diff --git a/pkg/format/formatter.go b/pkg/format/formatter.go
index 2b744d1..4adedb1 100644
--- a/pkg/format/formatter.go
+++ b/pkg/format/formatter.go
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@
 
 	funcmap := template.FuncMap{
 		"timestamp": formatTimestamp,
-		"since":     formatSince}
+		"since":     formatSince,
+		"gosince":   formatGoSince}
 
 	tmpl, err := template.New("output").Funcs(funcmap).Parse(string(format))
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/format/formatter_funcs.go b/pkg/format/formatter_funcs.go
index 6d10514..41be2f4 100644
--- a/pkg/format/formatter_funcs.go
+++ b/pkg/format/formatter_funcs.go
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
 package format
 
 import (
-	"github.com/golang/protobuf/ptypes"
-	timestamppb "github.com/golang/protobuf/ptypes/timestamp"
 	"time"
+
+	timestamppb "github.com/golang/protobuf/ptypes/timestamp"
 )
 
 // formats a Timestamp proto as a RFC3339 date string
@@ -26,11 +26,12 @@
 	if tsproto == nil {
 		return "", nil
 	}
-	ts, err := ptypes.Timestamp(tsproto)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	return ts.Truncate(time.Second).Format(time.RFC3339), nil
+	return tsproto.AsTime().Truncate(time.Second).Format(time.RFC3339), nil
+}
+
+// Computes the age of a timestamp and returns it in HMS format
+func formatGoSince(ts time.Time) (string, error) {
+	return time.Since(ts).Truncate(time.Second).String(), nil
 }
 
 // Computes the age of a timestamp and returns it in HMS format
@@ -38,9 +39,5 @@
 	if tsproto == nil {
 		return "", nil
 	}
-	ts, err := ptypes.Timestamp(tsproto)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	return time.Since(ts).Truncate(time.Second).String(), nil
+	return time.Since(tsproto.AsTime()).Truncate(time.Second).String(), nil
 }