diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/util/TimeUtil.java b/src/java/com/threerings/util/TimeUtil.java
index 779834b63..2674b4213 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/util/TimeUtil.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/util/TimeUtil.java
@@ -46,6 +46,19 @@ public class TimeUtil
     // TODO: Weeks?, months?
     protected static final byte MAX_UNIT = DAY;
 
+    /**
+     * Returns (in seconds) the time elapsed between the supplied start and end timestamps (which
+     * must be in milliseconds). Partial seconds are truncated, not rounded.
+     */
+    public static int elapsedSeconds (long startStamp, long endStamp)
+    {
+        if (endStamp < startStamp) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("End time must be after start time " +
+                                               "[start=" + startStamp + ", end=" + endStamp + "]");
+        }
+        return (int)((endStamp - startStamp)/1000L);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get a translatable string specifying the magnitude of the specified duration. Results will
      * be between "1 second" and "X hours", with all times rounded to the nearest unit. "0 units"