diff --git a/cfg-mplayer.h b/cfg-mplayer.h
index c548283d8e..47ffdf468f 100644
--- a/cfg-mplayer.h
+++ b/cfg-mplayer.h
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ struct config conf[]={
 	{"bg", &play_in_bg, CONF_TYPE_FLAG, 0, 0, 1},
 	{"nobg", &play_in_bg, CONF_TYPE_FLAG, 0, 1, 0},
 	{"sb", &seek_to_byte, CONF_TYPE_INT, CONF_MIN, 0, 0},
-	{"ss", &seek_to_sec, CONF_TYPE_INT, CONF_MIN, 0, 0},
+	{"ss", &seek_to_sec, CONF_TYPE_STRING, CONF_MIN, 0, 0},
 	{"sound", &has_audio, CONF_TYPE_FLAG, 0, 0, 1},
 	{"nosound", &has_audio, CONF_TYPE_FLAG, 0, 1, 0},
 	{"abs", &audio_buffer_size, CONF_TYPE_INT, CONF_MIN, 0, 0},
diff --git a/mplayer.c b/mplayer.c
index 682b9e125f..5e6d752410 100644
--- a/mplayer.c
+++ b/mplayer.c
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ extern int decode_audio(sh_audio_t *sh_audio,unsigned char *buf,int minlen,int m
 
 char* filename=NULL; //"MI2-Trailer.avi";
 int i;
-int seek_to_sec=0;
+char *seek_to_sec=NULL;
 int seek_to_byte=0;
 int f; // filedes
 stream_t* stream=NULL;
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ int osd_visible=100;
 int osd_function=OSD_PLAY;
 int osd_last_pts=-303;
 
-int rel_seek_secs=0;
+float rel_seek_secs=0;
 
 #include "mixer.h"
 #include "cfg-mplayer.h"
@@ -2155,9 +2155,18 @@ switch(sh_video->codec->driver){
       break;
   }
   if (seek_to_sec) {
-     rel_seek_secs += seek_to_sec;
-     seek_to_sec = 0;
+    int a,b; float d;
+    
+    if (sscanf(seek_to_sec, "%d:%d:%f", &a,&b,&d)==3)
+	rel_seek_secs += 3600*a +60*b +d ;
+    else if (sscanf(seek_to_sec, "%d:%f", &a, &d)==2)
+	rel_seek_secs += 60*a +d;
+    else if (sscanf(seek_to_sec, "%f", &d)==1)
+	rel_seek_secs += d;
+
+     seek_to_sec = NULL;
   }
+  
   if(rel_seek_secs)
   if(file_format==DEMUXER_TYPE_AVI && demuxer->idx_size<=0){
     printf("Can't seek in raw .AVI streams! (index required, try with the -idx switch!)  \n");
diff --git a/mplayer.h b/mplayer.h
index cc2e79fd53..239dd2428b 100644
--- a/mplayer.h
+++ b/mplayer.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ extern int divx_quality;
 
 extern char* filename;
 extern int i;
-extern int seek_to_sec;
+extern char *seek_to_sec;
 extern int seek_to_byte;
 extern int f; // filedes
 extern int stream_type;
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ extern int verbose;
 extern int osd_level;
 extern int nogui;
 
-extern int rel_seek_secs;
+extern float rel_seek_secs;
 
 extern int osd_visible;
 extern int osd_function;