diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/cron/CronD.kt b/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/cron/CronD.kt
index 58066fb..507e3f5 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/cron/CronD.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/cron/CronD.kt
@@ -18,4 +18,4 @@ object CronD {
             delay(60_000)
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/FeatureTypes.kt b/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/FeatureTypes.kt
index e21903a..a48a18a 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/FeatureTypes.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/FeatureTypes.kt
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@ interface MessageFeature {
 
 interface EventFeature {
     fun register(api: DiscordApi)
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/TimeoutFeature.kt b/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/TimeoutFeature.kt
index 3a986d1..ef33ebe 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/TimeoutFeature.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/TimeoutFeature.kt
@@ -18,19 +18,19 @@ class TimeoutFeature(raw: RawTimeoutFeature) : MessageFeature {
         ?: throw IllegalArgumentException("No timeout role defined")
 
     override fun handle(message: MessageCreateEvent) {
-        val (target, time) = message.readableMessageContent.split(' ', limit = 3).let {
-            if (it.size != 3) {
-                message.channel.sendMessage("Error: expected “<command> <user> <time>”. If the name contains spaces, please use the user ID instead.")
+        val timeout = message.readableMessageContent.split(' ', limit = 4).let { args ->
+            if (args.size < 3) {
+                message.channel.sendMessage("Error: expected “<command> <user> <time> [<reason>]”. If the name contains spaces, please use the user ID instead.")
                 return
             }
-            val time = it[2].toLongOrNull()
+            val time = args[2].toLongOrNull()
             if (time == null) {
                 message.channel.sendMessage("Error: malformed time")
                 return
             }
-            Pair(it[1], time)
+            ParsedTimeout(args[1], time, args.getOrNull(3))
         }
-        findUser(target)?.let { user ->
+        findUser(timeout.target)?.let { user ->
             val oldRoles = user.getRoles(Config.server)
                 .filter { !it.isManaged }
                 .map { role ->
@@ -38,13 +38,16 @@ class TimeoutFeature(raw: RawTimeoutFeature) : MessageFeature {
                     role.id
                 }
             user.addRole(timeoutRole)
-            val releaseTime = Instant.now().plus(Duration.ofMinutes(time)).epochSecond
+            val releaseTime = Instant.now().plus(Duration.ofMinutes(timeout.duration)).epochSecond
             Dao.saveTimeout(releaseTime, listOf(user.id) + oldRoles)
             user.sendEmbed {
-                addField("Timeout", Config.localization.timeout.replace("@@", time.toString()))
+                addField("Timeout", Config.localization.timeout.replace("@@", timeout.duration.toString()))
+                timeout.reason?.let {
+                    addField("Reason", it)
+                }
             }
             Log.info("Removed roles ${oldRoles.joinToString()} from user ${user.discriminatedName}")
-        } ?: message.channel.sendMessage("Could not find user $target. Consider using the user ID.")
+        } ?: message.channel.sendMessage("Could not find user ${timeout.target}. Consider using the user ID.")
     }
 
     fun checkAndRelease() {
@@ -77,4 +80,6 @@ class UserInTimeout(private val id: Long, private val roles: List<Long>) {
             return UserInTimeout(userId, roles)
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+class ParsedTimeout(val target: String, val duration: Long, val reason: String?)
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/TestUtil.kt b/src/test/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/TestUtil.kt
index 0c743d0..069665e 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/TestUtil.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/TestUtil.kt
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ object TestUtil {
 
     fun prepareTestEnvironment(
         sentEmbeds: MutableList<EmbedBuilder> = mutableListOf(),
-        sentMessages: MutableList<String> = mutableListOf()
+        sentMessages: MutableList<String> = mutableListOf(),
+        dmEmbeds: MutableList<EmbedBuilder> = mutableListOf()
     ) {
         val channel = mockk<Optional<ServerTextChannel>>(relaxed = true) {
             every { isPresent } returns true
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ object TestUtil {
                 every { getMembersByName(any()) } returns listOf(mockk(relaxed = true) {
                     every { id } returns 123
                     every { getRoles(any()) } returns listOf(TEST_ROLE)
+                    every { sendMessage(capture(dmEmbeds)) } returns mockk()
                 })
             })
         }
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/TimeoutFeatureTest.kt b/src/test/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/TimeoutFeatureTest.kt
index b284207..aaf1661 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/TimeoutFeatureTest.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/moe/kageru/kagebot/features/TimeoutFeatureTest.kt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import moe.kageru.kagebot.Kagebot.process
 import moe.kageru.kagebot.TestUtil
 import moe.kageru.kagebot.TestUtil.TEST_ROLE
 import moe.kageru.kagebot.persistence.Dao
+import org.javacord.api.entity.message.embed.EmbedBuilder
 
 class TimeoutFeatureTest : StringSpec({
     TestUtil.prepareTestEnvironment()
@@ -17,6 +18,16 @@ class TimeoutFeatureTest : StringSpec({
             val user = Dao.deleteTimeout(it.first())
             user shouldBe arrayOf(123, TEST_ROLE.id)
         }
+        clearTimeouts()
+    }
+    "should announce timeout via DM" {
+        val dms = mutableListOf<EmbedBuilder>()
+        TestUtil.prepareTestEnvironment(dmEmbeds = dms)
+        val time = "1235436"
+        TestUtil.mockMessage("!timeout kageru $time").process()
+        dms.size shouldBe 1
+        TestUtil.embedToString(dms[0]) shouldContain time
+        clearTimeouts()
     }
     "should return error for invalid input" {
         val replies = mutableListOf<String>()
@@ -30,4 +41,21 @@ class TimeoutFeatureTest : StringSpec({
         replies.size shouldBe 1
         replies[0] shouldContain "Error"
     }
-})
\ No newline at end of file
+    "should print optional reason" {
+        val dms = mutableListOf<EmbedBuilder>()
+        TestUtil.prepareTestEnvironment(dmEmbeds = dms)
+        val reason = "because I don’t like you"
+        TestUtil.mockMessage("!timeout kageru 1 $reason").process()
+        dms.size shouldBe 1
+        TestUtil.embedToString(dms[0]) shouldContain reason
+        clearTimeouts()
+    }
+}) {
+    companion object {
+        private fun clearTimeouts() {
+            Dao.getAllTimeouts().forEach { to ->
+                Dao.deleteTimeout(to)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/test/resources/testconfig.toml b/src/test/resources/testconfig.toml
index fbcd9ee..269efe9 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/testconfig.toml
+++ b/src/test/resources/testconfig.toml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ color = "#1793d0"
 permissionDenied = "no permissions"
 redirectedMessage = "says"
 messageDeleted = "message dongered"
-timeout = "timeout"
+timeout = "timeout @@ minutes"
 
 [feature.welcome]
 fallbackChannel = "123"
@@ -31,4 +31,4 @@ feature = "welcome"
 
 [[command]]
 trigger = "!timeout"
-feature = "timeout"
\ No newline at end of file
+feature = "timeout"