diff --git a/api/current.txt b/api/current.txt
index 2381732ebc39e..a5a8fc874a366 100644
--- a/api/current.txt
+++ b/api/current.txt
@@ -3848,6 +3848,7 @@ package android.app {
     method public android.app.Notification.Builder setOnlyAlertOnce(boolean);
     method public android.app.Notification.Builder setPriority(int);
     method public android.app.Notification.Builder setProgress(int, int, boolean);
+    method public android.app.Notification.Builder setShowWhen(boolean);
     method public android.app.Notification.Builder setSmallIcon(int);
     method public android.app.Notification.Builder setSmallIcon(int, int);
     method public android.app.Notification.Builder setSound(android.net.Uri);
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/Notification.java b/core/java/android/app/Notification.java
index 789645047e765..17c2c6b5d40f1 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/Notification.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/Notification.java
@@ -951,6 +951,7 @@ public class Notification implements Parcelable
         private ArrayList<Action> mActions = new ArrayList<Action>(MAX_ACTION_BUTTONS);
         private boolean mUseChronometer;
         private Style mStyle;
+        private boolean mShowWhen = true;
 
         /**
          * Constructs a new Builder with the defaults:
@@ -982,8 +983,9 @@ public class Notification implements Parcelable
 
         /**
          * Add a timestamp pertaining to the notification (usually the time the event occurred).
+         * It will be shown in the notification content view by default; use
+         * {@link Builder#setShowWhen(boolean) setShowWhen} to control this.
          *
-
          * @see Notification#when
          */
         public Builder setWhen(long when) {
@@ -991,6 +993,15 @@ public class Notification implements Parcelable
             return this;
         }
 
+        /**
+         * Control whether the timestamp set with {@link Builder#setWhen(long) setWhen} is shown
+         * in the content view.
+         */
+        public Builder setShowWhen(boolean show) {
+            mShowWhen = show;
+            return this;
+        }
+
         /**
          * Show the {@link Notification#when} field as a stopwatch.
          * 
@@ -1467,7 +1478,7 @@ public class Notification implements Parcelable
                 contentView.setViewPadding(R.id.line1, 0, 0, 0, 0);
             }
 
-            if (mWhen != 0) {
+            if (mWhen != 0 && mShowWhen) {
                 if (mUseChronometer) {
                     contentView.setViewVisibility(R.id.chronometer, View.VISIBLE);
                     contentView.setLong(R.id.chronometer, "setBase",
@@ -1477,7 +1488,10 @@ public class Notification implements Parcelable
                     contentView.setViewVisibility(R.id.time, View.VISIBLE);
                     contentView.setLong(R.id.time, "setTime", mWhen);
                 }
+            } else {
+                contentView.setViewVisibility(R.id.time, View.GONE);
             }
+
             contentView.setViewVisibility(R.id.line3, showLine3 ? View.VISIBLE : View.GONE);
             contentView.setViewVisibility(R.id.overflow_divider, showLine3 ? View.VISIBLE : View.GONE);
             return contentView;