diff --git a/vlib/time/custom_format_test.v b/vlib/time/custom_format_test.v
index 0e706c18ce..6ce238f634 100644
--- a/vlib/time/custom_format_test.v
+++ b/vlib/time/custom_format_test.v
@@ -10,56 +10,29 @@ fn test_custom_format() {
 	println(date.custom_format(test_str))
 }
 
-fn test_hh() {
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 00:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '00'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 01:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '01'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 02:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '02'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 03:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '03'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 04:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '04'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 05:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '05'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 06:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '06'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 07:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '07'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 08:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '08'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 09:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '09'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 10:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '10'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 11:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '11'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 12:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '12'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 13:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '01'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 14:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '02'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 15:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '03'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 16:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '04'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 17:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '05'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 18:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '06'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 19:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '07'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 20:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '08'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 21:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '09'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 22:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '10'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 23:00:45')!.custom_format('hh') == '11'
-}
-
-fn test_h() {
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 00:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '0'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 01:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '1'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 02:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '2'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 03:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '3'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 04:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '4'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 05:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '5'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 06:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '6'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 07:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '7'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 08:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '8'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 09:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '9'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 10:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '10'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 11:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '11'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 12:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '12'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 13:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '1'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 14:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '2'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 15:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '3'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 16:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '4'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 17:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '5'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 18:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '6'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 19:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '7'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 20:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '8'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 21:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '9'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 22:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '10'
-	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 23:00:45')!.custom_format('h') == '11'
+fn test_hours() {
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 00:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '00 AM 0 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 01:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '01 AM 1 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 02:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '02 AM 2 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 03:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '03 AM 3 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 04:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '04 AM 4 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 05:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '05 AM 5 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 06:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '06 AM 6 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 07:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '07 AM 7 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 08:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '08 AM 8 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 09:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '09 AM 9 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 10:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '10 AM 10 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 11:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '11 AM 11 am'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 12:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '12 PM 12 pm'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 13:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '01 PM 1 pm'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 14:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '02 PM 2 pm'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 15:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '03 PM 3 pm'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 16:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '04 PM 4 pm'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 17:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '05 PM 5 pm'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 18:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '06 PM 6 pm'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 19:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '07 PM 7 pm'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 20:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '08 PM 8 pm'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 21:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '09 PM 9 pm'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 22:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '10 PM 10 pm'
+	assert time.parse('2023-08-04 23:00:45')!.custom_format('hh A h a') == '11 PM 11 pm'
 }
diff --git a/vlib/time/format.v b/vlib/time/format.v
index 6fca0b0fb4..a1914a72ee 100644
--- a/vlib/time/format.v
+++ b/vlib/time/format.v
@@ -308,17 +308,17 @@ pub fn (t Time) custom_format(s string) string {
 				}
 			}
 			'a' {
-				if t.hour > 12 {
-					sb.write_string('pm')
-				} else {
+				if t.hour < 12 {
 					sb.write_string('am')
+				} else {
+					sb.write_string('pm')
 				}
 			}
 			'A' {
-				if t.hour > 12 {
-					sb.write_string('PM')
-				} else {
+				if t.hour < 12 {
 					sb.write_string('AM')
+				} else {
+					sb.write_string('PM')
 				}
 			}
 			else {