diff --git a/src/libqof/qof/gnc-datetime.cpp b/src/libqof/qof/gnc-datetime.cpp
index 0cf4412fc7..7c5774b0d1 100644
--- a/src/libqof/qof/gnc-datetime.cpp
+++ b/src/libqof/qof/gnc-datetime.cpp
@@ -86,11 +86,20 @@ public:
     GncDateTimeImpl(const time64 time) : m_time(LDT_from_unix_local(time)) {}
     GncDateTimeImpl(PTime&& pt) : m_time(pt, tzp.get(pt.date().year())) {}
     GncDateTimeImpl(LDT&& ldt) : m_time(ldt) {}
+
+    operator time64() const;
     void now() { m_time = boost::local_time::local_sec_clock::local_time(tzp.get(boost::gregorian::day_clock::local_day().year())); }
 
 private:
     LDT m_time;
 };
+
+GncDateTimeImpl::operator time64() const
+{
+    auto duration = m_time.utc_time() - unix_epoch;
+    auto secs = duration.ticks();
+    secs /= ticks_per_second;
+    return secs;
 }
 
 /* =================== Presentation-class Implementations ====================*/
@@ -114,4 +123,8 @@ GncDateTime::now()
 {
     m_impl->now();
 }
+
+GncDateTime::operator time64() const
+{
+    return m_impl->operator time64();
 }
diff --git a/src/libqof/qof/gnc-datetime.hpp b/src/libqof/qof/gnc-datetime.hpp
index c70f045c74..015b88466d 100644
--- a/src/libqof/qof/gnc-datetime.hpp
+++ b/src/libqof/qof/gnc-datetime.hpp
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ public:
     GncDateTime(time64 time);
     ~GncDateTime();
     void now();
+    explicit operator time64() const;
     bool isnull (void) { return m_impl == nullptr; }
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/libqof/qof/test/gtest-gnc-datetime.cpp b/src/libqof/qof/test/gtest-gnc-datetime.cpp
index 4a3d288c67..4f41147fa6 100644
--- a/src/libqof/qof/test/gtest-gnc-datetime.cpp
+++ b/src/libqof/qof/test/gtest-gnc-datetime.cpp
@@ -40,12 +40,13 @@ TEST(gnc_date_constructors, test_ymd_constructor)
 TEST(gnc_datetime_constructors, test_default_constructor)
 {
     GncDateTime atime;
-    EXPECT_FALSE(atime.isnull());
+    EXPECT_EQ(static_cast<time64>(atime), static_cast<time64>(INT64_C(0)));
 }
 
 TEST(gnc_datetime_constructors, test_time64_constructor)
 {
     const time64 time = 2394187200; //2045-11-13 12:00:00 Z
     GncDateTime atime(time);
-    EXPECT_FALSE(atime.isnull());
+    EXPECT_EQ(static_cast<time64>(atime), time);
 }
+