diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index a3fcce6..402024a 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ func list(path *string) func(*cli.Cmd) {
 				maybe(json.NewEncoder(os.Stdout).Encode(tasks))
 				return
 			}
-			config, _ := NewConfig(*path + "/config.json")
+			config, err := NewConfig(*path + "/config.json")
+			maybe(err)
 			summerizeTasks(config, tasks)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/types.go b/types.go
index a6d03ca..ad2d072 100644
--- a/types.go
+++ b/types.go
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/fatih/color"
 )
 
+const (
+	defaultDateTimeFmt = "2006-01-02 15:04"
+)
+
 type State int
 
 func (s State) String() string {
@@ -57,7 +61,8 @@ func (w *Wheel) String() string {
 
 // Config represents user preferences
 type Config struct {
-	Colors map[string]*color.Color
+	Colors      map[string]*color.Color
+	DateTimeFmt string
 }
 
 var colorMap = map[string]*color.Color{
@@ -69,7 +74,8 @@ var colorMap = map[string]*color.Color{
 
 func (c *Config) UnmarshalJSON(raw []byte) error {
 	config := &struct {
-		Colors map[string]string `json:"colors"`
+		Colors      map[string]string `json:"colors"`
+		DateTimeFmt string            `json:"datetimefmt"`
 	}{}
 	err := json.Unmarshal(raw, config)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -82,6 +88,11 @@ func (c *Config) UnmarshalJSON(raw []byte) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("bad color choice: %s", name)
 		}
 	}
+	if config.DateTimeFmt != "" {
+		c.DateTimeFmt = config.DateTimeFmt
+	} else {
+		c.DateTimeFmt = defaultDateTimeFmt
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -100,6 +111,10 @@ func NewConfig(path string) (*Config, error) {
 	config := &Config{
 		Colors: map[string]*color.Color{},
 	}
+	err = json.Unmarshal(raw, config)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	return config, json.Unmarshal(raw, config)
 }
 
diff --git a/util.go b/util.go
index a98185d..a2de6ec 100644
--- a/util.go
+++ b/util.go
@@ -23,7 +23,11 @@ func defaultConfigPath() string {
 
 func summerizeTasks(config *Config, tasks []*Task) {
 	for _, task := range tasks {
-		fmt.Printf("%d: [%s] ", task.ID, task.Duration.Truncate(time.Second))
+		var start string
+		if len(task.Pomodoros) > 0 {
+			start = task.Pomodoros[0].Start.Format(config.DateTimeFmt)
+		}
+		fmt.Printf("%d: [%s] [%s] ", task.ID, start, task.Duration.Truncate(time.Second))
 		// a list of green/yellow/red pomodoros
 		// green indicates the pomodoro was finished normally
 		// yellow indicates the break was exceeded by +5minutes