diff --git a/include/pulsar/Message.h b/include/pulsar/Message.h
index 1c906e8a..6d5c3afd 100644
--- a/include/pulsar/Message.h
+++ b/include/pulsar/Message.h
@@ -181,6 +181,17 @@ class PULSAR_PUBLIC Message {
      */
     uint64_t getEventTimestamp() const;
 
+    /**
+     * Check whether the event timestamp was set by the client producer.
+     *
+     * @return true if the event timestamp was set while creating the message
+     *         false if the event timestamp was not set while creating the message
+     *
+     * This is distinct from `getEventTimestamp() != 0`, because a producer may legitimately set an
+     * event timestamp of 0 (the Unix epoch).
+     */
+    bool hasEventTimestamp() const;
+
     /**
      * Get the topic Name from which this message originated from
      */
diff --git a/lib/Message.cc b/lib/Message.cc
index 8bde683f..156bc59c 100644
--- a/lib/Message.cc
+++ b/lib/Message.cc
@@ -232,6 +232,8 @@ uint64_t Message::getPublishTimestamp() const { return impl_ ? impl_->getPublish
 
 uint64_t Message::getEventTimestamp() const { return impl_ ? impl_->getEventTimestamp() : 0ull; }
 
+bool Message::hasEventTimestamp() const { return impl_ ? impl_->hasEventTimestamp() : false; }
+
 const std::string& Message::getProducerName() const noexcept {
     if (!impl_) {
         return emptyString;
diff --git a/lib/MessageImpl.cc b/lib/MessageImpl.cc
index cfc573a7..2ef48d16 100644
--- a/lib/MessageImpl.cc
+++ b/lib/MessageImpl.cc
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ uint64_t MessageImpl::getEventTimestamp() const {
     }
 }
 
+bool MessageImpl::hasEventTimestamp() const { return metadata.has_event_time(); }
+
 void MessageImpl::setReplicationClusters(const std::vector<std::string>& clusters) {
     google::protobuf::RepeatedPtrField<std::string> r(clusters.begin(), clusters.end());
     r.Swap(metadata.mutable_replicate_to());
diff --git a/lib/MessageImpl.h b/lib/MessageImpl.h
index a234ca45..db974894 100644
--- a/lib/MessageImpl.h
+++ b/lib/MessageImpl.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ class MessageImpl {
 
     uint64_t getPublishTimestamp() const;
     uint64_t getEventTimestamp() const;
+    bool hasEventTimestamp() const;
 
     /**
      * Get the topic Name from which this message originated from
diff --git a/tests/MessageTest.cc b/tests/MessageTest.cc
index 7f1ae4d6..a178bddc 100644
--- a/tests/MessageTest.cc
+++ b/tests/MessageTest.cc
@@ -63,6 +63,20 @@ bool compareMaps(const Map& lhs, const Map& rhs) {
     return lhs.size() == rhs.size() && std::equal(lhs.begin(), lhs.end(), rhs.begin());
 }
 
+TEST(MessageTest, testHasEventTimestamp) {
+    ASSERT_FALSE(Message().hasEventTimestamp());
+    ASSERT_FALSE(MessageBuilder().setContent("msg").build().hasEventTimestamp());
+
+    // The Unix epoch is a valid event time, so it must not be reported as an unset one.
+    Message msg = MessageBuilder().setContent("msg").setEventTimestamp(0).build();
+    ASSERT_TRUE(msg.hasEventTimestamp());
+    ASSERT_EQ(msg.getEventTimestamp(), 0u);
+
+    msg = MessageBuilder().setContent("msg").setEventTimestamp(1234).build();
+    ASSERT_TRUE(msg.hasEventTimestamp());
+    ASSERT_EQ(msg.getEventTimestamp(), 1234u);
+}
+
 TEST(MessageTest, testProperties) {
     MessageBuilder msgBuilder1;
     msgBuilder1.setProperty("property1", "value1");