diff --git a/src/compile/common.ts b/src/compile/common.ts
index 9660bd1a40..1cfb919885 100644
--- a/src/compile/common.ts
+++ b/src/compile/common.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {contains, union} from '../util';
 import {FacetModel} from './facet';
 import {LayerModel} from './layer';
 import {Model} from './model';
-import {format as timeFormatExpr} from './time';
+import {format as timeFormatExpr} from '../timeunit';
 import {UnitModel} from './unit';
 import {Spec, isUnitSpec, isFacetSpec, isLayerSpec} from '../spec';
 
diff --git a/src/compile/time.ts b/src/compile/time.ts
index 85f7d10827..60fd3e4bd8 100644
--- a/src/compile/time.ts
+++ b/src/compile/time.ts
@@ -2,56 +2,6 @@ import {contains, range} from '../util';
 import {COLUMN, ROW, SHAPE, COLOR, Channel} from '../channel';
 import {TimeUnit} from '../timeunit';
 
-/** returns the template name used for axis labels for a time unit */
-export function format(timeUnit: TimeUnit, abbreviated = false): string {
-  if (!timeUnit) {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-
-  let timeString = timeUnit.toString();
-
-  let dateComponents = [];
-
-  if (timeString.indexOf('year') > -1) {
-    dateComponents.push(abbreviated ? '%y' : '%Y');
-  }
-
-  if (timeString.indexOf('month') > -1) {
-    dateComponents.push(abbreviated ? '%b' : '%B');
-  }
-
-  if (timeString.indexOf('day') > -1) {
-    dateComponents.push(abbreviated ? '%a' : '%A');
-  } else if (timeString.indexOf('date') > -1) {
-    dateComponents.push('%d');
-  }
-
-  let timeComponents = [];
-
-  if (timeString.indexOf('hours') > -1) {
-    timeComponents.push('%H');
-  }
-  if (timeString.indexOf('minutes') > -1) {
-    timeComponents.push('%M');
-  }
-  if (timeString.indexOf('seconds') > -1) {
-    timeComponents.push('%S');
-  }
-  if (timeString.indexOf('milliseconds') > -1) {
-    timeComponents.push('%L');
-  }
-
-  let out = [];
-  if (dateComponents.length > 0) {
-    out.push(dateComponents.join('-'));
-  }
-  if (timeComponents.length > 0) {
-    out.push(timeComponents.join(':'));
-  }
-
-  return out.length > 0 ? out.join(' ') : undefined;
-}
-
 /** returns the smallest nice unit for scale.nice */
 export function smallestUnit(timeUnit): string {
   if (!timeUnit) {
diff --git a/src/timeunit.ts b/src/timeunit.ts
index fcfd26368f..ad90b1b7f9 100644
--- a/src/timeunit.ts
+++ b/src/timeunit.ts
@@ -44,3 +44,53 @@ export const TIMEUNITS = [
     TimeUnit.MINUTESSECONDS,
     TimeUnit.SECONDSMILLISECONDS,
 ];
+
+/** returns the template name used for axis labels for a time unit */
+export function format(timeUnit: TimeUnit, abbreviated = false): string {
+  if (!timeUnit) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  let timeString = timeUnit.toString();
+
+  let dateComponents = [];
+
+  if (timeString.indexOf('year') > -1) {
+    dateComponents.push(abbreviated ? '%y' : '%Y');
+  }
+
+  if (timeString.indexOf('month') > -1) {
+    dateComponents.push(abbreviated ? '%b' : '%B');
+  }
+
+  if (timeString.indexOf('day') > -1) {
+    dateComponents.push(abbreviated ? '%a' : '%A');
+  } else if (timeString.indexOf('date') > -1) {
+    dateComponents.push('%d');
+  }
+
+  let timeComponents = [];
+
+  if (timeString.indexOf('hours') > -1) {
+    timeComponents.push('%H');
+  }
+  if (timeString.indexOf('minutes') > -1) {
+    timeComponents.push('%M');
+  }
+  if (timeString.indexOf('seconds') > -1) {
+    timeComponents.push('%S');
+  }
+  if (timeString.indexOf('milliseconds') > -1) {
+    timeComponents.push('%L');
+  }
+
+  let out = [];
+  if (dateComponents.length > 0) {
+    out.push(dateComponents.join('-'));
+  }
+  if (timeComponents.length > 0) {
+    out.push(timeComponents.join(':'));
+  }
+
+  return out.length > 0 ? out.join(' ') : undefined;
+}