diff --git a/libpromises/evalfunction.c b/libpromises/evalfunction.c
index 9662bcd9e8..524e1f3803 100644
--- a/libpromises/evalfunction.c
+++ b/libpromises/evalfunction.c
@@ -7597,6 +7597,91 @@ static FnCallResult FnCallStrftime(ARG_UNUSED EvalContext *ctx,
 
 /*********************************************************************/
 
+#define TIME_ERROR ((time_t) -1)
+
+static const char *date_paths[] = {
+    "/usr/bin/date",
+    "/bin/date",
+    NULL
+};
+
+static time_t ParseDate(const char *input_string)
+{
+    const char *path = NULL;
+    for (size_t i = 0; date_paths[i] != NULL; i++)
+    {
+        const char *tmp = date_paths[i];
+
+        if (IsExecutable(tmp))
+        {
+            path = tmp;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (path == NULL)
+    {
+        Log(LOG_LEVEL_ERR, "Unable to find 'date' binary");
+        return TIME_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    char buffer[MAX_INPUT];
+    int n = snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "--date=%s", input_string);
+
+    if (n < 0 || (size_t) n >= sizeof(buffer)) {
+        Log(LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, "Truncated input string '%s'", input_string);
+        return TIME_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    const char *argv[] = {path, buffer, "+%s", NULL};
+    // cf_popen escapes the date, which makes it fail to parse
+    FILE *fd = cf_popen_exact_args(argv, "r", true);
+
+    if (fd == NULL)
+    {
+        Log(LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, "Couldn't run date \"--date='%s' +%%s\"", input_string);
+        return TIME_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    memset(buffer, 0, sizeof(buffer));
+
+    size_t bytes_read = fread(buffer, 1, sizeof(buffer), fd);
+    fclose(fd);
+
+    if (bytes_read == 0)
+    {
+        Log(LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, "No output read for '%s'", buffer);
+        return TIME_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    long out;
+    if (StringToLong(buffer, &out) != 0)
+    {
+        Log(LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, "Couldn't parse date: '%s'", buffer);
+        return TIME_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    return (time_t) out;
+}
+
+static FnCallResult FnCallStrToTime(ARG_UNUSED EvalContext *ctx, ARG_UNUSED const Policy *policy, const FnCall *fp, const Rlist *finalargs)
+{
+    assert(fp != NULL);
+
+    const char *string = RlistScalarValue(finalargs);
+    time_t result = ParseDate(string);
+
+    if (result == TIME_ERROR)
+    {
+        Log(LOG_LEVEL_ERR, "'%s': Invalid date '%s'", fp->name, string);
+        return FnFailure();
+    }
+
+    return FnReturnF("%ld", result);
+}
+
+/*********************************************************************/
+
 static FnCallResult FnCallEval(EvalContext *ctx, ARG_UNUSED const Policy *policy, const FnCall *fp, const Rlist *finalargs)
 {
     if (finalargs == NULL)
@@ -11427,6 +11512,12 @@ static const FnCallArg STRFTIME_ARGS[] =
     {NULL, CF_DATA_TYPE_NONE, NULL}
 };
 
+static const FnCallArg STRTOTIME_ARGS[] =
+{
+    {CF_ANYSTRING, CF_DATA_TYPE_STRING, "String to parse"},
+    {NULL, CF_DATA_TYPE_NONE, NULL}
+};
+
 static const FnCallArg STRING_REPLACE_ARGS[] =
 {
     {CF_ANYSTRING, CF_DATA_TYPE_STRING, "Source string"},
@@ -12003,6 +12094,8 @@ const FnCallType CF_FNCALL_TYPES[] =
                   FNCALL_OPTION_NONE, FNCALL_CATEGORY_DATA, SYNTAX_STATUS_NORMAL, DEFAULT_ARGC),
     FnCallTypeNew("strftime", CF_DATA_TYPE_STRING, STRFTIME_ARGS, &FnCallStrftime, "Format a date and time string",
                   FNCALL_OPTION_NONE, FNCALL_CATEGORY_DATA, SYNTAX_STATUS_NORMAL, DEFAULT_ARGC),
+    FnCallTypeNew("strtotime", CF_DATA_TYPE_INT, STRTOTIME_ARGS, &FnCallStrToTime, "Parse a timestamp from a string",
+                  FNCALL_OPTION_NONE, FNCALL_CATEGORY_DATA, SYNTAX_STATUS_NORMAL, DEFAULT_ARGC),
     FnCallTypeNew("sublist", CF_DATA_TYPE_STRING_LIST, SUBLIST_ARGS, &FnCallSublist, "Returns arg3 element from either the head or the tail (according to arg2) of list or array or data container arg1.",
                   FNCALL_OPTION_COLLECTING, FNCALL_CATEGORY_DATA, SYNTAX_STATUS_NORMAL, DEFAULT_ARGC),
     FnCallTypeNew("sysctlvalue", CF_DATA_TYPE_STRING, SYSCTLVALUE_ARGS, &FnCallSysctlValue, "Returns a value for sysctl key arg1 pair",
diff --git a/libpromises/pipes.h b/libpromises/pipes.h
index 5961ed0140..f5756e45b6 100644
--- a/libpromises/pipes.h
+++ b/libpromises/pipes.h
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ FILE *cf_popensetuid(const char *command, const Seq *arglist, const char *type,
 FILE *cf_popen_sh(const char *command, const char *type);
 FILE *cf_popen_sh_select(const char *command, const char *type, OutputSelect output_select);
 FILE *cf_popen_shsetuid(const char *command, const char *type, uid_t uid, gid_t gid, char *chdirv, char *chrootv, int background);
+FILE *cf_popen_exact_args_select(const char **argv, const char *type, OutputSelect output_select);
+FILE *cf_popen_exact_args(const char **argv, const char *type, bool capture_stderr);
 int cf_pclose(FILE *pp);
 void cf_pclose_nowait(FILE *pp);
 bool PipeToPid(pid_t *pid, FILE *pp);
diff --git a/libpromises/pipes_unix.c b/libpromises/pipes_unix.c
index a9aece3778..bb3243932f 100644
--- a/libpromises/pipes_unix.c
+++ b/libpromises/pipes_unix.c
@@ -371,18 +371,15 @@ IOData cf_popen_full_duplex(const char *command, bool capture_stderr, bool requi
     }
 }
 
-FILE *cf_popen_select(const char *command, const char *type, OutputSelect output_select)
+FILE *cf_popen_exact_args_select(const char **argv, const char *type, OutputSelect output_select)
 {
     int pd[2];
     pid_t pid;
     FILE *pp = NULL;
 
-    char **argv = ArgSplitCommand(command, NULL);
-
     pid = CreatePipeAndFork(type, pd);
     if (pid == (pid_t) -1)
     {
-        ArgFree(argv);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -427,7 +424,6 @@ FILE *cf_popen_select(const char *command, const char *type, OutputSelect output
             if ((pp = fdopen(pd[0], type)) == NULL)
             {
                 cf_pwait(pid);
-                ArgFree(argv);
                 return NULL;
             }
             break;
@@ -439,13 +435,11 @@ FILE *cf_popen_select(const char *command, const char *type, OutputSelect output
             if ((pp = fdopen(pd[1], type)) == NULL)
             {
                 cf_pwait(pid);
-                ArgFree(argv);
                 return NULL;
             }
         }
 
         ChildrenFDSet(fileno(pp), pid);
-        ArgFree(argv);
         return pp;
     }
 
@@ -453,6 +447,23 @@ FILE *cf_popen_select(const char *command, const char *type, OutputSelect output
     return NULL;
 }
 
+FILE *cf_popen_exact_args(const char **argv, const char *type, bool capture_stderr)
+{
+    return cf_popen_exact_args_select(
+        argv,
+        type,
+        capture_stderr ? OUTPUT_SELECT_BOTH : OUTPUT_SELECT_STDOUT);
+}
+
+FILE *cf_popen_select(const char *command, const char *type, OutputSelect output_select)
+{
+    char **argv = ArgSplitCommand(command, NULL);
+    FILE *ret = cf_popen_exact_args_select(argv, type, output_select);
+    ArgFree(argv);
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
 FILE *cf_popen(const char *command, const char *type, bool capture_stderr)
 {
     return cf_popen_select(
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/01_vars/02_functions/strtotime.cf b/tests/acceptance/01_vars/02_functions/strtotime.cf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b6d5eb98a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/01_vars/02_functions/strtotime.cf
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#######################################################
+#
+# Test strtotime function
+#
+#######################################################
+body common control
+{
+  inputs => { "../../default.sub.cf" };
+  bundlesequence => { default("$(this.promise_filename)") };
+  version => "1.0";
+}
+
+#######################################################
+bundle agent test
+{
+  vars:
+    "some_date" int => strtotime("2009-09-21T00:00:00Z");
+    "epoch" int => int(1253491200);
+
+  classes:
+    "ok" expression => strcmp("$(epoch)", "$(some_date)");
+
+  reports:
+    ok::
+      "$(this.promise_filename) Pass";
+
+    !ok::
+      "$(this.promise_filename) FAIL";
+}