diff --git a/interface_linux.go b/interface_linux.go
index 209606b..c5a57a8 100644
--- a/interface_linux.go
+++ b/interface_linux.go
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 package socketcan
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-	"unsafe"
-
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
@@ -12,24 +9,6 @@ func getIfIndex(itf Interface, ifName string) (int, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	if len(ifNameRaw) > unix.IFNAMSIZ {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("Maximum ifname length is %d characters", unix.IFNAMSIZ)
-	}
-
-	type ifreq struct {
-		Name  [unix.IFNAMSIZ]byte
-		Index int
-	}
-	var ifReq ifreq
 	fd := itf.SocketFD()
-	copy(ifReq.Name[:], ifNameRaw)
-	_, _, errno := unix.Syscall(unix.SYS_IOCTL,
-		uintptr(fd),
-		unix.SIOCGIFINDEX,
-		uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&ifReq)))
-	if errno != 0 {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("ioctl: %v", errno)
-	}
-
-	return ifReq.Index, nil
+	return IoctlGetIfIndex(fd, ifNameRaw)
 }
diff --git a/ioctl_linux.go b/ioctl_linux.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..95d6986
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ioctl_linux.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/**
+ * Special ioctl commands for supporting the unix interface
+ * to SocketCAN interface.
+ *
+ */
+
+package socketcan
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"syscall"
+	"unsafe"
+
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
+)
+
+// Unfortunately - this is not made public in the "unix" library so,
+//   making ioctl requests is hard. I've manually recreated it here.
+func ioctlPtr(fd int, req uint, arg unsafe.Pointer) (err error) {
+	_, _, e1 := syscall.Syscall(unix.SYS_IOCTL, uintptr(fd), uintptr(req), uintptr(arg))
+	if e1 != 0 {
+		err = error(e1)
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func IoctlGetIfIndex(fd int, ifNameRaw []byte) (int, error) {
+	type ifreq struct {
+		Name  [unix.IFNAMSIZ]byte
+		Index int
+	}
+	var ifReq ifreq
+
+	if len(ifNameRaw) > unix.IFNAMSIZ {
+		return -1, fmt.Errorf("Maximum ifname length is %d characters", unix.IFNAMSIZ)
+	}
+
+	copy(ifReq.Name[:], ifNameRaw)
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, unix.SIOCGIFINDEX, unsafe.Pointer(&ifReq));
+	if err != nil {
+		return -1, err
+	}
+
+	return ifReq.Index, nil
+}
+
+func IoctlGetTimeval(fd int) (*syscall.Timeval, error) {
+	var value syscall.Timeval
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, syscall.SIOCGSTAMP, unsafe.Pointer(&value));
+	return &value, err
+}
diff --git a/raw_interface.go b/raw_interface.go
index 7b48bf7..698b92b 100644
--- a/raw_interface.go
+++ b/raw_interface.go
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@ type RawInterface interface {
 	Send(CanFrame) error
 	Receive() (CanFrame, error)
 	Close() error
+	GetTimestamp() (int64, error)
 }
diff --git a/raw_interface_linux.go b/raw_interface_linux.go
index bd7ffc4..7c2cba5 100644
--- a/raw_interface_linux.go
+++ b/raw_interface_linux.go
@@ -62,6 +62,21 @@ func (itf *rawInterface) Receive() (CanFrame, error) {
 	return f, nil
 }
 
+/** Request the timestamp for the last read CAN frame.
+ *  This method must be called immediately after the last
+ *  frame was read.
+ * @return The timestamp is in CLOCK_MONOTONIC domain in
+ *    nanoseconds.
+ */
+func (itf *rawInterface) GetTimestamp() (int64, error) {
+	timeVal, err := IoctlGetTimeval(itf.fd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return -1, err
+	}
+
+	return timeVal.Nano(), nil
+}
+
 func IsClosedInterfaceError(err error) bool {
 	errno, ok := err.(syscall.Errno)
 	if ok == false {
diff --git a/raw_interface_stub.go b/raw_interface_stub.go
index 04a6cd1..ebae199 100644
--- a/raw_interface_stub.go
+++ b/raw_interface_stub.go
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ func (itf *rawInterfaceStub) Receive() (CanFrame, error) {
 	return f, nil
 }
 
+func (itf *rawInterface) GetTimestamp() (int64, error) {
+	return 0, nil;
+}
+
 func IsClosedInterfaceError(err error) bool {
 	return false
 }