/command.c b/player/command.c
index 67cc1db250209..10d25aeee9be1 100644
--- a/player/command.c
+++ b/player/command.c
@@ -3411,18 +3411,20 @@ static int mp_property_ab_loop(void *ctx, struct m_property *prop,
     struct MPContext *mpctx = ctx;
     struct MPOpts *opts = mpctx->opts;
     if (action == M_PROPERTY_KEY_ACTION) {
-        double val;
+        struct m_rel_time val;
         if (mp_property_generic_option(mpctx, prop, M_PROPERTY_GET, &val) < 1)
             return M_PROPERTY_ERROR;
 
-        return property_time(action, arg, val);
+        double time = rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, val);
+        return property_time(action, arg, time);
     }
     int r = mp_property_generic_option(mpctx, prop, action, arg);
     if (r > 0 && action == M_PROPERTY_SET) {
-        mpctx->ab_loop_clip = mpctx->playback_pts < opts->ab_loop[1];
+        double ab_loop_end_time = rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->ab_loop[1]);
+        mpctx->ab_loop_clip = mpctx->playback_pts < ab_loop_end_time;
         if (strcmp(prop->name, "ab-loop-b") == 0) {
-            if (opts->ab_loop[1] != MP_NOPTS_VALUE &&
-                mpctx->playback_pts <= opts->ab_loop[1])
+            if (ab_loop_end_time != MP_NOPTS_VALUE &&
+                mpctx->playback_pts <= ab_loop_end_time)
                 mpctx->ab_loop_clip = true;
         }
         // Update if visible
@@ -5429,15 +5431,18 @@ int run_command(struct MPContext *mpctx, struct mp_cmd *cmd, struct mpv_node *re
         break;
 
     case MP_CMD_AB_LOOP: {
-        double now = get_current_time(mpctx);
-        if (opts->ab_loop[0] == MP_NOPTS_VALUE) {
+        struct m_rel_time now = {
+            .pos = get_current_time(mpctx),
+            .type = REL_TIME_ABSOLUTE
+        };
+        if (rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->ab_loop[0]) == MP_NOPTS_VALUE) {
             mp_property_do("ab-loop-a", M_PROPERTY_SET, &now, mpctx);
             show_property_osd(mpctx, "ab-loop-a", on_osd);
-        } else if (opts->ab_loop[1] == MP_NOPTS_VALUE) {
+        } else if (rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->ab_loop[1]) == MP_NOPTS_VALUE) {
             mp_property_do("ab-loop-b", M_PROPERTY_SET, &now, mpctx);
             show_property_osd(mpctx, "ab-loop-b", on_osd);
         } else {
-            now = MP_NOPTS_VALUE;
+            now.type = REL_TIME_NONE;
             mp_property_do("ab-loop-a", M_PROPERTY_SET, &now, mpctx);
             mp_property_do("ab-loop-b", M_PROPERTY_SET, &now, mpctx);
             set_osd_msg(mpctx, osdl, osd_duration, "Clear A-B loop");
diff --git a/player/misc.c b/player/misc.c
index 88767ce2d0bc6..8e226f106765c 100644
--- a/player/misc.c
+++ b/player/misc.c
@@ -108,11 +108,13 @@ double get_play_end_pts(struct MPContext *mpctx)
     // even though MP_NOPTS_VALUE is currently negative
     // it doesn't necessarily have to remain that way
     double ab_loop_start_time = get_ab_loop_start_time(mpctx);
-    if (mpctx->ab_loop_clip && opts->ab_loop[1] != MP_NOPTS_VALUE &&
-        (ab_loop_start_time == MP_NOPTS_VALUE || opts->ab_loop[1] > ab_loop_start_time))
+    double ab_loop_end_time = rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->ab_loop[1]);
+    if (mpctx->ab_loop_clip && ab_loop_end_time != MP_NOPTS_VALUE &&
+        (ab_loop_start_time == MP_NOPTS_VALUE ||
+         ab_loop_end_time > ab_loop_start_time))
     {
-        if (end == MP_NOPTS_VALUE || end > opts->ab_loop[1])
-            end = opts->ab_loop[1];
+        if (end == MP_NOPTS_VALUE || end > ab_loop_end_time)
+            end = ab_loop_end_time;
     }
     return end;
 }
@@ -161,10 +163,8 @@ double get_play_start_pts(struct MPContext *mpctx)
 double get_ab_loop_start_time(struct MPContext *mpctx)
 {
     struct MPOpts *opts = mpctx->opts;
-    double ab_loop_start_time;
-    if (opts->ab_loop[0] != MP_NOPTS_VALUE) {
-        ab_loop_start_time = opts->ab_loop[0];
-    } else {
+    double ab_loop_start_time = rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->ab_loop[0]);
+    if (ab_loop_start_time == MP_NOPTS_VALUE) {
         /*
          * There is no check for MP_NOPTS_VALUE here
          * because that's exactly what we want to return
diff --git a/player/osd.c b/player/osd.c
index fd6b421849966..510bdb064a9c9 100644
--- a/player/osd.c
+++ b/player/osd.c
@@ -363,16 +363,17 @@ void set_osd_bar_chapters(struct MPContext *mpctx, int type)
     double len = get_time_length(mpctx);
     if (len > 0) {
         double ab_loop_start_time = get_ab_loop_start_time(mpctx);
-        if (opts->ab_loop[0] != MP_NOPTS_VALUE ||
+        double ab_loop_end_time = rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->ab_loop[1]);
+        if (rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->ab_loop[0]) != MP_NOPTS_VALUE ||
             (ab_loop_start_time != MP_NOPTS_VALUE &&
-               opts->ab_loop[1] != MP_NOPTS_VALUE))
+               ab_loop_end_time != MP_NOPTS_VALUE))
         {
             MP_TARRAY_APPEND(mpctx, mpctx->osd_progbar.stops,
                         mpctx->osd_progbar.num_stops, ab_loop_start_time / len);
         }
-        if (opts->ab_loop[1] != MP_NOPTS_VALUE) {
+        if (ab_loop_end_time != MP_NOPTS_VALUE) {
             MP_TARRAY_APPEND(mpctx, mpctx->osd_progbar.stops,
-                        mpctx->osd_progbar.num_stops, opts->ab_loop[1] / len);
+                        mpctx->osd_progbar.num_stops, ab_loop_end_time / len);
         }
         if (mpctx->osd_progbar.num_stops == 0) {
             int num = get_chapter_count(mpctx);
diff --git a/player/playloop.c b/player/playloop.c
index 852fc7c199cbd..0bee34b2144a1 100644
--- a/player/playloop.c
+++ b/player/playloop.c
@@ -393,7 +393,8 @@ static void mp_seek(MPContext *mpctx, struct seek_params seek)
     mp_notify(mpctx, MPV_EVENT_SEEK, NULL);
     mp_notify(mpctx, MPV_EVENT_TICK, NULL);
 
-    mpctx->ab_loop_clip = mpctx->last_seek_pts < opts->ab_loop[1];
+    mpctx->ab_loop_clip =
+        mpctx->last_seek_pts < rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->ab_loop[1]);
 
     mpctx->current_seek = seek;
 }
@@ -781,7 +782,8 @@ static void handle_loop_file(struct MPContext *mpctx)
     struct MPOpts *opts = mpctx->opts;
 
     if (mpctx->stop_play == AT_END_OF_FILE &&
-        (opts->ab_loop[0] != MP_NOPTS_VALUE || opts->ab_loop[1] != MP_NOPTS_VALUE))
+        (rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->ab_loop[0]) != MP_NOPTS_VALUE ||
+         rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->ab_loop[1]) != MP_NOPTS_VALUE))
     {
         // Assumes execute_queued_seek() happens before next audio/video is
         // attempted to be decoded or filtered.
@@ -1043,7 +1045,8 @@ static void handle_playback_restart(struct MPContext *mpctx)
         }
         mpctx->playing_msg_shown = true;
         mp_wakeup_core(mpctx);
-        mpctx->ab_loop_clip = mpctx->playback_pts < opts->ab_loop[1];
+        mpctx->ab_loop_clip =
+            mpctx->playback_pts < rel_time_to_abs(mpctx, opts->ab_loop[1]);
         MP_VERBOSE(mpctx, "playback restart complete\n");
     }
 }