diff --git a/t/t0006-date.sh b/t/t0006-date.sh
index ffb2975e48..f208a80867 100755
--- a/t/t0006-date.sh
+++ b/t/t0006-date.sh
@@ -40,6 +40,16 @@ check_show () {
 	'
 }
 
+check_human_date () {
+	time=$1
+	expect=$2
+	test_expect_success "check date ($format:$time)" '
+		echo "$time -> $expect" >expect &&
+		TZ=${zone:-$TZ} test-tool date show:"$format" "$time" >actual &&
+		grep "$expect" actual 
+	'
+}
+
 # arbitrary but sensible time for examples
 TIME='1466000000 +0200'
 check_show iso8601 "$TIME" '2016-06-15 16:13:20 +0200'
@@ -52,6 +62,20 @@ check_show unix "$TIME" '1466000000'
 check_show iso-local "$TIME" '2016-06-15 14:13:20 +0000'
 check_show raw-local "$TIME" '1466000000 +0000'
 check_show unix-local "$TIME" '1466000000'
+check_show human "$TIME" 'Jun 15 2016'
+
+# Subtract some known constant time and look for expected field format
+TODAY_REGEX='5 hours ago'
+THIS_YEAR_REGEX='[A-Z][a-z][a-z] [A-Z][a-z][a-z] [0-9]* [012][0-9]:[0-6][0-9]'
+MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX='[A-Z][a-z][a-z] [A-Z][a-z][a-z] [0-9]* [0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]'
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-18000)) +0200" $TODAY_REGEX # 5 hours ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-432000)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX  # 5 days ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-1728000)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX # 3 weeks ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-13000000)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX # 5 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-31449600)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX # 12 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-37500000)) +0200" $MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX # 1 year, 2 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-55188000)) +0200" $MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX # 1 year, 9 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-630000000)) +0200" $MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX # 20 years ago
 
 check_show 'format:%z' "$TIME" '+0200'
 check_show 'format-local:%z' "$TIME" '+0000'
diff --git a/t/t4202-log.sh b/t/t4202-log.sh
index 819c24d10e..d7f3b73650 100755
--- a/t/t4202-log.sh
+++ b/t/t4202-log.sh
@@ -1707,4 +1707,28 @@ test_expect_success '--exclude-promisor-objects does not BUG-crash' '
 	test_must_fail git log --exclude-promisor-objects source-a
 '
 
+check_human_date() {
+	commit_date=$1
+	expect=$2
+	test_expect_success "$commit_date" "
+		echo $expect $commit_date >dates && 
+		git add dates &&
+		git commit -m 'Expect String' --date=\"$commit_date\" dates &&
+		git log -1 --date=human | grep \"^Date:\" >actual &&
+		grep \"$expect\" actual
+"
+}
+
+TODAY_REGEX='[A-Z][a-z][a-z] [012][0-9]:[0-6][0-9] .0200'
+THIS_YEAR_REGEX='[A-Z][a-z][a-z] [A-Z][a-z][a-z] [0-9]* [012][0-9]:[0-6][0-9]'
+MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX='[A-Z][a-z][a-z] [A-Z][a-z][a-z] [0-9]* [0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]'
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-18000)) +0200" $TODAY_REGEX # 5 hours ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-432000)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX  # 5 days ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-1728000)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX # 3 weeks ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-13000000)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX # 5 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-31449600)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX # 12 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-37500000)) +0200" $MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX # 1 year, 2 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-55188000)) +0200" $MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX # 1 year, 9 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-630000000)) +0200" $MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX # 20 years ago
+
 test_done
diff --git a/t/t7007-show.sh b/t/t7007-show.sh
index 42d3db6246..0a0334a8b5 100755
--- a/t/t7007-show.sh
+++ b/t/t7007-show.sh
@@ -128,4 +128,29 @@ test_expect_success 'show --graph is forbidden' '
   test_must_fail git show --graph HEAD
 '
 
+check_human_date() {
+	commit_date=$1
+	expect=$2
+	test_expect_success "$commit_date" "
+		echo $expect $commit_date >dates && 
+		git add dates &&
+		git commit -m 'Expect String' --date=\"$commit_date\" dates &&
+		git show --date=human | grep \"^Date:\" >actual &&
+		grep \"$expect\" actual
+"
+}
+
+TODAY_REGEX='[A-Z][a-z][a-z] [012][0-9]:[0-6][0-9] .0200'
+THIS_YEAR_REGEX='[A-Z][a-z][a-z] [A-Z][a-z][a-z] [0-9]* [012][0-9]:[0-6][0-9]'
+MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX='[A-Z][a-z][a-z] [A-Z][a-z][a-z] [0-9]* [0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]'
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-18000)) +0200" $TODAY_REGEX # 5 hours ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-432000)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX  # 5 days ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-1728000)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX # 3 weeks ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-13000000)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX # 5 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-31449600)) +0200" $THIS_YEAR_REGEX # 12 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-37500000)) +0200" $MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX # 1 year, 2 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-55188000)) +0200" $MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX # 1 year, 9 months ago
+check_human_date "$(($(date +%s)-630000000)) +0200" $MORE_THAN_A_YEAR_REGEX # 20 years ago
+
+
 test_done
