diff --git a/cfg/geos-apple.cfg b/cfg/geos-apple.cfg
index 1900c4866..746e1f2bf 100644
--- a/cfg/geos-apple.cfg
+++ b/cfg/geos-apple.cfg
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ MEMORY {
 }
 SEGMENTS {
     ZEROPAGE:  type = zp,  load = ZP;
-    EXTZP:     type = zp,  load = ZP;
+    EXTZP:     type = zp,  load = ZP,                 optional   = yes;
     EXTBSS:    type = bss, load = EXT,                define     = yes,  optional = yes;
     FILEINFO:  type = ro,                 load = CVT, offset     = $002;
     RECORDS:   type = ro,                 load = CVT, offset     = $100, optional = yes;
diff --git a/cfg/geos-cbm.cfg b/cfg/geos-cbm.cfg
index f2aea55a2..ddef00a99 100644
--- a/cfg/geos-cbm.cfg
+++ b/cfg/geos-cbm.cfg
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ MEMORY {
 }
 SEGMENTS {
     ZEROPAGE:  type = zp,  load = ZP;
-    EXTZP:     type = zp,  load = ZP;
+    EXTZP:     type = zp,  load = ZP,                 optional   = yes;
     DIRENTRY:  type = ro,                 load = CVT, align      = $FE;
     FILEINFO:  type = ro,                 load = CVT, align      = $FE;
     RECORDS:   type = ro,                 load = CVT, align      = $FE, optional = yes;
diff --git a/include/apple2.h b/include/apple2.h
index 190248b0d..310e697b1 100644
--- a/include/apple2.h
+++ b/include/apple2.h
@@ -136,10 +136,22 @@ extern unsigned char _dos_type;
 
 
 /* The file stream implementation and the POSIX I/O functions will use the
- * following variables to determine the file type and the aux type to use.
+ * following variables to determine the file type, aux type and creation time
+ * stamp to use.
  */
-extern unsigned char _filetype;  /* Default 6 */
-extern unsigned int  _auxtype;   /* Default 0 */
+extern unsigned char _filetype;  /* Default: 6 */
+extern unsigned int _auxtype;    /* Default: 0 */
+extern struct {
+    struct {
+        unsigned day  :5;
+        unsigned mon  :4;
+        unsigned year :7;
+    }             createdate;    /* Current date: 0 */ 
+    struct {
+        unsigned char min;
+        unsigned char hour;
+    }             createtime;    /* Current time: 0 */ 
+} _datetime;
 
 /* The addresses of the static drivers */
 #if !defined(__APPLE2ENH__)
diff --git a/libsrc/apple2/open.s b/libsrc/apple2/open.s
index db40c3c74..b1686df70 100644
--- a/libsrc/apple2/open.s
+++ b/libsrc/apple2/open.s
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 ;
 
         .export         _open, closedirect, freebuffer
-        .export         __filetype, __auxtype
+        .export         __filetype, __auxtype, __datetime
         .constructor    raisefilelevel
         .destructor     closeallfiles, 5
 
@@ -246,5 +246,6 @@ __filetype:
 __auxtype:
         .word   $0000           ; AUX_TYPE:     Load address N/A
         .byte   $01             ; STORAGE_TYPE: Standard seedling file
+__datetime:
         .word   $0000           ; CREATE_DATE:  Current date
         .word   $0000           ; CREATE_TIME:  Current time