diff --git a/changes/ticket40182 b/changes/ticket40182
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0071ef9f93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/ticket40182
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+  o Minor features(logging):
+   - If a channel has never received, transmitted a cell or seen a client,
+     do not calculate time diffs against 1/1/1970 but log another prettier message
+     Fixes 40182
diff --git a/src/core/or/channel.c b/src/core/or/channel.c
index c4f3e76fc8..c46fa93e58 100644
--- a/src/core/or/channel.c
+++ b/src/core/or/channel.c
@@ -2629,24 +2629,42 @@ channel_dump_statistics, (channel_t *chan, int severity))
          circuitmux_num_circuits(chan->cmux) : 0);
 
   /* Describe timestamps */
-  tor_log(severity, LD_GENERAL,
-      " * Channel %"PRIu64 " was last used by a "
-      "client at %"PRIu64 " (%"PRIu64 " seconds ago)",
-      (chan->global_identifier),
-      (uint64_t)(chan->timestamp_client),
-      (uint64_t)(now - chan->timestamp_client));
-  tor_log(severity, LD_GENERAL,
-      " * Channel %"PRIu64 " last received a cell "
-      "at %"PRIu64 " (%"PRIu64 " seconds ago)",
-      (chan->global_identifier),
-      (uint64_t)(chan->timestamp_recv),
-      (uint64_t)(now - chan->timestamp_recv));
-  tor_log(severity, LD_GENERAL,
-      " * Channel %"PRIu64 " last transmitted a cell "
-      "at %"PRIu64 " (%"PRIu64 " seconds ago)",
-      (chan->global_identifier),
-      (uint64_t)(chan->timestamp_xmit),
-      (uint64_t)(now - chan->timestamp_xmit));
+  if (chan->timestamp_client == 0) {
+      tor_log(severity, LD_GENERAL,
+              " * Channel %"PRIu64 " was never used by a "
+             "client", (chan->global_identifier));
+  } else {
+      tor_log(severity, LD_GENERAL,
+              " * Channel %"PRIu64 " was last used by a "
+              "client at %"PRIu64 " (%"PRIu64 " seconds ago)",
+              (chan->global_identifier),
+              (uint64_t)(chan->timestamp_client),
+              (uint64_t)(now - chan->timestamp_client));
+  }
+  if (chan->timestamp_recv == 0) {
+      tor_log(severity, LD_GENERAL,
+              " * Channel %"PRIu64 " never received a cell",
+              (chan->global_identifier));
+  } else {
+      tor_log(severity, LD_GENERAL,
+              " * Channel %"PRIu64 " last received a cell "
+              "at %"PRIu64 " (%"PRIu64 " seconds ago)",
+              (chan->global_identifier),
+              (uint64_t)(chan->timestamp_recv),
+              (uint64_t)(now - chan->timestamp_recv));
+  }
+  if (chan->timestamp_xmit == 0) {
+      tor_log(severity, LD_GENERAL,
+              " * Channel %"PRIu64 " never transmitted a cell",
+              (chan->global_identifier));
+  } else {
+      tor_log(severity, LD_GENERAL,
+              " * Channel %"PRIu64 " last transmitted a cell "
+              "at %"PRIu64 " (%"PRIu64 " seconds ago)",
+              (chan->global_identifier),
+              (uint64_t)(chan->timestamp_xmit),
+              (uint64_t)(now - chan->timestamp_xmit));
+  }
 
   /* Describe counters and rates */
   tor_log(severity, LD_GENERAL,