diff --git a/common/ChangeLog b/common/ChangeLog
index caabdd4cf..7dc3c03eb 100644
--- a/common/ChangeLog
+++ b/common/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2003-10-31  Werner Koch  <wk@gnupg.org>
+
+	* util.h (gnupg_isotime_t): New.
+	(gnupg_copy_time): New.
+
+	* gettime.c (gnupg_get_isotime): New.
+
 2003-09-23  Werner Koch  <wk@gnupg.org>
 
 	* iobuf.c (check_special_filename): Replaced is isdigit by digitp
diff --git a/common/gettime.c b/common/gettime.c
index a7914d348..ed1d0c819 100644
--- a/common/gettime.c
+++ b/common/gettime.c
@@ -46,6 +46,32 @@ gnupg_get_time ()
     return current - timewarp;
 }
 
+
+/* Return the current time (possibly faked) in ISO format. */
+void
+gnupg_get_isotime (gnupg_isotime_t timebuf)
+{
+  time_t atime = gnupg_get_time ();
+    
+  if (atime < 0)
+    *timebuf = 0;
+  else 
+    {
+      struct tm *tp;
+#ifdef HAVE_GMTIME_R
+      struct tm tmbuf;
+      
+      tp = gmtime_r (&atime, &tmbuf);
+#else
+      tp = gmtime (&atime);
+#endif
+      sprintf (timebuf,"%04d%02d%02dT%02d%02d%02d",
+               1900 + tp->tm_year, tp->tm_mon+1, tp->tm_mday,
+               tp->tm_hour, tp->tm_min, tp->tm_sec);
+    }
+}
+
+
 /* set the time to NEWTIME so that gnupg_get_time returns a time
    starting with this one.  With FREEZE set to 1 the returned time
    will never change.  Just for completeness, a value of (time_t)-1
diff --git a/common/util.h b/common/util.h
index 78aa2f890..fb2c6e839 100644
--- a/common/util.h
+++ b/common/util.h
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@
 #define xrealloc(a,b)    gcry_xrealloc ((a),(b))
 #define xstrdup(a)       gcry_xstrdup ((a))
 
+
+/* A type to hold the ISO time.  Note that this this is the same as
+   the the KSBA type ksba_isotime_t. */
+typedef char gnupg_isotime_t[16];
+
+
 /*-- maperror.c --*/
 int map_ksba_err (int err);
 int map_gcry_err (int err);
@@ -60,6 +66,7 @@ int map_to_assuan_status (int rc);
 
 /*-- gettime.c --*/
 time_t gnupg_get_time (void);
+void   gnupg_get_isotime (gnupg_isotime_t timebuf);
 void   gnupg_set_time (time_t newtime, int freeze);
 int    gnupg_faked_time_p (void);
 u32    make_timestamp (void);
@@ -69,6 +76,18 @@ const char *strtimevalue (u32 stamp);
 const char *strtimestamp (u32 stamp); /* GMT */
 const char *asctimestamp (u32 stamp); /* localized */
 
+
+/* Copy one iso ddate to another, this is inline so that we can do a
+   sanity check. */
+static inline void
+gnupg_copy_time (gnupg_isotime_t d, const gnupg_isotime_t s)
+{
+  if (*s && (strlen (s) != 15 || s[8] != 'T'))
+    BUG();
+  strcpy (d, s);
+}
+
+
 /*-- signal.c --*/
 void gnupg_init_signals (int mode, void (*fast_cleanup)(void));
 void gnupg_pause_on_sigusr (int which);