diff --git a/src/MCP7940.cpp b/src/MCP7940.cpp
index 6e28c0a..1f521ee 100644
--- a/src/MCP7940.cpp
+++ b/src/MCP7940.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ static uint8_t conv2d(const char* p) {
   if ('0' <= *p && *p <= '9') { v = *p - '0'; }  // of if-then character in range
   return 10 * v + *++p - '0';
 }  // of method conv2d
+
+
 DateTime::DateTime(uint32_t t) {
   /*!
    @brief   DateTime constructor (overloaded)
@@ -877,3 +879,20 @@ bool MCP7940_Class::clearPowerFail() const {
   I2C_write(MCP7940_RTCWKDAY, readByte(MCP7940_RTCWKDAY));
   return true;
 }  // of method clearPowerFail()
+bool MCP7940_Class::getTimeDate(DateTime_t &dateTimeStuct) const
+{
+  /*!
+      @brief     Reads the current date/time from the RTC and populates the DateTime_t structure. Avoids creating a DateTime object.
+      @return    True if the RTC was read successfully, otherwise false.
+  */
+  uint8_t readBuffer[7] = {0};
+  uint8_t bytesRead = I2C_read(MCP7940_RTCSEC, readBuffer);
+  dateTimeStuct.year = bcd2int(readBuffer[6]) + 2000;
+  dateTimeStuct.month = bcd2int(readBuffer[5] & 0x1F);
+  dateTimeStuct.day = bcd2int(readBuffer[4] & 0x3F);
+  dateTimeStuct.hour = bcd2int(readBuffer[2] & 0x3F);
+  dateTimeStuct.minute = bcd2int(readBuffer[1] & 0x7F);
+  dateTimeStuct.second = bcd2int(readBuffer[0] & 0x7F);
+  dateTimeStuct.weekday = readBuffer[3] & 0x07;
+  return bytesRead == 7;
+} // of method getTimeDate()
diff --git a/src/MCP7940.h b/src/MCP7940.h
index 4b6ec93..3fd20d6 100644
--- a/src/MCP7940.h
+++ b/src/MCP7940.h
@@ -178,7 +178,22 @@ const uint8_t  MCP7940_ALM0IF{3};              ///< ALM0WKDAY register
 const uint8_t  MCP7940_ALM1IF{3};              ///< ALM1WKDAY register
 const uint32_t SECS_1970_TO_2000{946684800};   ///< Seconds between year 1970 and 2000
 
-class DateTime {
+struct DateTime_t
+{
+  /*!
+    @struct DateTime_t
+    @brief  Structure to hold date and time information
+  */
+  uint8_t second;
+  uint8_t minute;
+  uint8_t hour;
+  uint8_t weekday;
+  uint8_t day;
+  uint8_t month;
+  uint16_t year;
+};
+class DateTime
+{
   /*!
     @class   DateTime
     @brief   Simple general-purpose date/time class
@@ -225,7 +240,7 @@ class DateTime {
   uint8_t hh;    ///< Internal hour value
   uint8_t mm;    ///< Internal minute value
   uint8_t ss;    ///< Internal seconds
-};               // of class DateTime definition
+}; // of class DateTime definition
 class TimeSpan {
   /*!
    @class   TimeSpan
@@ -296,6 +311,7 @@ class MCP7940_Class {
   int32_t  getPPMDeviation(const DateTime& dt) const;
   void     setSetUnixTime(uint32_t aTime);
   uint32_t getSetUnixTime() const;
+  bool getTimeDate(DateTime_t& dt) const;
 
   /*************************************************************************************************
   ** Template functions definitions are done in the header file                                   **