diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h
index a3ebbbc9f..e0d33707c 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/gsm_data.h
@@ -288,6 +288,9 @@ struct gsm_lchan {
 
 	/* release reason */
 	u_int8_t release_reason;
+
+	/* timestamp */
+	struct timeval alloc_time;
 };
 
 struct gsm_e1_subslot {
diff --git a/openbsc/src/chan_alloc.c b/openbsc/src/chan_alloc.c
index 623069ff0..c6d4e9bcc 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/chan_alloc.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/chan_alloc.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <time.h>
 
 #include <openbsc/gsm_data.h>
 #include <openbsc/chan_alloc.h>
@@ -287,6 +288,9 @@ struct gsm_lchan *lchan_alloc(struct gsm_bts *bts, enum gsm_chan_t type,
 		memset(&lchan->conn, 0, sizeof(lchan->conn));
 		lchan->conn.lchan = lchan;
 		lchan->conn.bts = lchan->ts->trx->bts;
+
+		/* set the alloc time */
+		gettimeofday(&lchan->alloc_time, NULL);
 	} else {
 		struct challoc_signal_data sig;
 		sig.bts = bts;