diff --git a/src/qt/clientmodel.cpp b/src/qt/clientmodel.cpp
--- a/src/qt/clientmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/clientmodel.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 
 class CBlockIndex;
 
-static const int64_t nClientStartupTime = GetTime();
 static int64_t nLastHeaderTipUpdateNotification = 0;
 static int64_t nLastBlockTipUpdateNotification = 0;
 
@@ -190,7 +189,7 @@
 }
 
 QString ClientModel::formatClientStartupTime() const {
-    return QDateTime::fromTime_t(nClientStartupTime).toString();
+    return QDateTime::fromTime_t(GetStartupTime()).toString();
 }
 
 QString ClientModel::dataDir() const {
diff --git a/src/rpc/server.cpp b/src/rpc/server.cpp
--- a/src/rpc/server.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/server.cpp
@@ -260,6 +260,22 @@
     return "Bitcoin server stopping";
 }
 
+static UniValue uptime(const Config &config,
+                       const JSONRPCRequest &jsonRequest) {
+    if (jsonRequest.fHelp || jsonRequest.params.size() > 1) {
+        throw std::runtime_error("uptime\n"
+                                 "\nReturns the total uptime of the server.\n"
+                                 "\nResult:\n"
+                                 "ttt        (numeric) The number of seconds "
+                                 "that the server has been running\n"
+                                 "\nExamples:\n" +
+                                 HelpExampleCli("uptime", "") +
+                                 HelpExampleRpc("uptime", ""));
+    }
+
+    return GetTime() - GetStartupTime();
+}
+
 /**
  * Call Table
  */
@@ -270,6 +286,7 @@
     /* Overall control/query calls */
     { "control",            "help",                   help,                   true,  {"command"}  },
     { "control",            "stop",                   stop,                   true,  {}  },
+    { "control",            "uptime",                 uptime,                 true,  {}  },
 };
 // clang-format on
 
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 /**
  * Server/client environment: argument handling, config file parsing, logging,
- * thread wrappers.
+ * thread wrappers, startup time
  */
 #ifndef BITCOIN_UTIL_H
 #define BITCOIN_UTIL_H
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 #include <boost/signals2/signal.hpp>
 #include <boost/thread/exceptions.hpp>
 
+// Application startup time (used for uptime calculation)
+int64_t GetStartupTime();
+
 static const bool DEFAULT_LOGTIMEMICROS = false;
 static const bool DEFAULT_LOGIPS = false;
 static const bool DEFAULT_LOGTIMESTAMPS = true;
diff --git a/src/util.cpp b/src/util.cpp
--- a/src/util.cpp
+++ b/src/util.cpp
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@
 #include <openssl/conf.h>
 #include <openssl/rand.h>
 
+// Application startup time (used for uptime calculation)
+const int64_t nStartupTime = GetTime();
+
 const char *const BITCOIN_CONF_FILENAME = "bitcoin.conf";
 const char *const BITCOIN_PID_FILENAME = "bitcoind.pid";
 
@@ -865,3 +868,8 @@
     }
     return strCopyrightHolders;
 }
+
+// Obtain the application startup time (used for uptime calculation)
+int64_t GetStartupTime() {
+    return nStartupTime;
+}
diff --git a/test/functional/test_runner.py b/test/functional/test_runner.py
--- a/test/functional/test_runner.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_runner.py
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@
     'abc-rpc.py',
     'mempool-accept-txn.py',
     'wallet-encryption.py',
+    'uptime.py',
 ]
 
 EXTENDED_SCRIPTS = [
diff --git a/test/functional/uptime.py b/test/functional/uptime.py
new file mode 100755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/functional/uptime.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# Copyright (c) 2017 The Bitcoin Core developers
+# Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+# file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+"""Test the RPC call related to the uptime command.
+
+Test corresponds to code in rpc/server.cpp.
+"""
+
+import time
+
+from test_framework.test_framework import BitcoinTestFramework
+
+
+class UptimeTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+
+        self.num_nodes = 1
+        self.setup_clean_chain = True
+
+    def run_test(self):
+        self._test_uptime()
+
+    def _test_uptime(self):
+        wait_time = 10
+        self.nodes[0].setmocktime(int(time.time() + wait_time))
+        assert(self.nodes[0].uptime() >= wait_time)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    UptimeTest().main()