diff --git a/.changelog/unreleased/features/973-namada-start-time.md b/.changelog/unreleased/features/973-namada-start-time.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4a43cfeb12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/unreleased/features/973-namada-start-time.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- Add a --time argument to the node to specify the time the node should start.
+  ([#973](https://github.com/anoma/namada/pull/973))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/src/bin/namada-node/cli.rs b/apps/src/bin/namada-node/cli.rs
index 48f67d3273..b9048ea312 100644
--- a/apps/src/bin/namada-node/cli.rs
+++ b/apps/src/bin/namada-node/cli.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 //! Namada node CLI.
 
 use eyre::{Context, Result};
+use namada::types::time::Utc;
 use namada_apps::cli::{self, cmds};
 use namada_apps::node::ledger;
 
@@ -11,8 +12,25 @@ pub fn main() -> Result<()> {
     }
     match cmd {
         cmds::NamadaNode::Ledger(sub) => match sub {
-            cmds::Ledger::Run(_) => {
+            cmds::Ledger::Run(cmds::LedgerRun(args)) => {
                 let wasm_dir = ctx.wasm_dir();
+
+                // Sleep until start time if needed
+                if let Some(time) = args.0 {
+                    if let Ok(sleep_time) =
+                        time.0.signed_duration_since(Utc::now()).to_std()
+                    {
+                        if !sleep_time.is_zero() {
+                            tracing::info!(
+                                "Waiting ledger start time: {:?}, time left: \
+                                 {:?}",
+                                time,
+                                sleep_time
+                            );
+                            std::thread::sleep(sleep_time)
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
                 ledger::run(ctx.config.ledger, wasm_dir);
             }
             cmds::Ledger::Reset(_) => {
diff --git a/apps/src/lib/cli.rs b/apps/src/lib/cli.rs
index aa240b704b..08d6dfe722 100644
--- a/apps/src/lib/cli.rs
+++ b/apps/src/lib/cli.rs
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ pub mod cmds {
                 let reset = SubCmd::parse(matches).map(Self::Reset);
                 run.or(reset)
                     // The `run` command is the default if no sub-command given
-                    .or(Some(Self::Run(LedgerRun)))
+                    .or(Some(Self::Run(LedgerRun(args::LedgerRun(None)))))
             })
         }
 
@@ -782,17 +782,21 @@ pub mod cmds {
     }
 
     #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
-    pub struct LedgerRun;
+    pub struct LedgerRun(pub args::LedgerRun);
 
     impl SubCmd for LedgerRun {
         const CMD: &'static str = "run";
 
         fn parse(matches: &ArgMatches) -> Option<Self> {
-            matches.subcommand_matches(Self::CMD).map(|_matches| Self)
+            matches
+                .subcommand_matches(Self::CMD)
+                .map(|matches| Self(args::LedgerRun::parse(matches)))
         }
 
         fn def() -> App {
-            App::new(Self::CMD).about("Run Namada ledger node.")
+            App::new(Self::CMD)
+                .about("Run Namada ledger node.")
+                .add_args::<args::LedgerRun>()
         }
     }
 
@@ -1519,6 +1523,7 @@ pub mod args {
     use namada::types::key::*;
     use namada::types::masp::MaspValue;
     use namada::types::storage::{self, Epoch};
+    use namada::types::time::DateTimeUtc;
     use namada::types::token;
     use namada::types::transaction::GasLimit;
     use rust_decimal::Decimal;
@@ -1590,6 +1595,7 @@ pub mod args {
         arg("max-commission-rate-change");
     const MODE: ArgOpt<String> = arg_opt("mode");
     const NET_ADDRESS: Arg<SocketAddr> = arg("net-address");
+    const NAMADA_START_TIME: ArgOpt<DateTimeUtc> = arg_opt("time");
     const NO_CONVERSIONS: ArgFlag = flag("no-conversions");
     const OWNER: ArgOpt<WalletAddress> = arg_opt("owner");
     const PIN: ArgFlag = flag("pin");
@@ -1686,6 +1692,24 @@ pub mod args {
         }
     }
 
+    #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+    pub struct LedgerRun(pub Option<DateTimeUtc>);
+
+    impl Args for LedgerRun {
+        fn parse(matches: &ArgMatches) -> Self {
+            let time = NAMADA_START_TIME.parse(matches);
+            Self(time)
+        }
+
+        fn def(app: App) -> App {
+            app.arg(
+                NAMADA_START_TIME
+                    .def()
+                    .about("The start time of the ledger."),
+            )
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Transaction associated results arguments
     #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
     pub struct QueryResult {
diff --git a/core/src/types/time.rs b/core/src/types/time.rs
index a508501d94..7288d88bab 100644
--- a/core/src/types/time.rs
+++ b/core/src/types/time.rs
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@
 use std::convert::{TryFrom, TryInto};
 use std::fmt::Display;
 use std::ops::{Add, Sub};
+use std::str::FromStr;
 
 use borsh::{BorshDeserialize, BorshSchema, BorshSerialize};
+use chrono::ParseError;
 pub use chrono::{DateTime, Duration, TimeZone, Utc};
 
 /// Check if the given `duration` has passed since the given `start.
@@ -109,6 +111,14 @@ impl DateTimeUtc {
     }
 }
 
+impl FromStr for DateTimeUtc {
+    type Err = ParseError;
+
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        Ok(Self(s.parse::<DateTime<Utc>>()?))
+    }
+}
+
 impl Add<DurationSecs> for DateTimeUtc {
     type Output = DateTimeUtc;