diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 5c164ab..29fc413 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #include <locale.h>
 #endif
 
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/main.c,v 1.239 2012/11/20 17:42:29 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/main.c,v 1.240 2012/11/20 18:07:42 tg Exp $");
 
 extern char **environ;
 
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static void x_sigwinch(int);
 static const char initifs[] = "IFS= \t\n";
 
 static const char initsubs[] =
-    "${PS2=> } ${PS3=#? } ${PS4=+ } ${SECONDS=0} ${TMOUT=0}";
+    "${PS2=> } ${PS3=#? } ${PS4=+ } ${SECONDS=0} ${TMOUT=0} ${MKSH_UNIXTIME=}";
 
 static const char *initcoms[] = {
 	Ttypeset, "-r", initvsn, NULL,
diff --git a/mksh.1 b/mksh.1
index 8fe33bc..3a1a239 100644
--- a/mksh.1
+++ b/mksh.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.\" $MirOS: src/bin/mksh/mksh.1,v 1.297 2012/11/20 17:42:30 tg Exp $
+.\" $MirOS: src/bin/mksh/mksh.1,v 1.298 2012/11/20 18:07:43 tg Exp $
 .\" $OpenBSD: ksh.1,v 1.144 2012/07/08 08:13:20 guenther Exp $
 .\"-
 .\" Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
@@ -1863,6 +1863,16 @@ executed.
 .It Ev LINES
 Set to the number of lines on the terminal or window.
 Always set, defaults to 24.
+.It Ev MKSH_UNIXTIME
+Time since the epoch, as returned by
+.Xr gettimeofday 2 ,
+formatted as decimal
+.Va tv_sec
+followed by a dot
+.Pq Sq .\&
+and
+.Va tv_usec
+padded to exactly six decimal digits.
 .It Ev OLDPWD
 The previous working directory.
 Unset if
diff --git a/var.c b/var.c
index f0c9ac2..07aa9b2 100644
--- a/var.c
+++ b/var.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include <sys/sysctl.h>
 #endif
 
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/var.c,v 1.157 2012/11/20 18:06:53 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/var.c,v 1.158 2012/11/20 18:07:45 tg Exp $");
 
 /*-
  * Variables
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ initvar(void)
 	struct tbl *tp;
 
 	ktinit(APERM, &specials,
-	    /* currently 13 specials: 75% of 32 = 2^5 */
+	    /* currently 14 specials: 75% of 32 = 2^5 */
 	    5);
 	while (i < V_MAX - 1) {
 		tp = ktenter(&specials, initvar_names[i],
@@ -1087,6 +1087,7 @@ getspec(struct tbl *vp)
 {
 	register mksh_ari_t i;
 	int st;
+	struct timeval tv;
 
 	switch ((st = special(vp->name))) {
 	case V_BASHPID:
@@ -1111,6 +1112,18 @@ getspec(struct tbl *vp)
 	case V_LINES:
 		i = x_lins;
 		break;
+	case V_MKSH_UNIXTIME: {
+		/* 10(%u) + 1(.) + 6 + NUL */
+		char buf[18];
+
+		vp->flag &= ~SPECIAL;
+		mksh_TIME(tv);
+		shf_snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%u.%06u",
+		    (unsigned)tv.tv_sec, (unsigned)tv.tv_usec);
+		setstr(vp, buf, KSH_RETURN_ERROR | 0x4);
+		vp->flag |= SPECIAL;
+		return;
+	}
 	case V_OPTIND:
 		i = user_opt.uoptind;
 		break;
@@ -1124,8 +1137,6 @@ getspec(struct tbl *vp)
 		 * (see initcoms[] in main.c).
 		 */
 		if (vp->flag & ISSET) {
-			struct timeval tv;
-
 			mksh_TIME(tv);
 			i = tv.tv_sec - seconds;
 		} else
diff --git a/var_spec.h b/var_spec.h
index 3444c25..5ced879 100644
--- a/var_spec.h
+++ b/var_spec.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #if defined(VARSPEC_DEFNS)
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/var_spec.h,v 1.3 2012/11/20 17:42:32 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/var_spec.h,v 1.4 2012/11/20 18:07:45 tg Exp $");
 #define FN(name)			/* nothing */
 #elif defined(VARSPEC_ENUMS)
 #define FN(name)			V_##name,
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ FN(HISTSIZE)
 FN(IFS)
 FN(LINENO)
 FN(LINES)
+FN(MKSH_UNIXTIME)
 FN(OPTIND)
 FN(PATH)
 FN(RANDOM)