diff --git a/src/QGC.cc b/src/QGC.cc
index 2ea7fdc4fbf4d1e2ea477f982b56c9630a643280..df7f3e6950df976617e9728d2f1f689046faa40a 100644
--- a/src/QGC.cc
+++ b/src/QGC.cc
@@ -15,6 +15,18 @@
 namespace QGC
 {
 
+static quint64 gBootTime = 0;
+
+void initTimer()
+{
+    gBootTime = groundTimeMilliseconds();
+}
+
+quint64 bootTimeMilliseconds()
+{
+    return groundTimeMilliseconds() - gBootTime;
+}
+
 quint64 groundTimeUsecs()
 {
     return groundTimeMilliseconds() * 1000;
diff --git a/src/QGC.h b/src/QGC.h
index 0b8b07541b89b7ec3d6698e63e11172a13be2923..bcfb5ffedfd7bb8b5fd886e15281a0f07f114950 100644
--- a/src/QGC.h
+++ b/src/QGC.h
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ float limitAngleToPMPIf(double angle);
 /** @brief Returns the angle limited to -pi - pi */
 double limitAngleToPMPId(double angle);
 
+/** @brief Records boot time (called from main) */
+void initTimer();
+/** @brief Get the ground time since boot in milliseconds */
+quint64 bootTimeMilliseconds();
+
 const static int MAX_FLIGHT_TIME = 60 * 60 * 24 * 21;
 
 class SLEEP : public QThread
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 324da7fdce90ca4cab0e7939cad3366d00168ad9..8291eaf4331750765dae41824b316e6145c286f7 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  *
  */
 
+#include "QGC.h"
 #include <QtGlobal>
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QIcon>
@@ -238,6 +239,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
 #endif
 
+    //-- Record boot time
+    QGC::initTimer();
+
 #ifdef Q_OS_UNIX
     //Force writing to the console on UNIX/BSD devices
     if (!qEnvironmentVariableIsSet("QT_LOGGING_TO_CONSOLE"))