diff --git a/pkg/index/corpus.go b/pkg/index/corpus.go
index f5bc4e650..12c6b95e2 100644
--- a/pkg/index/corpus.go
+++ b/pkg/index/corpus.go
@@ -659,6 +659,60 @@ func (c *Corpus) isDeletedLocked(br blob.Ref) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// PermanodeTimeLocked returns the time of the content in permanode.
+func (c *Corpus) PermanodeTimeLocked(pn blob.Ref) (t time.Time, ok bool) {
+	// TODO(bradfitz): keep this time property cached on the permanode / files
+
+	// TODO(bradfitz): finish implmenting all these
+
+	// Priorities:
+	// -- Permanode explicit "camliTime" property
+	// -- EXIF GPS time
+	// -- Exif camera time
+	// -- File time
+	// -- File modtime
+	// -- camliContent claim set time
+	ccRef, ccTime, ok := c.pnCamliContentLocked(pn)
+	if !ok {
+		return
+	}
+
+	fi, ok := c.files[ccRef]
+	if ok {
+		if fi.Time != nil {
+			return time.Time(*fi.Time), true
+		}
+		if fi.ModTime != nil {
+			return time.Time(*fi.ModTime), true
+		}
+	}
+	return ccTime, true
+}
+
+func (c *Corpus) pnCamliContentLocked(pn blob.Ref) (cc blob.Ref, t time.Time, ok bool) {
+	// TODO(bradfitz): keep this property cached
+	pm, ok := c.permanodes[pn]
+	if !ok {
+		return
+	}
+	for _, cl := range pm.Claims {
+		if cl.Attr != "camliContent" {
+			continue
+		}
+		// TODO: pass down the 'PermanodeConstraint.At' parameter, and then do: if cl.Date.After(at) { continue }
+		switch cl.Type {
+		case string(schema.DelAttributeClaim):
+			cc = blob.Ref{}
+			t = time.Time{}
+		case string(schema.SetAttributeClaim):
+			cc = blob.ParseOrZero(cl.Value)
+			t = cl.Date
+		}
+	}
+	return cc, t, cc.Valid()
+
+}
+
 // PermanodeModtime returns the latest modification time of the given
 // permanode.
 //
diff --git a/pkg/search/expr.go b/pkg/search/expr.go
index 8b1e97258..263c79e8e 100644
--- a/pkg/search/expr.go
+++ b/pkg/search/expr.go
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ import (
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"camlistore.org/pkg/context"
 	"camlistore.org/pkg/geocode"
+	"camlistore.org/pkg/types"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -183,6 +185,36 @@ func parseExpression(ctx *context.Context, exp string) (*SearchQuery, error) {
 			})
 			continue
 		}
+		if strings.HasPrefix(word, "before:") || strings.HasPrefix(word, "after:") {
+			before := false
+			when := ""
+			if strings.HasPrefix(word, "before:") {
+				before = true
+				when = strings.TrimPrefix(word, "before:")
+			} else {
+				when = strings.TrimPrefix(word, "after:")
+			}
+			base := "0000-01-01T00:00:00Z"
+			if len(when) < len(base) {
+				when += base[len(when):]
+			}
+			t, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, when)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			tc := &TimeConstraint{}
+			if before {
+				tc.Before = types.Time3339(t)
+			} else {
+				tc.After = types.Time3339(t)
+			}
+			and(&Constraint{
+				Permanode: &PermanodeConstraint{
+					Time: tc,
+				},
+			})
+			continue
+		}
 		if strings.HasPrefix(word, "loc:") {
 			where := strings.TrimPrefix(word, "loc:")
 			rects, err := geocode.Lookup(ctx, where)
diff --git a/pkg/search/query.go b/pkg/search/query.go
index 9517d1a72..b1f9001a3 100644
--- a/pkg/search/query.go
+++ b/pkg/search/query.go
@@ -521,6 +521,12 @@ type PermanodeConstraint struct {
 	// ModTime optionally matches on the last modtime of the permanode.
 	ModTime *TimeConstraint `json:"modTime,omitempty"`
 
+	// Time optionally matches the permanode's time. A Permanode
+	// may not have a known time. If the permanode does not have a
+	// known time, one may be guessed if the top-level search
+	// parameters request so.
+	Time *TimeConstraint `json:"time,omitempty"`
+
 	// Attr optionally specifies the attribute to match.
 	// e.g. "camliContent", "camliMember", "tag"
 	// This is required if any of the items below are used.
@@ -1032,6 +1038,17 @@ func (c *PermanodeConstraint) blobMatches(s *search, br blob.Ref, bm camtypes.Bl
 		}
 	}
 
+	if c.Time != nil {
+		if corpus != nil {
+			t, ok := corpus.PermanodeTimeLocked(br)
+			if !ok || !c.Time.timeMatches(t) {
+				return false, nil
+			}
+		} else {
+			panic("TODO: not yet supported")
+		}
+	}
+
 	if cc := c.Continue; cc != nil {
 		if corpus == nil {
 			// Requires an in-memory index for infinite