diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 65248cd..c85c709 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -600,3 +600,32 @@ void iso_datetime_17(unsigned char *buf, time_t t)
         buf[16] = tzoffset;
     }
 }
+
+time_t iso_datetime_read_7(const uint8_t *buf)
+{
+    struct tm tm;
+
+    tm.tm_year = buf[0];
+    tm.tm_mon = buf[1] - 1;
+    tm.tm_mday = buf[2];
+    tm.tm_hour = buf[3];
+    tm.tm_min = buf[4];
+    tm.tm_sec = buf[5];
+    return timegm(&tm) - buf[6] * 60 * 15;
+}
+
+time_t iso_datetime_read_17(const uint8_t *buf)
+{
+    struct tm tm;
+
+    sscanf((char*)&buf[0], "%4d", &tm.tm_year);
+    sscanf((char*)&buf[4], "%2d", &tm.tm_mon);
+    sscanf((char*)&buf[6], "%2d", &tm.tm_mday);
+    sscanf((char*)&buf[8], "%2d", &tm.tm_hour);
+    sscanf((char*)&buf[10], "%2d", &tm.tm_min);
+    sscanf((char*)&buf[12], "%2d", &tm.tm_sec);
+    tm.tm_year -= 1900;
+    tm.tm_mon -= 1;
+
+    return timegm(&tm) - buf[16] * 60 * 15;
+}
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 2405f75..21ed3d8 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -102,6 +102,9 @@ void iso_datetime_7(uint8_t *buf, time_t t);
 /** Records the date/time into a 17 byte buffer (ECMA-119, 8.4.26.1) */
 void iso_datetime_17(uint8_t *buf, time_t t);
 
+time_t iso_datetime_read_7(const uint8_t *buf);
+time_t iso_datetime_read_17(const uint8_t *buf);
+
 typedef struct iso_rbtree IsoRBTree;
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/test_util.c b/test/test_util.c
index 82dcf5d..f8492a3 100644
--- a/test/test_util.c
+++ b/test/test_util.c
@@ -102,6 +102,33 @@ static void test_iso_bb()
     CU_ASSERT_EQUAL( buf[3], 0x04 );
 }
 
+static void test_iso_datetime_7()
+{
+    uint8_t buf[7];
+    time_t t, t2;
+    struct tm tp;
+    
+    strptime("01-03-1976 13:27:45", "%d-%m-%Y %T", &tp);
+    t = mktime(&tp);
+    
+    iso_datetime_7(buf, t);
+    CU_ASSERT_EQUAL( buf[0], 76 ); /* year since 1900 */
+    CU_ASSERT_EQUAL( buf[1], 3 ); /* month */
+    CU_ASSERT_EQUAL( buf[2], 1 ); /* day */
+    CU_ASSERT_EQUAL( buf[3], 13 ); /* hour */
+    CU_ASSERT_EQUAL( buf[4], 27 ); /* minute */
+    CU_ASSERT_EQUAL( buf[5], 45 ); /* second */
+    /* the offset depends on current timezone and it's not easy to test */
+    //CU_ASSERT_EQUAL( buf[6], 4 ); /* 15 min offset */
+    
+    /* check that reading returns the same time */
+    t2 = iso_datetime_read_7(buf);
+    CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(t2, t);
+    
+    //TODO check with differnt timezones for reading and writting
+    
+}
+
 static void test_iso_1_dirid()
 {
     CU_ASSERT_STRING_EQUAL( iso_1_dirid("dir1"), "DIR1" );
@@ -238,6 +265,7 @@ void add_util_suite()
     CU_add_test(pSuite, "iso_bb()", test_iso_bb);
     CU_add_test(pSuite, "iso_lsb/msb()", test_iso_lsb_msb);
     CU_add_test(pSuite, "iso_read_lsb/msb()", test_iso_read_lsb_msb);
+    CU_add_test(pSuite, "iso_datetime_7()", test_iso_datetime_7);
     CU_add_test(pSuite, "iso_1_dirid()", test_iso_1_dirid);
     CU_add_test(pSuite, "iso_2_dirid()", test_iso_2_dirid);
     CU_add_test(pSuite, "iso_1_fileid()", test_iso_1_fileid);