diff --git a/Data/Time/Parse.hsc b/Data/Time/Parse.hsc
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Data/Time/Parse.hsc
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE ForeignFunctionInterface, FlexibleInstances #-}
+------------------------------------------------------------
+-- |
+-- Copyright    :   (c) 2009 Eugene Kirpichov
+-- License      :   BSD-style
+--
+-- Maintainer   :   ekirpichov@gmail.com
+-- Stability    :   experimental
+-- Portability  :   portable (H98 + FFI)
+--
+-- strptime wrapper
+--
+------------------------------------------------------------
+
+module Data.Time.Parse (
+    Strptime(..)
+) where
+
+import Foreign
+import Foreign.C.Types
+import Foreign.C.String
+import Foreign.ForeignPtr
+import Foreign.Marshal.Alloc
+import GHC.Ptr
+
+import Data.Time
+
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as S
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Internal as BI
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as L
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Internal as LI
+
+#include <time.h>
+
+-- | The class of values from which time may be parsed
+class Strptime a where
+    -- | Given a format string in the format of C's strptime (see <http://linux.die.net/man/3/strptime>) 
+    -- and a data string, parse a date+time value from the data string and also return the remainder
+    -- of the data string.
+    strptime  :: a -> a -> Maybe (LocalTime, a)
+
+instance Strptime [Char] where
+    strptime f = \s -> do
+        (t, n) <- ff s
+        return (t, drop n s)
+      where ff = strptime_ f  
+instance Strptime L.ByteString where
+    strptime f = \s -> do
+        (t, n) <- ff s
+        return (t, L.drop (fromIntegral n) s)
+      where ff = strptime_ f  
+
+instance Strptime S.ByteString where
+    strptime f = \s -> do
+        (t, n) <- ff s
+        return (t, S.drop (fromIntegral n) s)
+      where ff = strptime_ f  
+
+class Strptime_ a where
+    strptime_ :: a -> a -> Maybe (LocalTime, Int)
+
+instance Strptime_ [Char] where
+    strptime_ f s = strptime_ (S.pack f) (S.pack s)
+
+instance Strptime_ L.ByteString where
+    strptime_ f s = strptime_ (S.concat . L.toChunks $ f) (S.concat . L.toChunks $ s)
+
+instance Strptime_ S.ByteString where
+    strptime_ f = unsafePerformIO $ do
+      -- Avoid memcpy-ing the format string every time.
+      let (pf, ofs, len) = BI.toForeignPtr f
+      ztf <- mallocBytes (len+1)
+      copyBytes ztf (unsafeForeignPtrToPtr pf) len
+      pokeByteOff ztf len (0::Word8)
+      fztf <- newForeignPtr_ ztf
+      addForeignPtrFinalizer finalizerFree fztf
+
+      return $ \s -> unsafePerformIO $ S.useAsCString s $ \cs -> do
+        allocaBytes (#const sizeof(struct tm)) $ \p_tm -> do
+          last <- strptime_c cs (castPtr ztf) p_tm
+          if last == nullPtr 
+            then return Nothing
+            else do
+              sec   <-  (#peek struct tm,tm_sec  ) p_tm :: IO CInt
+              min   <-  (#peek struct tm,tm_min  ) p_tm :: IO CInt
+              hour  <-  (#peek struct tm,tm_hour ) p_tm :: IO CInt
+              mday  <-  (#peek struct tm,tm_mday ) p_tm :: IO CInt
+              month <-  (#peek struct tm,tm_mon  ) p_tm :: IO CInt
+              year  <-  (#peek struct tm,tm_year ) p_tm :: IO CInt
+              let day = fromGregorian (fromIntegral (year+1900)) (fromIntegral month) (fromIntegral mday)
+              let tod = TimeOfDay (fromIntegral hour) (fromIntegral min) (fromIntegral sec)
+              
+              return $ Just (LocalTime day tod, last `minusPtr` cs)
+
+type CTm = () -- struct tm
+
+foreign import ccall unsafe "time.h strptime"
+    strptime_c :: CString -> CString -> Ptr CTm -> IO CString
diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+Copyright (c) 2009, Eugene Kirpichov
+All rights reserved.
+
+Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+
+1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
+   this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+   documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
+AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE
+LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
+CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF
+SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
+INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
+CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
+ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
+POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
diff --git a/Setup.hs b/Setup.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Setup.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+import Distribution.Simple
+main = defaultMain
diff --git a/strptime.cabal b/strptime.cabal
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/strptime.cabal
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+Name: strptime
+Category: System, Data, Parsing
+Version: 0.1
+Cabal-version: >= 1.2
+Build-type: Simple
+Copyright: Eugene Kirpichov
+Maintainer: ekirpichov@gmail.com    
+Author: Eugene Kirpichov
+License: BSD3
+License-File: LICENSE
+Synopsis: Efficient parsing of CalendarTime using a binding to C's strptime
+Description:
+  This library provides a binding to strptime, that allows to parse 
+  dates and times from strings and strict/lazy bytestrings. The library
+  creates LocalTime values.
+
+Flag split-base
+
+Library
+  Build-Depends: time, bytestring
+  if flag(split-base)
+    Build-depends: base >= 3.0 && < 4.0
+  else
+    Build-depends: base < 3.0
+  Exposed-modules: Data.Time.Parse