diff --git a/pretty-journal/pretty-journal.py b/pretty-journal/pretty-journal.py
index 7cf4415..2e7bbb5 100755
--- a/pretty-journal/pretty-journal.py
+++ b/pretty-journal/pretty-journal.py
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@
 will convert that json output into the standard journalctl output
 """
 
+import datetime
 import json
 import re
-import time
 from argparse import ArgumentParser
+from datetime import timezone
 
 
 def jpretty_to_python(buf):
@@ -21,12 +22,24 @@
     return entries
 
 
+def format_timestamp_utc(us_timestamp, use_utc=False):
+    """Convert microseconds since epoch to formatted timestamp (with microseconds)."""
+    ts = float(us_timestamp) / 1000000
+    tz = timezone.utc if use_utc else None
+    dt = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(ts, tz)
+    return dt.strftime("%b %d %H:%M:%S.%f")
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser = ArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument(
         "journalfile", metavar="FILE", help="the file to parse"
     )
-
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--localtime",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Display timestamps in local time (default is UTC)",
+    )
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     with open(args.journalfile) as fd:
@@ -34,7 +47,9 @@
         entries = sorted(entries, key=lambda k: k["__REALTIME_TIMESTAMP"])
 
         for e in entries:
-            e["ts"] = time.ctime(float(e["__REALTIME_TIMESTAMP"]) / 1000000)
+            e["ts"] = format_timestamp_utc(
+                e["__REALTIME_TIMESTAMP"], use_utc=not args.localtime
+            )
             try:
                 print(
                     f'{e["ts"]} {e["_HOSTNAME"]} {e["SYSLOG_IDENTIFIER"]}:'