diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4b2bf042..7ec9f090 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ Chronic.parse('this tuesday 5:00', :ambiguous_time_range => :none)
 Chronic.parse('may 27th', :now => Time.local(2000, 1, 1))
   #=> Sat May 27 12:00:00 PDT 2000
 
+Chronic.parse('may 27th', :default_time_now => true)
+  #=> Sun May 27 23:18:25 PDT 2007
+
 Chronic.parse('may 27th', :guess => false)
   #=> Sun May 27 00:00:00 PDT 2007..Mon May 28 00:00:00 PDT 2007
 
diff --git a/lib/chronic/handlers.rb b/lib/chronic/handlers.rb
index 27795a7d..5b3b94f3 100644
--- a/lib/chronic/handlers.rb
+++ b/lib/chronic/handlers.rb
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ def handle_o_r_g_r(tokens, options)
     # support methods
 
     def day_or_time(day_start, time_tokens, options)
-      outer_span = Span.new(day_start, day_start + (24 * 60 * 60))
+      outer_span = span_from_day_start(day_start, time_tokens, options)
 
       unless time_tokens.empty?
         self.now = outer_span.begin
@@ -528,6 +528,15 @@ def day_or_time(day_start, time_tokens, options)
       end
     end
 
+    def span_from_day_start(day_start, time_tokens, options)
+      if time_tokens.empty? && options[:default_time_now]
+        exact_date_time = day_start + now.hour * 60 * 60 + now.min * 60 + now.sec
+        Span.new(exact_date_time, exact_date_time)
+      else
+        Span.new(day_start, day_start + (24 * 60 * 60))
+      end
+    end
+
     def get_anchor(tokens, options)
       grabber = Grabber.new(:this)
       pointer = :future
diff --git a/lib/chronic/parser.rb b/lib/chronic/parser.rb
index 4ba4bec3..847bdcbc 100644
--- a/lib/chronic/parser.rb
+++ b/lib/chronic/parser.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ class Parser
       :guess => true,
       :ambiguous_time_range => 6,
       :endian_precedence    => [:middle, :little],
-      :ambiguous_year_future_bias => 50
+      :ambiguous_year_future_bias => 50,
+      :default_time_now => false
     }
 
     attr_accessor :now
@@ -54,6 +55,12 @@ class Parser
     #                 look x amount of years into the future and past. If the
     #                 two digit year is `now + x years` it's assumed to be the
     #                 future, `now - x years` is assumed to be the past.
+    #        :default_time_now - By default, if no time is explicitly passed in,
+    #                 the parser will set the time to be either at the beginning,
+    #                 middle, or end of the day (depending on the :guess option).
+    #                 Set this to true to make the parser return the current time
+    #                 on the requested date if only a date is passed in. If a time
+    #                 is passed in, this setting will be ignored.
     def initialize(options = {})
       validate_options!(options)
       @options = DEFAULT_OPTIONS.merge(options)
diff --git a/test/test_chronic.rb b/test/test_chronic.rb
index eb62ad1e..700e0907 100644
--- a/test/test_chronic.rb
+++ b/test/test_chronic.rb
@@ -171,7 +171,8 @@ def test_valid_options
       :guess => true,
       :ambiguous_time_range => 6,
       :endian_precedence    => [:middle, :little],
-      :ambiguous_year_future_bias => 50
+      :ambiguous_year_future_bias => 50,
+      :default_time_now => false
     }
     refute_nil Chronic.parse('now', options)
   end
diff --git a/test/test_parsing.rb b/test/test_parsing.rb
index 979167b6..7d5aa563 100644
--- a/test/test_parsing.rb
+++ b/test/test_parsing.rb
@@ -1520,6 +1520,26 @@ def test_normalizing_time_of_day_phrases
     assert_equal pre_normalize("midday February 11"), pre_normalize("12:00 p.m. February 11")
   end
 
+  def test_default_time_now
+    time = parse_now("may 27", :default_time_now => true)
+    assert_equal Time.local(2007, 5, 27, 14), time
+
+    time = parse_now("may 27 at 5pm", :default_time_now => true)
+    assert_equal Time.local(2007, 5, 27, 17), time
+
+    time = parse_now("1 week from now", :default_time_now => true)
+    assert_equal Time.local(2006, 8, 23, 14), time
+
+    time = parse_now("September 19 2017", :default_time_now => true)
+    assert_equal Time.local(2017, 9, 19, 14), time
+
+    time = parse_now("September 19 2017 at 2:00am", :default_time_now => true)
+    assert_equal Time.local(2017, 9, 19, 2), time
+
+    time = parse_now("may 27th", :default_time_now => true, :now => Time.local(2006, 8, 27, 23, 18, 25, 0))
+    assert_equal Time.local(2007, 5, 27, 23, 18, 25), time
+  end
+
   private
   def parse_now(string, options={})
     Chronic.parse(string, {:now => TIME_2006_08_16_14_00_00 }.merge(options))