diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0d4e59c..c379c37 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ format(1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 - 1) // '23:59:59'
 // 365 days looks like this (not bothering with years)
 format(1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 365) // '365:00:00:00'
 
+// with leading zeros formatting looks like this
+format(1000 * 60, { leading: true }) // '01:00'
+format(1000 * 60 - 1, { leading: true }) // '00:59'
+format(1000 * 60 * 60, { leading: true }) // '01:00:00'
+
 // *NEW negative support* anything under a second is rounded down to zero
 format(-999) // '0:00'
 
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index cc58a33..e0df70d 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 var parseMs = require('parse-ms')
 var addZero = require('add-zero')
 
-module.exports = function (ms) {
+module.exports = function (ms, options) {
+  var leading = options && options.leading
   var unsignedMs = ms < 0 ? -ms : ms
   var sign = ms <= -1000 ? '-' : ''
   var t = parseMs(unsignedMs)
   var seconds = addZero(t.seconds)
   if (t.days) return sign + t.days + ':' + addZero(t.hours) + ':' + addZero(t.minutes) + ':' + seconds
-  if (t.hours) return sign + t.hours + ':' + addZero(t.minutes) + ':' + seconds
-  return sign + t.minutes + ':' + seconds
+  if (t.hours) return sign + (leading ? addZero(t.hours) : t.hours) + ':' + addZero(t.minutes) + ':' + seconds
+  return sign + (leading ? addZero(t.minutes) : t.minutes) + ':' + seconds
 }
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index c9538e3..8ead7a2 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -33,6 +33,20 @@ test('it works with negative durations', function (t) {
   t.end()
 })
 
+test('it works with leading zeros', function (t) {
+  t.equal(f(999, { leading: true }), '00:00', 'anything under a second is 00:00')
+  t.equal(f(1000, { leading: true }), '00:01', 'check 1000 milliseconds is a second')
+  t.equal(f(1000 * 2 - 1, { leading: true }), '00:01', 'rounds 1999 down to 00:01')
+  t.equal(f(1000 * 60, { leading: true }), '01:00', 'check 60 seconds is a minute')
+  t.equal(f(1000 * 60 - 1, { leading: true }), '00:59', 'check 59 seconds looks ok')
+  t.equal(f(1000 * 60 * 60, { leading: true }), '01:00:00', 'check 60 minutes is an hour')
+  t.equal(f(1000 * 60 * 60 - 1, { leading: true }), '59:59', 'check 59 minutes looks ok')
+  t.equal(f(1000 * 60 * 60 * 24, { leading: true }), '1:00:00:00', 'check 24 hours is a day')
+  t.equal(f(1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 - 1, { leading: true }), '23:59:59', 'check 23 hours looks okay')
+  t.equal(f(1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 365, { leading: true }), '365:00:00:00', 'check 365 days is too long to care')
+  t.end()
+})
+
 test('is ES5', function (t) {
   t.equal(isES5(src), true, 'is ES5')
   t.end()