diff --git a/make/project.conf b/make/project.conf
index d5b5817..72aa631 100644
--- a/make/project.conf
+++ b/make/project.conf
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ jw-maintainer = jan
 libname = none
 
 [pkg.requires.os]
-run = python3-magic, python3-termcolor, mypy
+run = mypy, python3-magic, python3-termcolor, python3-pytimeparse
 
 [pkg.requires.jw]
 devel = jw-python-run = VERSION-REVISION, jw-build-devel = VERSION
diff --git a/tools/python/jwutils/cast.py b/tools/python/jwutils/cast.py
index ffa6a10..74043d2 100644
--- a/tools/python/jwutils/cast.py
+++ b/tools/python/jwutils/cast.py
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+import pytimeparse
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from collections import OrderedDict
 
 from .log import *
@@ -14,6 +18,17 @@ def _strip(s_, throw=True, log_level=ERR):
     slog(log_level, msg)
     return None
 
+def cast_str_to_timedelta(s_: str, throw=True, log_level=DEBUG): # export
+    s = _strip(s_, throw=throw, log_level=log_level)
+    try:
+        return (True, timedelta(seconds=pytimeparse.parse(s_)))
+    except Exception as e:
+        msg = f'Could not convert string "{s_}" to time ({e})'
+        if throw:
+            raise Exception(msg)
+        slog(log_level, msg)
+        return (False, None)
+
 def cast_str_to_int(s_: str, throw=True, log_level=DEBUG): # export
     s = _strip(s_, throw=throw, log_level=log_level)
     if s[0] == '-':
@@ -43,7 +58,9 @@ def cast_str_to_bool(s_: str, throw=True, log_level=DEBUG): # export
 
 _str_cast_functions = OrderedDict({
         bool: cast_str_to_bool,
-        int: cast_str_to_int
+        int: cast_str_to_int,
+        timedelta: cast_str_to_timedelta
+
 })
 
 def guess_type(s: str, default=None, log_level=DEBUG, throw=False): # export