diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/error.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/error.rs
index 0446c24fb1..be1daf483a 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/error.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/error.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ use crate::token_data::KnownPlan;
 use crate::token_data::PlanType;
 use crate::truncate::truncate_middle;
 use chrono::DateTime;
+use chrono::Datelike;
+use chrono::Local;
 use chrono::Utc;
 use codex_async_utils::CancelErr;
 use codex_protocol::ConversationId;
@@ -286,28 +288,46 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for UsageLimitReachedError {
 }
 
 fn retry_suffix(resets_at: Option<&DateTime<Utc>>) -> String {
-    if let Some(secs) = remaining_seconds(resets_at) {
-        let reset_duration = format_reset_duration(secs);
-        format!(" Try again in {reset_duration}.")
+    if let Some(resets_at) = resets_at {
+        let formatted = format_retry_timestamp(resets_at);
+        format!(" Try again at {formatted}.")
     } else {
         " Try again later.".to_string()
     }
 }
 
 fn retry_suffix_after_or(resets_at: Option<&DateTime<Utc>>) -> String {
-    if let Some(secs) = remaining_seconds(resets_at) {
-        let reset_duration = format_reset_duration(secs);
-        format!(" or try again in {reset_duration}.")
+    if let Some(resets_at) = resets_at {
+        let formatted = format_retry_timestamp(resets_at);
+        format!(" or try again at {formatted}.")
     } else {
         " or try again later.".to_string()
     }
 }
 
-fn remaining_seconds(resets_at: Option<&DateTime<Utc>>) -> Option<u64> {
-    let resets_at = resets_at.cloned()?;
-    let now = now_for_retry();
-    let secs = resets_at.signed_duration_since(now).num_seconds();
-    Some(if secs <= 0 { 0 } else { secs as u64 })
+fn format_retry_timestamp(resets_at: &DateTime<Utc>) -> String {
+    let local_reset = resets_at.with_timezone(&Local);
+    let local_now = now_for_retry().with_timezone(&Local);
+    if local_reset.date_naive() == local_now.date_naive() {
+        local_reset.format("%-I:%M %p").to_string()
+    } else {
+        let suffix = day_suffix(local_reset.day());
+        local_reset
+            .format(&format!("%b %-d{suffix}, %Y %-I:%M %p"))
+            .to_string()
+    }
+}
+
+fn day_suffix(day: u32) -> &'static str {
+    match day {
+        11..=13 => "th",
+        _ => match day % 10 {
+            1 => "st",
+            2 => "nd", // codespell:ignore
+            3 => "rd",
+            _ => "th",
+        },
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -326,36 +346,6 @@ fn now_for_retry() -> DateTime<Utc> {
     Utc::now()
 }
 
-fn format_reset_duration(total_secs: u64) -> String {
-    let days = total_secs / 86_400;
-    let hours = (total_secs % 86_400) / 3_600;
-    let minutes = (total_secs % 3_600) / 60;
-
-    let mut parts: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
-    if days > 0 {
-        let unit = if days == 1 { "day" } else { "days" };
-        parts.push(format!("{days} {unit}"));
-    }
-    if hours > 0 {
-        let unit = if hours == 1 { "hour" } else { "hours" };
-        parts.push(format!("{hours} {unit}"));
-    }
-    if minutes > 0 {
-        let unit = if minutes == 1 { "minute" } else { "minutes" };
-        parts.push(format!("{minutes} {unit}"));
-    }
-
-    if parts.is_empty() {
-        return "less than a minute".to_string();
-    }
-
-    match parts.len() {
-        1 => parts[0].clone(),
-        2 => format!("{} {}", parts[0], parts[1]),
-        _ => format!("{} {} {}", parts[0], parts[1], parts[2]),
-    }
-}
-
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct EnvVarError {
     /// Name of the environment variable that is missing.
@@ -572,15 +562,16 @@ mod tests {
         let base = Utc.with_ymd_and_hms(2024, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0).unwrap();
         let resets_at = base + ChronoDuration::hours(1);
         with_now_override(base, move || {
+            let expected_time = format_retry_timestamp(&resets_at);
             let err = UsageLimitReachedError {
                 plan_type: Some(PlanType::Known(KnownPlan::Team)),
                 resets_at: Some(resets_at),
                 rate_limits: Some(rate_limit_snapshot()),
             };
-            assert_eq!(
-                err.to_string(),
-                "You've hit your usage limit. To get more access now, send a request to your admin or try again in 1 hour."
+            let expected = format!(
+                "You've hit your usage limit. To get more access now, send a request to your admin or try again at {expected_time}."
             );
+            assert_eq!(err.to_string(), expected);
         });
     }
 
@@ -615,15 +606,16 @@ mod tests {
         let base = Utc.with_ymd_and_hms(2024, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0).unwrap();
         let resets_at = base + ChronoDuration::hours(1);
         with_now_override(base, move || {
+            let expected_time = format_retry_timestamp(&resets_at);
             let err = UsageLimitReachedError {
                 plan_type: Some(PlanType::Known(KnownPlan::Pro)),
                 resets_at: Some(resets_at),
                 rate_limits: Some(rate_limit_snapshot()),
             };
-            assert_eq!(
-                err.to_string(),
-                "You've hit your usage limit. Visit chatgpt.com/codex/settings/usage to purchase more credits or try again in 1 hour."
+            let expected = format!(
+                "You've hit your usage limit. Visit chatgpt.com/codex/settings/usage to purchase more credits or try again at {expected_time}."
             );
+            assert_eq!(err.to_string(), expected);
         });
     }
 
@@ -632,15 +624,14 @@ mod tests {
         let base = Utc.with_ymd_and_hms(2024, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0).unwrap();
         let resets_at = base + ChronoDuration::minutes(5);
         with_now_override(base, move || {
+            let expected_time = format_retry_timestamp(&resets_at);
             let err = UsageLimitReachedError {
                 plan_type: None,
                 resets_at: Some(resets_at),
                 rate_limits: Some(rate_limit_snapshot()),
             };
-            assert_eq!(
-                err.to_string(),
-                "You've hit your usage limit. Try again in 5 minutes."
-            );
+            let expected = format!("You've hit your usage limit. Try again at {expected_time}.");
+            assert_eq!(err.to_string(), expected);
         });
     }
 
@@ -649,15 +640,16 @@ mod tests {
         let base = Utc.with_ymd_and_hms(2024, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0).unwrap();
         let resets_at = base + ChronoDuration::hours(3) + ChronoDuration::minutes(32);
         with_now_override(base, move || {
+            let expected_time = format_retry_timestamp(&resets_at);
             let err = UsageLimitReachedError {
                 plan_type: Some(PlanType::Known(KnownPlan::Plus)),
                 resets_at: Some(resets_at),
                 rate_limits: Some(rate_limit_snapshot()),
             };
-            assert_eq!(
-                err.to_string(),
-                "You've hit your usage limit. Upgrade to Pro (https://openai.com/chatgpt/pricing), visit chatgpt.com/codex/settings/usage to purchase more credits or try again in 3 hours 32 minutes."
+            let expected = format!(
+                "You've hit your usage limit. Upgrade to Pro (https://openai.com/chatgpt/pricing), visit chatgpt.com/codex/settings/usage to purchase more credits or try again at {expected_time}."
             );
+            assert_eq!(err.to_string(), expected);
         });
     }
 
@@ -667,15 +659,14 @@ mod tests {
         let resets_at =
             base + ChronoDuration::days(2) + ChronoDuration::hours(3) + ChronoDuration::minutes(5);
         with_now_override(base, move || {
+            let expected_time = format_retry_timestamp(&resets_at);
             let err = UsageLimitReachedError {
                 plan_type: None,
                 resets_at: Some(resets_at),
                 rate_limits: Some(rate_limit_snapshot()),
             };
-            assert_eq!(
-                err.to_string(),
-                "You've hit your usage limit. Try again in 2 days 3 hours 5 minutes."
-            );
+            let expected = format!("You've hit your usage limit. Try again at {expected_time}.");
+            assert_eq!(err.to_string(), expected);
         });
     }
 
@@ -684,15 +675,14 @@ mod tests {
         let base = Utc.with_ymd_and_hms(2024, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0).unwrap();
         let resets_at = base + ChronoDuration::seconds(30);
         with_now_override(base, move || {
+            let expected_time = format_retry_timestamp(&resets_at);
             let err = UsageLimitReachedError {
                 plan_type: None,
                 resets_at: Some(resets_at),
                 rate_limits: Some(rate_limit_snapshot()),
             };
-            assert_eq!(
-                err.to_string(),
-                "You've hit your usage limit. Try again in less than a minute."
-            );
+            let expected = format!("You've hit your usage limit. Try again at {expected_time}.");
+            assert_eq!(err.to_string(), expected);
         });
     }
 }