diff --git a/whisper/envelope.go b/whisper/envelope.go
index c1d84df78..a4e2fa031 100644
--- a/whisper/envelope.go
+++ b/whisper/envelope.go
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ func (self *Envelope) Open(key *ecdsa.PrivateKey) (msg *Message, err error) {
 
 	message := &Message{
 		Flags: data[0],
-		Sent:  int64(self.Expiry - self.TTL),
+		Sent:  time.Unix(int64(self.Expiry-self.TTL), 0),
+		TTL:   time.Duration(self.TTL) * time.Second,
 		Hash:  self.Hash(),
 	}
 	data = data[1:]
diff --git a/whisper/envelope_test.go b/whisper/envelope_test.go
index ed1f08365..3117284f1 100644
--- a/whisper/envelope_test.go
+++ b/whisper/envelope_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package whisper
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func TestEnvelopeOpen(t *testing.T) {
@@ -26,9 +27,12 @@ func TestEnvelopeOpen(t *testing.T) {
 	if bytes.Compare(opened.Payload, message.Payload) != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("payload mismatch: have 0x%x, want 0x%x", opened.Payload, message.Payload)
 	}
-	if opened.Sent != message.Sent {
+	if opened.Sent.Unix() != message.Sent.Unix() {
 		t.Fatalf("send time mismatch: have %d, want %d", opened.Sent, message.Sent)
 	}
+	if opened.TTL/time.Second != DefaultTTL/time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("message TTL mismatch: have %v, want %v", opened.TTL, DefaultTTL)
+	}
 
 	if opened.Hash != envelope.Hash() {
 		t.Fatalf("message hash mismatch: have 0x%x, want 0x%x", opened.Hash, envelope.Hash())
diff --git a/whisper/message.go b/whisper/message.go
index 69d85b894..2b92d515c 100644
--- a/whisper/message.go
+++ b/whisper/message.go
@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ type Message struct {
 	Flags     byte // First bit is signature presence, rest reserved and should be random
 	Signature []byte
 	Payload   []byte
-	Sent      int64
+
+	Sent time.Time     // Time when the message was posted into the network
+	TTL  time.Duration // Maximum time to live allowed for the message
 
 	To   *ecdsa.PublicKey // Message recipient (identity used to decode the message)
-	Hash common.Hash      // Message envelope hash to act as a unique id in de-duplication
+	Hash common.Hash      // Message envelope hash to act as a unique id
 }
 
 // Options specifies the exact way a message should be wrapped into an Envelope.
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ func NewMessage(payload []byte) *Message {
 	return &Message{
 		Flags:   flags,
 		Payload: payload,
-		Sent:    time.Now().Unix(),
+		Sent:    time.Now(),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -66,6 +68,8 @@ func (self *Message) Wrap(pow time.Duration, options Options) (*Envelope, error)
 	if options.TTL == 0 {
 		options.TTL = DefaultTTL
 	}
+	self.TTL = options.TTL
+
 	// Sign and encrypt the message if requested
 	if options.From != nil {
 		if err := self.sign(options.From); err != nil {
diff --git a/whisper/message_test.go b/whisper/message_test.go
index 18a254e5c..0b4a24c24 100644
--- a/whisper/message_test.go
+++ b/whisper/message_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"crypto/elliptic"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 )
@@ -25,6 +26,9 @@ func TestMessageSimpleWrap(t *testing.T) {
 	if bytes.Compare(msg.Payload, payload) != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("payload mismatch after wrapping: have 0x%x, want 0x%x", msg.Payload, payload)
 	}
+	if msg.TTL/time.Second != DefaultTTL/time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("message TTL mismatch: have %v, want %v", msg.TTL, DefaultTTL)
+	}
 }
 
 // Tests whether a message can be signed, and wrapped in plain-text.
diff --git a/xeth/whisper_message.go b/xeth/whisper_message.go
index 14796cfbc..c8195cec1 100644
--- a/xeth/whisper_message.go
+++ b/xeth/whisper_message.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 package xeth
 
 import (
+	"time"
+
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/whisper"
@@ -16,6 +18,8 @@ type WhisperMessage struct {
 	To      string `json:"to"`
 	From    string `json:"from"`
 	Sent    int64  `json:"sent"`
+	TTL     int64  `json:"ttl"`
+	Hash    string `json:"hash"`
 }
 
 // NewWhisperMessage converts an internal message into an API version.
@@ -26,6 +30,8 @@ func NewWhisperMessage(message *whisper.Message) WhisperMessage {
 		Payload: common.ToHex(message.Payload),
 		From:    common.ToHex(crypto.FromECDSAPub(message.Recover())),
 		To:      common.ToHex(crypto.FromECDSAPub(message.To)),
-		Sent:    message.Sent,
+		Sent:    message.Sent.Unix(),
+		TTL:     int64(message.TTL / time.Second),
+		Hash:    common.ToHex(message.Hash.Bytes()),
 	}
 }