diff --git a/bacnet-stack/include/datetime.h b/bacnet-stack/include/datetime.h
index 9d607d9c..1431b859 100644
--- a/bacnet-stack/include/datetime.h
+++ b/bacnet-stack/include/datetime.h
@@ -140,6 +140,10 @@ extern "C" {
     void datetime_time_wildcard_set(
         BACNET_TIME * btime);
 
+    int bacapp_encode_datetime(
+        uint8_t * apdu,
+        BACNET_DATE_TIME * value);
+
     int bacapp_encode_context_datetime(
         uint8_t * apdu,
         uint8_t tag_number,
diff --git a/bacnet-stack/src/datetime.c b/bacnet-stack/src/datetime.c
index 5a6d58d8..d0940733 100644
--- a/bacnet-stack/src/datetime.c
+++ b/bacnet-stack/src/datetime.c
@@ -453,6 +453,25 @@ void datetime_wildcard_set(
     }
 }
 
+int bacapp_encode_datetime(
+    uint8_t * apdu,
+    BACNET_DATE_TIME * value)
+{
+    int len = 0;
+    int apdu_len = 0;
+
+
+    if (apdu && value) {
+        len = encode_application_date(&apdu[0], &value->date);
+        apdu_len += len;
+
+        len = encode_application_time(&apdu[apdu_len], &value->time);
+        apdu_len += len;
+    }
+    return apdu_len;
+}
+
+
 int bacapp_encode_context_datetime(
     uint8_t * apdu,
     uint8_t tag_number,
@@ -466,10 +485,7 @@ int bacapp_encode_context_datetime(
         len = encode_opening_tag(&apdu[apdu_len], tag_number);
         apdu_len += len;
 
-        len = encode_application_date(&apdu[apdu_len], &value->date);
-        apdu_len += len;
-
-        len = encode_application_time(&apdu[apdu_len], &value->time);
+        len = bacapp_encode_datetime(&apdu[apdu_len], value );
         apdu_len += len;
 
         len = encode_closing_tag(&apdu[apdu_len], tag_number);