diff --git a/pytimeparse/testtimeparse.py b/pytimeparse/testtimeparse.py
index efff94f..765f3ff 100644
--- a/pytimeparse/testtimeparse.py
+++ b/pytimeparse/testtimeparse.py
@@ -119,6 +119,22 @@ class TestTimeparse(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertAlmostEqual(timeparse.timeparse('2:04:13:02.266'),
                                187982.266)
 
+    def test_timeparse_granularity_1(self):
+        '''Check that minute-level granularity applies correctly.'''
+        self.assertEqual(timeparse.timeparse('4:32', granularity='minutes'), 272*60)
+        
+    def test_timeparse_granularity_2(self):
+        '''Check that minute-level granularity does not apply inappropriately.'''
+        self.assertEqual(timeparse.timeparse('4:32:02', granularity='minutes'), 272*60+2)
+        
+    def test_timeparse_granularity_3(self):
+        '''Check that minute-level granularity does not apply inappropriately.'''
+        self.assertAlmostEqual(timeparse.timeparse('7:02.223', granularity='minutes'), 7*60 + 2.223)
+        
+    def test_timeparse_granularity_4(self):
+        '''Check that minute-level granularity does not apply inappropriately.'''
+        self.assertEqual(timeparse.timeparse('0:02', granularity='seconds'), 2)
+        
     def test_timeparse_11(self):
         '''timeparse test case 11.'''
         # uptime format
diff --git a/pytimeparse/timeparse.py b/pytimeparse/timeparse.py
index 0653957..1c4f8b3 100644
--- a/pytimeparse/timeparse.py
+++ b/pytimeparse/timeparse.py
@@ -84,7 +84,29 @@ MULTIPLIERS = dict([
         ('secs',    1)
         ])
 
-def timeparse(sval):
+def _interpret_as_minutes(sval, mdict):
+    """
+    Times like "1:22" are ambiguous; do they represent minutes and seconds
+    or hours and minutes?  By default, timeparse assumes the latter.  Call
+    this function after parsing out a dictionary to change that assumption.
+    
+    >>> import pprint
+    >>> pprint.pprint(_interpret_as_minutes('1:24', {'secs': '24', 'mins': '1'}))
+    {'hours': '1', 'mins': '24'}
+    """
+    if (    sval.count(':') == 1 
+        and '.' not in sval
+        and (('hours' not in mdict) or (mdict['hours'] is None))
+        and (('days' not in mdict) or (mdict['days'] is None))
+        and (('weeks' not in mdict) or (mdict['weeks'] is None))
+        ):   
+        mdict['hours'] = mdict['mins']
+        mdict['mins'] = mdict['secs']
+        mdict.pop('secs')
+        pass
+    return mdict
+
+def timeparse(sval, granularity='seconds'):
     '''
     Parse a time expression, returning it as a number of seconds.  If
     possible, the return value will be an `int`; if this is not
@@ -106,11 +128,21 @@ def timeparse(sval):
     72
     >>> timeparse('1.2 seconds')
     1.2
+    
+    If granularity is specified as ``minutes``, then ambiguous digits following
+    a colon will be interpreted as minutes; otherwise they are considered seconds.
+    
+    >>> timeparse('1:30')
+    90
+    >>> timeparse('1:30', granularity='minutes')
+    5400
     '''
     for timefmt in TIMEFORMATS:
         match = re.match(r'\s*' + timefmt + r'\s*$', sval, re.I)
         if match and match.group(0).strip():
             mdict = match.groupdict()
+            if granularity == 'minutes':
+                mdict = _interpret_as_minutes(sval, mdict)
             # if all of the fields are integer numbers
             if all(v.isdigit() for v in list(mdict.values()) if v):
                 return sum([MULTIPLIERS[k] * int(v, 10) for (k, v) in