diff --git a/crates/relicario-cli/src/helpers.rs b/crates/relicario-cli/src/helpers.rs
index 28d89f5..a864f95 100644
--- a/crates/relicario-cli/src/helpers.rs
+++ b/crates/relicario-cli/src/helpers.rs
@@ -63,6 +63,26 @@ pub fn iso8601(unix_seconds: i64) -> String {
         .unwrap_or_else(|| format!("invalid-timestamp:{unix_seconds}"))
 }
 
+/// Format a duration (in seconds) as a coarse human-readable string:
+/// "just now" / "5 minutes ago" / "4 days ago" / "3 months ago".
+pub fn humanize_age(seconds: i64) -> String {
+    if seconds < 60 { return "just now".to_string(); }
+    if seconds < 3600 { return format!("{} minute{} ago", seconds / 60, plural(seconds / 60)); }
+    if seconds < 86_400 { return format!("{} hour{} ago", seconds / 3600, plural(seconds / 3600)); }
+    if seconds < 86_400 * 30 {
+        let d = seconds / 86_400;
+        return format!("{d} day{} ago", plural(d));
+    }
+    if seconds < 86_400 * 365 {
+        let m = seconds / (86_400 * 30);
+        return format!("{m} month{} ago", plural(m));
+    }
+    let y = seconds / (86_400 * 365);
+    format!("{y} year{} ago", plural(y))
+}
+
+fn plural(n: i64) -> &'static str { if n == 1 { "" } else { "s" } }
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
diff --git a/crates/relicario-cli/src/main.rs b/crates/relicario-cli/src/main.rs
index 4b9db4c..54009ed 100644
--- a/crates/relicario-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/relicario-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -1918,11 +1918,32 @@ fn cmd_status() -> Result<()> {
         .map(|s| s.trim().to_string())
         .unwrap_or_else(|| "(no commits)".into());
 
+    // Last backup age (read from marker written by cmd_backup_export).
+    let last_backup_path = vault.root().join(".relicario").join("last_backup");
+    let last_backup_str = if last_backup_path.exists() {
+        let line = std::fs::read_to_string(&last_backup_path)
+            .unwrap_or_default()
+            .trim()
+            .to_string();
+        // Parse the ISO-8601 we wrote in cmd_backup_export.
+        match chrono::DateTime::parse_from_rfc3339(&line) {
+            Ok(then) => {
+                let now = relicario_core::now_unix();
+                let age = now - then.timestamp();
+                crate::helpers::humanize_age(age.max(0))
+            }
+            Err(_) => "unknown".to_string(),
+        }
+    } else {
+        "never".to_string()
+    };
+
     println!("Vault:    {}", root.display());
     println!("Items:    {total_items} total ({active_items} active, {trashed_items} trashed)");
     println!("Attachments: {attachment_count} ({attachment_bytes} bytes)");
     println!("Devices:  {device_count}");
     println!("Last commit: {last_commit}");
+    println!("Last export: {last_backup_str}");
     Ok(())
 }
 fn cmd_device(action: DeviceAction) -> Result<()> {
diff --git a/crates/relicario-cli/tests/settings.rs b/crates/relicario-cli/tests/settings.rs
index d01ee68..506ccec 100644
--- a/crates/relicario-cli/tests/settings.rs
+++ b/crates/relicario-cli/tests/settings.rs
@@ -109,6 +109,32 @@ fn status_reports_item_attachment_and_device_counts() {
     );
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn status_shows_last_backup_line() {
+    let v = TestVault::init();
+    let out = v.run(&["status"]);
+    assert!(out.status.success());
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8(out.stdout).unwrap();
+    assert!(stdout.contains("last export:") || stdout.to_lowercase().contains("last export:"),
+            "missing last export line: {stdout}");
+    assert!(stdout.contains("never"), "fresh vault should report 'never': {stdout}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn status_shows_recent_backup_after_export() {
+    let v = TestVault::init();
+    let backup_path = v.path().join("v.relbak");
+    v.run_with_backup_pass(
+        &["backup", "export", backup_path.to_str().unwrap()],
+        "test-backup-pass-2026",
+    );
+    let out = v.run(&["status"]);
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8(out.stdout).unwrap();
+    assert!(stdout.contains("last export:") || stdout.to_lowercase().contains("last export:"),
+            "{stdout}");
+    assert!(!stdout.contains("never"), "should NOT say 'never' after export: {stdout}");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn generate_works_outside_vault() {
     use assert_cmd::cargo::CommandCargoExt;