diff --git a/components/gitpod-protocol/go/gitpod-service.go b/components/gitpod-protocol/go/gitpod-service.go
index a6764f5d1947d5..6763ca5326432e 100644
--- a/components/gitpod-protocol/go/gitpod-service.go
+++ b/components/gitpod-protocol/go/gitpod-service.go
@@ -2250,6 +2250,7 @@ type GetTokenSearchOptions struct {
 // SetWorkspaceTimeoutResult is the SetWorkspaceTimeoutResult message type
 type SetWorkspaceTimeoutResult struct {
 	ResetTimeoutOnWorkspaces []string `json:"resetTimeoutOnWorkspaces,omitempty"`
+	HumanReadableDuration    string   `json:"humanReadableDuration,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // UserMessage is the UserMessage message type
diff --git a/components/gitpod-protocol/java/src/main/java/io/gitpod/gitpodprotocol/api/entities/SetWorkspaceTimeoutResult.java b/components/gitpod-protocol/java/src/main/java/io/gitpod/gitpodprotocol/api/entities/SetWorkspaceTimeoutResult.java
index 07419701885d27..4b5d07dad06f5a 100644
--- a/components/gitpod-protocol/java/src/main/java/io/gitpod/gitpodprotocol/api/entities/SetWorkspaceTimeoutResult.java
+++ b/components/gitpod-protocol/java/src/main/java/io/gitpod/gitpodprotocol/api/entities/SetWorkspaceTimeoutResult.java
@@ -6,12 +6,18 @@
 
 public class SetWorkspaceTimeoutResult {
     private String[] resetTimeoutOnWorkspaces;
+    private String humanReadableDuration;
 
-    public SetWorkspaceTimeoutResult(String[] resetTimeoutOnWorkspaces) {
+    public SetWorkspaceTimeoutResult(String[] resetTimeoutOnWorkspaces, String humanReadableDuration) {
         this.resetTimeoutOnWorkspaces = resetTimeoutOnWorkspaces;
+        this.humanReadableDuration = humanReadableDuration;
     }
 
     public String[] getResetTimeoutOnWorkspaces() {
         return resetTimeoutOnWorkspaces;
     }
+
+    public String getHumanReadableDuration() {
+        return humanReadableDuration;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/components/gitpod-protocol/src/gitpod-service.ts b/components/gitpod-protocol/src/gitpod-service.ts
index e479d0308318e8..31f626816a5038 100644
--- a/components/gitpod-protocol/src/gitpod-service.ts
+++ b/components/gitpod-protocol/src/gitpod-service.ts
@@ -402,6 +402,7 @@ export const createServerMock = function <C extends GitpodClient, S extends Gitp
 
 export interface SetWorkspaceTimeoutResult {
     resetTimeoutOnWorkspaces: string[];
+    humanReadableDuration: string;
 }
 
 export interface GetWorkspaceTimeoutResult {
diff --git a/components/ide/jetbrains/backend-plugin/src/main/kotlin/io/gitpod/jetbrains/remote/actions/ExtendWorkspaceTimeoutAction.kt b/components/ide/jetbrains/backend-plugin/src/main/kotlin/io/gitpod/jetbrains/remote/actions/ExtendWorkspaceTimeoutAction.kt
index 7de6edd3f99f71..b5089a6b562268 100644
--- a/components/ide/jetbrains/backend-plugin/src/main/kotlin/io/gitpod/jetbrains/remote/actions/ExtendWorkspaceTimeoutAction.kt
+++ b/components/ide/jetbrains/backend-plugin/src/main/kotlin/io/gitpod/jetbrains/remote/actions/ExtendWorkspaceTimeoutAction.kt
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class ExtendWorkspaceTimeoutAction : AnAction() {
             val dialog = InputDurationDialog()
             if (dialog.showAndGet()) {
                 val duration = dialog.getDuration()
-                manager.client.server.setWorkspaceTimeout(workspaceInfo.workspaceId, duration.toString()).whenComplete { _, e ->
+                manager.client.server.setWorkspaceTimeout(workspaceInfo.workspaceId, duration.toString()).whenComplete { result, e ->
                     var message: String
                     var notificationType: NotificationType
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class ExtendWorkspaceTimeoutAction : AnAction() {
                         notificationType = NotificationType.ERROR
                         thisLogger().error("gitpod: failed to extend workspace timeout", e)
                     } else {
-                        message = "Workspace timeout has been extended to ${duration}."
+                        message = "Workspace timeout has been extended to ${result.humanReadableDuration}."
                         notificationType = NotificationType.INFORMATION
                     }
 
diff --git a/components/server/ee/src/workspace/gitpod-server-impl.ts b/components/server/ee/src/workspace/gitpod-server-impl.ts
index 417a0c99f092bc..161dcf63e6d837 100644
--- a/components/server/ee/src/workspace/gitpod-server-impl.ts
+++ b/components/server/ee/src/workspace/gitpod-server-impl.ts
@@ -362,6 +362,38 @@ export class GitpodServerEEImpl extends GitpodServerImpl {
         return { valid: true };
     }
 
+    goDurationToHumanReadable(goDuration: string): string {
+        const [, value, unit] = goDuration.match(/^(\d+)([mh])$/)!;
+        let duration = parseInt(value);
+
+        switch (unit) {
+            case "m":
+                duration *= 60;
+                break;
+            case "h":
+                duration *= 60 * 60;
+                break;
+        }
+
+        const hours = Math.floor(duration / 3600);
+        duration %= 3600;
+        const minutes = Math.floor(duration / 60);
+        duration %= 60;
+
+        let result = "";
+        if (hours) {
+            result += `${hours} hour${hours === 1 ? "" : "s"}`;
+            if (minutes) {
+                result += " and ";
+            }
+        }
+        if (minutes) {
+            result += `${minutes} minute${minutes === 1 ? "" : "s"}`;
+        }
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
     public async setWorkspaceTimeout(
         ctx: TraceContext,
         workspaceId: string,
@@ -404,6 +436,7 @@ export class GitpodServerEEImpl extends GitpodServerImpl {
 
         return {
             resetTimeoutOnWorkspaces: [workspace.id],
+            humanReadableDuration: this.goDurationToHumanReadable(validatedDuration),
         };
     }