diff --git a/.changelog/18595.txt b/.changelog/18595.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..19ce7cab2a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/18595.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:improvement
+ui: simplify presentation of task event times (10m2.230948s bceomes 10m2s etc.)
+```
diff --git a/ui/app/models/task-event.js b/ui/app/models/task-event.js
index a1c7e7b5ddf..56d879b8d46 100644
--- a/ui/app/models/task-event.js
+++ b/ui/app/models/task-event.js
@@ -37,6 +37,6 @@ function simplifyTimeMessage(message) {
       m %= 60;
 
       return `${h ? h + 'h' : ''}${h || m ? m + 'm' : ''}${s}s`;
-    }) || ''
+    }) || message
   );
 }
diff --git a/ui/tests/acceptance/allocation-detail-test.js b/ui/tests/acceptance/allocation-detail-test.js
index 5cd4a576a70..95a8f5e1ba0 100644
--- a/ui/tests/acceptance/allocation-detail-test.js
+++ b/ui/tests/acceptance/allocation-detail-test.js
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ module('Acceptance | allocation detail', function (hooks) {
 
       assert.equal(taskRow.name, task.name, 'Name');
       assert.equal(taskRow.state, task.state, 'State');
-      assert.equal(taskRow.message, event.message, 'Event Message');
+      assert.equal(taskRow.message, event.displayMessage, 'Event Message');
       assert.equal(
         taskRow.time,
         moment(event.time / 1000000).format("MMM DD, 'YY HH:mm:ss ZZ"),
diff --git a/ui/tests/acceptance/task-detail-test.js b/ui/tests/acceptance/task-detail-test.js
index dc73c21bd53..ff2c4c7a142 100644
--- a/ui/tests/acceptance/task-detail-test.js
+++ b/ui/tests/acceptance/task-detail-test.js
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ module('Acceptance | task detail', function (hooks) {
       'Event timestamp'
     );
     assert.equal(recentEvent.type, event.type, 'Event type');
-    assert.equal(recentEvent.message, event.message, 'Event message');
+    assert.equal(recentEvent.message, event.displayMessage, 'Event message');
   });
 
   test('when the allocation is not found, the application errors', async function (assert) {