diff --git a/libraries/api/blockchain_api.json b/libraries/api/blockchain_api.json
index 478e22157..4a8ef7aba 100644
--- a/libraries/api/blockchain_api.json
+++ b/libraries/api/blockchain_api.json
@@ -234,14 +234,14 @@
       },
       {
         "method_name": "blockchain_get_block",
-        "description": "Retrieves the block record for the given block number or ID",
+        "description": "Retrieves the block record for the given block number, ID or timestamp",
         "cached"   : true,
         "return_type": "oblock_record",
         "parameters" : [
             {
               "name" : "block",
               "type" : "string",
-              "description" : "block number or ID to retrieve"
+              "description" : "timestamp, number or ID of the block to retrieve"
             }
         ],
         "is_const" : true,
diff --git a/libraries/client/blockchain_api.cpp b/libraries/client/blockchain_api.cpp
index c87418b59..919d9ed4c 100644
--- a/libraries/client/blockchain_api.cpp
+++ b/libraries/client/blockchain_api.cpp
@@ -290,8 +290,14 @@ oblock_record detail::client_impl::blockchain_get_block( const string& block )co
       ASSERT_TASK_NOT_PREEMPTED(); // make sure no cancel gets swallowed by catch(...)
       if( block.size() == string( block_id_type() ).size() )
          return _chain_db->get_block_record( block_id_type( block ) );
-      else
-         return _chain_db->get_block_record( std::stoi( block ) );
+      uint32_t num;
+      try {
+          fc::time_point_sec time(fc::time_point_sec::from_iso_string( block ));
+          num = _chain_db->find_block_num( time );
+      } catch( ... ) {
+          num = std::stoi( block );
+      }
+      return _chain_db->get_block_record( num );
    }
    catch( ... )
    {