diff --git a/src/contracts/Cash.kt b/src/contracts/Cash.kt
index 2a7b13e227..8b71d4c278 100644
--- a/src/contracts/Cash.kt
+++ b/src/contracts/Cash.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package contracts
 
 import core.*
 import java.security.PublicKey
+import java.time.Instant
 
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ fun Iterable<ContractState>.sumCashBy(owner: PublicKey) = this.filterIsInstance<
  */
 object CashContract : Contract {
     /** This is the function EVERYONE runs */
-    override fun verify(inStates: List<ContractState>, outStates: List<ContractState>, args: List<VerifiedSigned<Command>>) {
+    override fun verify(inStates: List<ContractState>, outStates: List<ContractState>, args: List<VerifiedSigned<Command>>, time: Instant) {
         val cashInputs = inStates.filterIsInstance<CashState>()
 
         requireThat {
diff --git a/src/core/Structures.kt b/src/core/Structures.kt
index ace02471e8..e3f611c3cd 100644
--- a/src/core/Structures.kt
+++ b/src/core/Structures.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package core
 
 import java.security.PublicKey
 import java.security.Timestamp
+import java.time.Instant
 
 /**
  * A contract state (or just "state") contains opaque data used by a contract program. It can be thought of as a disk
@@ -86,11 +87,12 @@ data class VerifiedSigned<out T : Command>(
 /**
  * Implemented by a program that implements business logic on the shared ledger. All participants run this code for
  * every [Transaction] they see on the network, for every input state. All input states must accept the transaction
- * for it to be accepted: failure of any aborts the entire thing.
+ * for it to be accepted: failure of any aborts the entire thing. The time is taken from a trusted timestamp attached
+ * to the transaction itself i.e. it is NOT necessarily the current time.
  */
 interface Contract {
     /** Must throw an exception if there's a problem that should prevent state transition. */
-    fun verify(inStates: List<ContractState>, outStates: List<ContractState>, args: List<VerifiedSigned<Command>>)
+    fun verify(inStates: List<ContractState>, outStates: List<ContractState>, args: List<VerifiedSigned<Command>>, time: Instant)
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/core/TestUtils.kt b/src/core/TestUtils.kt
index 9ef53aeee1..0813fb289a 100644
--- a/src/core/TestUtils.kt
+++ b/src/core/TestUtils.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package core
 
 import java.math.BigInteger
 import java.security.PublicKey
+import java.time.Instant
 import kotlin.test.fail
 
 class DummyPublicKey(private val s: String) : PublicKey, Comparable<PublicKey> {
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ data class TransactionForTest(
 
     infix fun Contract.`fails requirement`(msg: String) {
         try {
-            verify(inStates, outStates, args)
+            verify(inStates, outStates, args, Instant.now())
         } catch(e: Exception) {
             val m = e.message
             if (m == null)
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ data class TransactionForTest(
     fun Contract.fails_requirement(msg: String) = this.`fails requirement`(msg)
 
     fun Contract.accepts() {
-        verify(inStates, outStates, args)
+        verify(inStates, outStates, args, Instant.now())
     }
 
     // Allow customisation of partial transactions.