diff --git a/commands.go b/commands.go
index d41f0f86b8..00be9a60e1 100644
--- a/commands.go
+++ b/commands.go
@@ -1387,7 +1387,7 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) CmdCommit(args ...string) error {
 
 func (cli *DockerCli) CmdEvents(args ...string) error {
 	cmd := Subcmd("events", "[OPTIONS]", "Get real time events from the server")
-	since := cmd.String("since", "", "Show events previously created (used for polling).")
+	since := cmd.String("since", "", "Show previously created events and then stream.")
 	if err := cmd.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -1399,7 +1399,17 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) CmdEvents(args ...string) error {
 
 	v := url.Values{}
 	if *since != "" {
-		v.Set("since", *since)
+		loc := time.FixedZone(time.Now().Zone())
+		format := "2006-01-02 15:04:05 -0700 MST"
+		if len(*since) < len(format) {
+			format = format[:len(*since)]
+		}
+
+		if t, err := time.ParseInLocation(format, *since, loc); err == nil {
+			v.Set("since", strconv.FormatInt(t.Unix(), 10))
+		} else {
+			v.Set("since", *since)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if err := cli.stream("GET", "/events?"+v.Encode(), nil, cli.out, nil); err != nil {
diff --git a/docs/sources/commandline/cli.rst b/docs/sources/commandline/cli.rst
index 6d56bccc38..d6e47d1787 100644
--- a/docs/sources/commandline/cli.rst
+++ b/docs/sources/commandline/cli.rst
@@ -245,6 +245,9 @@ Full -run example
     Usage: docker events
 
     Get real time events from the server
+    
+    -since="": Show previously created events and then stream.
+               (either seconds since epoch, or date string as below)
 
 .. _cli_events_example:
 
@@ -277,6 +280,23 @@ Shell 1: (Again .. now showing events)
     [2013-09-03 15:49:29 +0200 CEST] 4386fb97867d: (from 12de384bfb10) die
     [2013-09-03 15:49:29 +0200 CEST] 4386fb97867d: (from 12de384bfb10) stop
 
+Show events in the past from a specified time
+.............................................
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    $ sudo docker events -since 1378216169
+    [2013-09-03 15:49:29 +0200 CEST] 4386fb97867d: (from 12de384bfb10) die
+    [2013-09-03 15:49:29 +0200 CEST] 4386fb97867d: (from 12de384bfb10) stop
+
+    $ sudo docker events -since '2013-09-03'
+    [2013-09-03 15:49:26 +0200 CEST] 4386fb97867d: (from 12de384bfb10) start
+    [2013-09-03 15:49:29 +0200 CEST] 4386fb97867d: (from 12de384bfb10) die
+    [2013-09-03 15:49:29 +0200 CEST] 4386fb97867d: (from 12de384bfb10) stop
+
+    $ sudo docker events -since '2013-09-03 15:49:29 +0200 CEST'
+    [2013-09-03 15:49:29 +0200 CEST] 4386fb97867d: (from 12de384bfb10) die
+    [2013-09-03 15:49:29 +0200 CEST] 4386fb97867d: (from 12de384bfb10) stop
 
 .. _cli_export: