diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 1de88df..a48d597 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -48,15 +48,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "alloc-no-stdlib",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "android_system_properties"
-version = "0.1.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "819e7219dbd41043ac279b19830f2efc897156490d7fd6ea916720117ee66311"
-dependencies = [
- "libc",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "anstream"
 version = "1.0.0"
@@ -189,12 +180,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "alloc-stdlib",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "bumpalo"
-version = "3.20.2"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "5d20789868f4b01b2f2caec9f5c4e0213b41e3e5702a50157d699ae31ced2fcb"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "bytemuck"
 version = "1.25.0"
@@ -207,16 +192,6 @@ version = "1.11.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "1e748733b7cbc798e1434b6ac524f0c1ff2ab456fe201501e6497c8417a4fc33"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "cc"
-version = "1.2.62"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "a1dce859f0832a7d088c4f1119888ab94ef4b5d6795d1ce05afb7fe159d79f98"
-dependencies = [
- "find-msvc-tools",
- "shlex",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "cfg-if"
 version = "1.0.4"
@@ -229,19 +204,6 @@ version = "0.2.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "613afe47fcd5fac7ccf1db93babcb082c5994d996f20b8b159f2ad1658eb5724"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "chrono"
-version = "0.4.44"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "c673075a2e0e5f4a1dde27ce9dee1ea4558c7ffe648f576438a20ca1d2acc4b0"
-dependencies = [
- "iana-time-zone",
- "js-sys",
- "num-traits",
- "wasm-bindgen",
- "windows-link",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "clap"
 version = "4.6.1"
@@ -306,12 +268,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "unicode-segmentation",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "core-foundation-sys"
-version = "0.8.7"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "773648b94d0e5d620f64f280777445740e61fe701025087ec8b57f45c791888b"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "core_maths"
 version = "0.1.1"
@@ -493,13 +449,13 @@ version = "0.6.0"
 dependencies = [
  "ab_glyph",
  "anyhow",
- "chrono",
  "clap",
  "clap_complete",
  "crossbeam-channel",
  "crossterm",
  "fontdb",
  "gifski",
+ "humantime",
  "imgref",
  "libghostty-vt",
  "libghostty-vt-sys",
@@ -517,12 +473,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "woff2-patched",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "find-msvc-tools"
-version = "0.1.9"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "5baebc0774151f905a1a2cc41989300b1e6fbb29aff0ceffa1064fdd3088d582"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "flate2"
 version = "1.1.9"
@@ -568,30 +518,6 @@ version = "2.0.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "e6d5a32815ae3f33302d95fdcb2ce17862f8c65363dcfd29360480ba1001fc9c"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "futures-core"
-version = "0.3.32"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7e3450815272ef58cec6d564423f6e755e25379b217b0bc688e295ba24df6b1d"
-
-[[package]]
-name = "futures-task"
-version = "0.3.32"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "037711b3d59c33004d3856fbdc83b99d4ff37a24768fa1be9ce3538a1cde4393"
-
-[[package]]
-name = "futures-util"
-version = "0.3.32"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "389ca41296e6190b48053de0321d02a77f32f8a5d2461dd38762c0593805c6d6"
-dependencies = [
- "futures-core",
- "futures-task",
- "pin-project-lite",
- "slab",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "getset"
 version = "0.1.6"
@@ -665,28 +591,10 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "2304e00983f87ffb38b55b444b5e3b60a884b5d30c0fca7d82fe33449bbe55ea"
 
 [[package]]
-name = "iana-time-zone"
-version = "0.1.65"
+name = "humantime"
+version = "2.3.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "e31bc9ad994ba00e440a8aa5c9ef0ec67d5cb5e5cb0cc7f8b744a35b389cc470"
-dependencies = [
- "android_system_properties",
- "core-foundation-sys",
- "iana-time-zone-haiku",
- "js-sys",
- "log",
- "wasm-bindgen",
- "windows-core",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "iana-time-zone-haiku"
-version = "0.1.2"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "f31827a206f56af32e590ba56d5d2d085f558508192593743f16b2306495269f"
-dependencies = [
- "cc",
-]
+checksum = "135b12329e5e3ce057a9f972339ea52bc954fe1e9358ef27f95e89716fbc5424"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "ident_case"
@@ -737,18 +645,6 @@ version = "1.0.18"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "8f42a60cbdf9a97f5d2305f08a87dc4e09308d1276d28c869c684d7777685682"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "js-sys"
-version = "0.3.98"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "67df7112613f8bfd9150013a0314e196f4800d3201ae742489d999db2f979f08"
-dependencies = [
- "cfg-if",
- "futures-util",
- "once_cell",
- "wasm-bindgen",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "lazy_static"
 version = "1.5.0"
@@ -1284,12 +1180,6 @@ version = "1.1.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "dc6fe69c597f9c37bfeeeeeb33da3530379845f10be461a66d16d03eca2ded77"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "shlex"
-version = "1.3.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "0fda2ff0d084019ba4d7c6f371c95d8fd75ce3524c3cb8fb653a3023f6323e64"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "signal-hook"
 version = "0.3.18"
@@ -1327,12 +1217,6 @@ version = "0.3.9"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "703d5c7ef118737c72f1af64ad2f6f8c5e1921f818cdcb97b8fe6fc69bf66214"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "slab"
-version = "0.4.12"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "0c790de23124f9ab44544d7ac05d60440adc586479ce501c1d6d7da3cd8c9cf5"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "slotmap"
 version = "1.1.1"
@@ -1614,51 +1498,6 @@ version = "0.11.1+wasi-snapshot-preview1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "ccf3ec651a847eb01de73ccad15eb7d99f80485de043efb2f370cd654f4ea44b"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "wasm-bindgen"
-version = "0.2.121"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "49ace1d07c165b0864824eee619580c4689389afa9dc9ed3a4c75040d82e6790"
-dependencies = [
- "cfg-if",
- "once_cell",
- "rustversion",
- "wasm-bindgen-macro",
- "wasm-bindgen-shared",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "wasm-bindgen-macro"
-version = "0.2.121"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "8e68e6f4afd367a562002c05637acb8578ff2dea1943df76afb9e83d177c8578"
-dependencies = [
- "quote",
- "wasm-bindgen-macro-support",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "wasm-bindgen-macro-support"
-version = "0.2.121"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "d95a9ec35c64b2a7cb35d3fead40c4238d0940c86d107136999567a4703259f2"
-dependencies = [
- "bumpalo",
- "proc-macro2",
- "quote",
- "syn",
- "wasm-bindgen-shared",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "wasm-bindgen-shared"
-version = "0.2.121"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "c4e0100b01e9f0d03189a92b96772a1fb998639d981193d7dbab487302513441"
-dependencies = [
- "unicode-ident",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "weezl"
 version = "0.1.12"
@@ -1696,65 +1535,12 @@ version = "0.4.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "712e227841d057c1ee1cd2fb22fa7e5a5461ae8e48fa2ca79ec42cfc1931183f"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows-core"
-version = "0.62.2"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "b8e83a14d34d0623b51dce9581199302a221863196a1dde71a7663a4c2be9deb"
-dependencies = [
- "windows-implement",
- "windows-interface",
- "windows-link",
- "windows-result",
- "windows-strings",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "windows-implement"
-version = "0.60.2"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "053e2e040ab57b9dc951b72c264860db7eb3b0200ba345b4e4c3b14f67855ddf"
-dependencies = [
- "proc-macro2",
- "quote",
- "syn",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "windows-interface"
-version = "0.59.3"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "3f316c4a2570ba26bbec722032c4099d8c8bc095efccdc15688708623367e358"
-dependencies = [
- "proc-macro2",
- "quote",
- "syn",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows-link"
 version = "0.2.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "f0805222e57f7521d6a62e36fa9163bc891acd422f971defe97d64e70d0a4fe5"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows-result"
-version = "0.4.1"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7781fa89eaf60850ac3d2da7af8e5242a5ea78d1a11c49bf2910bb5a73853eb5"
-dependencies = [
- "windows-link",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "windows-strings"
-version = "0.5.1"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7837d08f69c77cf6b07689544538e017c1bfcf57e34b4c0ff58e6c2cd3b37091"
-dependencies = [
- "windows-link",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows-sys"
 version = "0.61.2"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index deb15bd..e696ac2 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ clap = { version = "4", features = ["derive"] }
 clap_complete = "4.6.5"
 tracing = "0.1"
 tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3", features = ["env-filter"] }
-chrono = "0.4"
+humantime = "2"
 
 # Serialization.
 serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
diff --git a/src/bin/evp.rs b/src/bin/evp.rs
index f3b876c..3adc5d6 100644
--- a/src/bin/evp.rs
+++ b/src/bin/evp.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 //! `evp` binary entry point. All real work lives in the library crate
 //! (`evp::*`); this file is the thinnest possible CLI shim around it.
 
-use std::{io, path::PathBuf, process::ExitCode, time::Instant};
+use std::{io, path::PathBuf, process::ExitCode, time::{Instant, SystemTime}};
 
 use anyhow::{Context, Result, bail};
-use chrono::Utc;
 use clap::{CommandFactory, Parser, Subcommand, ValueEnum};
 use clap_complete::{Shell as CompletionShell, generate};
 use tracing::{debug, error, info};
@@ -127,7 +126,7 @@ fn real_main() -> Result<()> {
         return run_subcommand(command);
     }
 
-    init_tracing(&cli);
+    init_tracing(&cli, evp_start);
     log_build_info_debug();
 
     // Either parse the user's script file, or use the embedded demo.
@@ -227,17 +226,20 @@ fn run_subcommand(command: Commands) -> Result<()> {
     }
 }
 
-/// Custom timer that emits only `HH:MM:SS` (UTC) so the date is not
-/// repeated on every log line.
-struct TimeOnly;
+/// Custom timer that emits the uptime in milliseconds (down to
+/// microseconds) since the program started.
+struct Uptime(Instant);
 
-impl tracing_subscriber::fmt::time::FormatTime for TimeOnly {
+impl tracing_subscriber::fmt::time::FormatTime for Uptime {
     fn format_time(&self, w: &mut tracing_subscriber::fmt::format::Writer<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
-        write!(w, "{}", Utc::now().format("%H:%M:%S%.6f"))
+        let elapsed = self.0.elapsed();
+        let secs = elapsed.as_secs();
+        let micros = elapsed.subsec_micros();
+        write!(w, "{:03}.{:06}s", secs, micros)
     }
 }
 
-fn init_tracing(cli: &Cli) {
+fn init_tracing(cli: &Cli, start: Instant) {
     let filter = cli
         .log_level
         .map(LogLevel::as_str)
@@ -247,9 +249,13 @@ fn init_tracing(cli: &Cli) {
         });
     tracing_subscriber::fmt()
         .with_env_filter(filter.clone())
-        .with_timer(TimeOnly)
+        .with_timer(Uptime(start))
         .init();
-    info!(date = %Utc::now().format("%Y-%m-%d"), %filter, "initialising tracing");
+    info!(
+        start_time = %humantime::format_rfc3339_micros(SystemTime::now()),
+        %filter,
+        "initialising tracing"
+    );
 }
 
 fn log_build_info_debug() {