diff --git a/src/simulator/nstime.h b/src/simulator/nstime.h
index 6b6660f70..24d7fd671 100644
--- a/src/simulator/nstime.h
+++ b/src/simulator/nstime.h
@@ -577,6 +577,12 @@ Time PicoSeconds (uint64_t ps);
  */
 Time FemtoSeconds (uint64_t fs);
 
+/**
+ * \brief create a ns3::Time instance which represents
+ * the maximum value representable in a simulation.
+ */
+Time MaxSeconds (void);
+
 // internal function not publicly documented
 Time TimeStep (uint64_t ts);
 
diff --git a/src/simulator/time.cc b/src/simulator/time.cc
index a58a54925..8751cc4d4 100644
--- a/src/simulator/time.cc
+++ b/src/simulator/time.cc
@@ -268,6 +268,12 @@ Time FemtoSeconds (uint64_t fs)
   uint64_t ts = TimeUnit<1>::UnitsToTimestep(fs, TimeStepPrecision::FS_FACTOR);
   return TimeStep(ts);
 }
+Time MaxSeconds (void)
+{
+  // XXX: I am fairly certain other compilers use other non-standard
+  // post-fixes to indicate 64 bit constants.
+  return TimeStep (0xffffffffffffffffLL);
+}
 
 /*
  * The timestep value passed to this function must be of the precision