diff --git a/tools/logger/convert.c b/tools/logger/convert.c
index 5f8e3c91a562..741ee5e4a85e 100644
--- a/tools/logger/convert.c
+++ b/tools/logger/convert.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 // Author: Bartosz Kokoszko	<bartoszx.kokoszko@linux.intel.com>
 //	   Artur Kloniecki	<arturx.kloniecki@linux.intel.com>
 
+#include <assert.h>
 #include <endian.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -387,9 +388,30 @@ static void print_entry_params(const struct log_entry_header *dma_log,
 	if (raw_output)
 		use_colors = 0;
 
+	/* Something somewhere went wrong */
 	if (dt < 0 || dt > 1000.0 * 1000.0 * 1000.0)
 		dt = NAN;
 
+	static int entry_number = 1;
+	static uint64_t timestamp_origin;
+
+	/* The first entry:
+	 *  - is never shown with a relative TIMESTAMP (to itself!?)
+	 *  - shows a zero DELTA
+	 */
+	if (entry_number == 1) {
+		entry_number++;
+		assert(last_timestamp == 0);
+		/* Display absolute (and random) timestamps */
+		timestamp_origin = 0;
+		dt = 0;
+	} else if (entry_number == 2) {
+		entry_number++;
+		if (global_config->relative_timestamps == 1)
+			/* Switch to relative timestamps from now on. */
+			timestamp_origin = last_timestamp;
+	} /* We don't need the exact entry_number after 3 */
+
 	if (dma_log->id_0 != INVALID_TRACE_ID &&
 	    dma_log->id_1 != INVALID_TRACE_ID)
 		sprintf(ids, "%d.%d", (dma_log->id_0 & TRACE_IDS_MASK),
@@ -413,7 +435,8 @@ static void print_entry_params(const struct log_entry_header *dma_log,
 			raw_output && strlen(ids) ? "-" : "",
 			ids);
 		if (time_precision >= 0)
-			fprintf(out_fd, time_fmt, to_usecs(dma_log->timestamp), dt);
+			fprintf(out_fd, time_fmt,
+				to_usecs(dma_log->timestamp - timestamp_origin), dt);
 		if (!hide_location)
 			fprintf(out_fd, "(%s:%u) ",
 				format_file_name(entry->file_name, raw_output),
@@ -431,7 +454,7 @@ static void print_entry_params(const struct log_entry_header *dma_log,
 				 time_precision + 10, time_precision);
 			fprintf(out_fd, time_fmt,
 				use_colors ? KGRN : "",
-				to_usecs(dma_log->timestamp), dt,
+				to_usecs(dma_log->timestamp - timestamp_origin), dt,
 				use_colors ? KNRM : "");
 		}
 
diff --git a/tools/logger/convert.h b/tools/logger/convert.h
index 36c30ef93447..607e5e59e049 100644
--- a/tools/logger/convert.h
+++ b/tools/logger/convert.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ struct convert_config {
 	int raw_output;
 	int dump_ldc;
 	int hide_location;
+	int relative_timestamps;
 	int time_precision;
 	struct snd_sof_uids_header *uids_dict;
 	struct snd_sof_logs_header *logs_header;
diff --git a/tools/logger/logger.c b/tools/logger/logger.c
index 9d2826910ff8..a64158693e75 100644
--- a/tools/logger/logger.c
+++ b/tools/logger/logger.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <limits.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
@@ -54,6 +55,11 @@ static void usage(void)
 		APP_NAME);
 	fprintf(stdout, "%s:\t -L\t\t\tHide log location in source code\n",
 		APP_NAME);
+	fprintf(stdout,
+		"%s:\t -e 0/1\t\t\tTimestamps relative to first entry seen. Defaults to\n",
+		APP_NAME);
+	fprintf(stdout, "%s:\t\t\t\tabsolute when -r(aw), relative otherwise.\n",
+		APP_NAME);
 	fprintf(stdout, "%s:\t -f precision\t\tSet timestamp precision\n",
 		APP_NAME);
 	fprintf(stdout, "%s:\t -g\t\t\tHide timestamp\n",
@@ -162,7 +168,7 @@ static int append_filter_config(struct convert_config *config, const char *input
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-	static const char optstring[] = "ho:i:l:ps:c:u:tv:rd:Lf:gF:n";
+	static const char optstring[] = "ho:i:l:ps:c:u:tv:rd:Le:f:gF:n";
 	struct convert_config config;
 	unsigned int baud = 0;
 	const char *snapshot_file = 0;
@@ -187,6 +193,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	config.dump_ldc = 0;
 	config.hide_location = 0;
 	config.time_precision = 6;
+	config.relative_timestamps = INT_MAX; /* unspecified */
 	config.filter_config = NULL;
 
 	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, optstring)) != -1) {
@@ -232,6 +239,16 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		case 'L':
 			config.hide_location = 1;
 			break;
+		case 'e': {
+			int i = atoi(optarg);
+
+			if (i < 0 || 1 < i) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "%s: invalid option: -e %s\n",
+					APP_NAME, optarg);
+				return -EINVAL;
+			}
+			config.relative_timestamps = i;
+		}
 		case 'f':
 			config.time_precision = atoi(optarg);
 			if (config.time_precision < 0) {
@@ -286,7 +303,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (config.version_fw) {
 		config.version_fd = fopen(config.version_file, "rb");
 		if (!config.version_fd) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "error: Unable to open version file %s\n",
+			fprintf(stderr,
+				"error: Unable to open version file %s, check permissions\n",
 				config.version_file);
 			ret = errno;
 			goto out;
@@ -309,6 +327,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (config.trace)
 		config.in_file = "/sys/kernel/debug/sof/trace";
 
+	/* Default value when -e is not specified */
+	if (config.relative_timestamps == INT_MAX)
+		config.relative_timestamps = config.raw_output ? 0 : 1;
+
 	/* default option with no infile is to dump errors/debug data */
 	if (!config.in_file && !config.dump_ldc)
 		config.in_file = "/sys/kernel/debug/sof/etrace";
@@ -324,7 +346,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	} else if (config.in_file) {
 		config.in_fd = fopen(config.in_file, "rb");
 		if (!config.in_fd) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "error: Unable to open in file %s\n",
+			fprintf(stderr,
+				"error: Unable to open in file %s, check permissions\n",
 				config.in_file);
 			ret = errno;
 			goto out;