diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 59ff70c..b60e744 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ So, a relative date phrase is used for up to a month and then the actual date is
 | `month`        | `month`          | `'numeric'\|'2-digit'\|'short'\|'long'\|'narrow'\|undefined`                                | <sup>***</sup>                   |
 | `year`         | `year`           | `'numeric'\|'2-digit'\|undefined`                                                           | <sup>****</sup>                  |
 | `timeZoneName` | `time-zone-name` | `'long'\|'short'\|'shortOffset'\|'longOffset'` `\|'shortGeneric'\|'longGeneric'\|undefined` | `undefined`                      |
-| `timeZone`     | `time-zone`      | `string\|undefined`                                                                          | Browser default time zone         |
+| `timeZone`     | `time-zone`      | `string\|undefined`                                                                         | Browser default time zone        |
+| `hourCycle`    | `hour-cycle`     | `'h11'\|'h12'\|'h23'\|'h24'\|undefined`                                                     | 'h12' or 'h23' based on browser  |
 | `noTitle`      | `no-title`       | `-`                                                                                         | `-`                              |
 
 <sup>*</sup>: If unspecified, `formatStyle` will return `'narrow'` if `format` is `'elapsed'` or `'micro'`, `'short'` if the format is `'relative'` or `'datetime'`, otherwise it will be `'long'`.
diff --git a/examples/index.html b/examples/index.html
index 886af5c..b190940 100644
--- a/examples/index.html
+++ b/examples/index.html
@@ -29,6 +29,20 @@ <h3>Format DateTime</h3>
     </relative-time>
   </p>
 
+  <p>
+    h12 cycle:
+    <relative-time datetime="1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z" format="datetime" hour="numeric" minute="2-digit" second="2-digit" hour-cycle="h12">
+      Jan 1 1970
+    </relative-time>
+  </p>
+
+  <p>
+    h23 cycle:
+    <relative-time datetime="1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z" format="datetime" hour="numeric" minute="2-digit" second="2-digit" hour-cycle="h23">
+      Jan 1 1970
+    </relative-time>
+  </p>
+
   <p>
     Customised options:
     <relative-time datetime="1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z" format="datetime" weekday="narrow" year="2-digit" month="narrow" day="numeric" hour="numeric" minute="2-digit" second="2-digit">
diff --git a/src/relative-time-element.ts b/src/relative-time-element.ts
index 353655b..3ea3fb5 100644
--- a/src/relative-time-element.ts
+++ b/src/relative-time-element.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,18 @@ function getUnitFactor(el: RelativeTimeElement): number {
   return 60 * 60 * 1000
 }
 
+// Determine whether the user has a 12 (vs. 24) hour cycle preference. This relies on the hour formatting in
+// a 12 hour preference being formatted like "1 AM" including a space, while with a 24 hour preference, the
+// same is formatted as "01" without a space. In the future `Intl.Locale.prototype.getHourCycles()` could be
+// used but it is not as well-supported as this method.
+function isBrowser12hCycle() {
+  return Boolean(/\s/.exec(new Intl.DateTimeFormat([], {hour: 'numeric'}).format(new Date(0))))
+}
+
+function isHour12(hourCycle: Intl.DateTimeFormatOptions['hourCycle']) {
+  return hourCycle === 'h11' || hourCycle === 'h12'
+}
+
 const dateObserver = new (class {
   elements: Set<RelativeTimeElement> = new Set()
   time = Infinity
@@ -98,6 +110,14 @@ export class RelativeTimeElement extends HTMLElement implements Intl.DateTimeFor
     return tz || undefined
   }
 
+  get hourCycle() {
+    // Prefer attribute, then closest, then document
+    const hc =
+      this.closest('[hour-cycle]')?.getAttribute('hour-cycle') ||
+      this.ownerDocument.documentElement.getAttribute('hour-cycle')
+    return (hc || (isBrowser12hCycle() ? 'h12' : 'h23')) as Intl.DateTimeFormatOptions['hourCycle']
+  }
+
   #renderRoot: Node = this.shadowRoot ? this.shadowRoot : this.attachShadow ? this.attachShadow({mode: 'open'}) : this
 
   static get observedAttributes() {
@@ -139,6 +159,7 @@ export class RelativeTimeElement extends HTMLElement implements Intl.DateTimeFor
       minute: '2-digit',
       timeZoneName: 'short',
       timeZone: this.timeZone,
+      hour12: isHour12(this.hourCycle),
     }).format(date)
   }
 
@@ -213,6 +234,7 @@ export class RelativeTimeElement extends HTMLElement implements Intl.DateTimeFor
       year: this.year,
       timeZoneName: this.timeZoneName,
       timeZone: this.timeZone,
+      hour12: isHour12(this.hourCycle),
     })
     return `${this.prefix} ${formatter.format(date)}`.trim()
   }
@@ -226,6 +248,7 @@ export class RelativeTimeElement extends HTMLElement implements Intl.DateTimeFor
       minute: '2-digit',
       timeZoneName: 'short',
       timeZone: this.timeZone,
+      hour12: isHour12(this.hourCycle),
     }).format(date)
   }