diff --git a/src/libcore/time.rs b/src/libcore/time.rs
index e2ceaf80c0c..cf88ff2e10f 100644
--- a/src/libcore/time.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/time.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 /// the number of nanoseconds.
 ///
 /// `Duration`s implement many common traits, including [`Add`], [`Sub`], and other
-/// [`ops`] traits.
+/// [`ops`] traits. It implements `Default` by returning a zero-length `Duration`.
 ///
 /// [`Add`]: ../../std/ops/trait.Add.html
 /// [`Sub`]: ../../std/ops/trait.Sub.html
@@ -223,6 +223,47 @@ pub const fn from_nanos(nanos: u64) -> Duration {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Creates a new `Duration` that spans no time.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// use std::time::Duration;
+    ///
+    /// let duration = Duration::zero();
+    /// assert!(duration.is_zero());
+    ///
+    /// const IMMEDIATELY: Duration = Duration::zero();
+    /// assert!(IMMEDIATELY.is_zero());
+    /// ```
+    #[unstable(feature = "duration_zero", issue = "none")]
+    #[inline]
+    pub const fn zero() -> Duration {
+        Duration { secs: 0, nanos: 0 }
+    }
+
+    /// Returns true if this `Duration` spans no time.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// use std::time::Duration;
+    ///
+    /// assert!(Duration::zero().is_zero());
+    /// assert!(Duration::new(0, 0).is_zero());
+    /// assert!(Duration::from_nanos(0).is_zero());
+    /// assert!(Duration::from_secs(0).is_zero());
+    ///
+    /// assert!(!Duration::new(1, 1).is_zero());
+    /// assert!(!Duration::from_nanos(1).is_zero());
+    /// assert!(!Duration::from_secs(1).is_zero());
+    /// ```
+    #[unstable(feature = "duration_zero", issue = "none")]
+    #[inline]
+    pub const fn is_zero(&self) -> bool {
+        self.secs == 0 && self.nanos == 0
+    }
+
     /// Returns the number of _whole_ seconds contained by this `Duration`.
     ///
     /// The returned value does not include the fractional (nanosecond) part of the