diff --git a/notmuch-show.c b/notmuch-show.c
index 96647c12..3f2ce734 100644
--- a/notmuch-show.c
+++ b/notmuch-show.c
@@ -139,11 +139,17 @@ format_message_json (const void *ctx, notmuch_message_t *message, unused (int in
     notmuch_tags_t *tags;
     int first = 1;
     void *ctx_quote = talloc_new (ctx);
+    time_t date;
+    const char *relative_date;
 
-    printf ("\"id\": %s, \"match\": %s, \"filename\": %s, \"tags\": [",
+    date = notmuch_message_get_date (message);
+    relative_date = notmuch_time_relative_date (ctx, date);
+
+    printf ("\"id\": %s, \"match\": %s, \"filename\": %s, \"date_unix\": %ld, \"date_relative\": \"%s\", \"tags\": [",
 	    json_quote_str (ctx_quote, notmuch_message_get_message_id (message)),
 	    notmuch_message_get_flag (message, NOTMUCH_MESSAGE_FLAG_MATCH) ? "true" : "false",
-	    json_quote_str (ctx_quote, notmuch_message_get_filename (message)));
+	    json_quote_str (ctx_quote, notmuch_message_get_filename (message)),
+	    date, relative_date);
 
     for (tags = notmuch_message_get_tags (message);
 	 notmuch_tags_valid (tags);