diff --git a/packages/syft-job/src/syft_job/job_runner.py b/packages/syft-job/src/syft_job/job_runner.py
index fe2f8f41724..22e7b3f5200 100644
--- a/packages/syft-job/src/syft_job/job_runner.py
+++ b/packages/syft-job/src/syft_job/job_runner.py
@@ -47,6 +47,27 @@ def get_job_timeout_seconds() -> int:
     return timeout
 
 
+def format_timeout_duration(seconds: int) -> str:
+    """Format a job timeout duration for console messages.
+
+    Sub-minute timeouts are reported in seconds so that values like a
+    30 second limit do not read as "0 minutes". Durations of a minute or
+    longer keep the original minutes phrasing.
+
+    Args:
+        seconds: Timeout duration in seconds.
+
+    Returns:
+        Human-readable duration, e.g. "30 seconds" or "10 minutes".
+    """
+    if seconds < 60:
+        unit = "second" if seconds == 1 else "seconds"
+        return f"{seconds} {unit}"
+    minutes = seconds // 60
+    unit = "minute" if minutes == 1 else "minutes"
+    return f"{minutes} {unit}"
+
+
 IS_IN_JOB_ENV_VAR = "SYFT_IS_IN_JOB"
 
 # A job runs from a fresh copy of its approved submission in the system temp
@@ -314,7 +335,9 @@ def _execute_job_streaming(self, ref: JobRef, timeout: int, run_dir: Path) -> in
                     _kill_process_tree(process.pid)
                     process.wait()
                     timed_out = True
-                    print(f" Job {job_name} timed out after {timeout // 60} minutes")
+                    print(
+                        f" Job {job_name} timed out after {format_timeout_duration(timeout)}"
+                    )
                     stdout_f.write("\n--- PROCESS TIMED OUT ---\n")
                     stderr_f.write("\n--- PROCESS TIMED OUT ---\n")
                     break
@@ -385,7 +408,7 @@ def _execute_job_captured(self, ref: JobRef, timeout: int, run_dir: Path) -> int
             returncode = -1
             stdout = (stdout or "") + "\n--- PROCESS TIMED OUT ---\n"
             stderr = (stderr or "") + "\n--- PROCESS TIMED OUT ---\n"
-            print(f" Job {job_name} timed out after {timeout // 60} minutes")
+            print(f" Job {job_name} timed out after {format_timeout_duration(timeout)}")
 
         staging_dir = self.manager.staging_dir(ref)
         staging_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
@@ -521,7 +544,7 @@ def _run_approved_job(
             self._report_result(ref, returncode)
 
         except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
-            print(f" Job {job_name} timed out after {timeout // 60} minutes")
+            print(f" Job {job_name} timed out after {format_timeout_duration(timeout)}")
             self._finalize(ref, -1)
         except Exception as e:
             print(f" Error executing job {job_name}: {e}")
diff --git a/packages/syft-job/tests/test_timeout_duration.py b/packages/syft-job/tests/test_timeout_duration.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c8a5d48fee9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/syft-job/tests/test_timeout_duration.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+"""Tests for human-readable timeout durations in job runner messages."""
+
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from syft_job.config import SyftJobConfig
+from syft_job.job_ref import JobRef
+from syft_job.job_runner import SyftJobRunner, format_timeout_duration
+from syft_job.migrations.registry import JOB_PROTOCOL_VERSION
+
+DO_EMAIL = "do@test.org"
+DS_EMAIL = "ds@test.org"
+
+SLEEP_PY = """\
+import time
+
+print("working", flush=True)
+time.sleep(30)
+"""
+
+
+def test_sub_minute_timeout_is_reported_in_seconds() -> None:
+    assert format_timeout_duration(30) == "30 seconds"
+
+
+def test_one_second_timeout_uses_singular() -> None:
+    assert format_timeout_duration(1) == "1 second"
+
+
+def test_boundary_below_one_minute_stays_in_seconds() -> None:
+    assert format_timeout_duration(59) == "59 seconds"
+
+
+def test_one_minute_timeout_uses_singular() -> None:
+    assert format_timeout_duration(60) == "1 minute"
+
+
+def test_sub_minute_remainder_truncates_like_before() -> None:
+    # 61s previously printed "1 minutes" via 61 // 60; keep the truncation,
+    # but with the correct plural.
+    assert format_timeout_duration(61) == "1 minute"
+
+
+def test_default_timeout_keeps_minutes_phrasing() -> None:
+    assert format_timeout_duration(600) == "10 minutes"
+
+
+def test_two_minute_timeout_is_plural() -> None:
+    assert format_timeout_duration(120) == "2 minutes"
+
+
+def test_captured_timeout_message_reports_seconds(tmp_path: Path, capsys) -> None:
+    """A sub-minute timeout prints the duration in seconds, not "0 minutes"."""
+    config = SyftJobConfig(syftbox_folder=tmp_path, current_user_email=DO_EMAIL)
+    runner = SyftJobRunner(config=config)
+    ref = JobRef(DO_EMAIL, DS_EMAIL, "short-timeout.job", JOB_PROTOCOL_VERSION)
+
+    # Run main.py with the test's own Python, skipping the venv setup of a real job.
+    run_dir = tmp_path / "run"
+    staging_dir = runner.manager.staging_dir(ref)
+    run_dir.mkdir()
+    (run_dir / "main.py").write_text(SLEEP_PY)
+    (run_dir / "run.sh").write_text(f'#!/bin/bash\n"{sys.executable}" main.py\n')
+
+    returncode = runner._execute_job_captured(ref, timeout=1, run_dir=run_dir)
+
+    assert returncode == -1
+    stdout = (staging_dir / "stdout.txt").read_text()
+    assert "--- PROCESS TIMED OUT ---" in stdout
+
+    captured = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert "timed out after 1 second" in captured
+    assert "0 minutes" not in captured