diff --git a/storey/sources.py b/storey/sources.py
index 8ed28b56..49f14ab9 100644
--- a/storey/sources.py
+++ b/storey/sources.py
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ def _build_event(self, element, key, event_time):
         element_is_event = hasattr(element, 'id')
         if element_is_event:
             body = element.body
+            if not hasattr(element, 'time') and hasattr(element, 'timestamp'):
+                element.time = element.timestamp
 
         if not key and self._key_field:
             if isinstance(self._key_field, str) or isinstance(self._key_field, int):
diff --git a/tests/test_flow.py b/tests/test_flow.py
index dbb7d84c..c0e24a60 100644
--- a/tests/test_flow.py
+++ b/tests/test_flow.py
@@ -93,6 +93,29 @@ def increment_maybe_boom(x):
     assert termination_result == 54
 
 
+# ML-777
+def test_emit_timeless_event():
+    class TimelessEvent:
+        pass
+
+    controller = build_flow([
+        SyncEmitSource(),
+        ReduceToDataFrame(insert_time_column_as='mytime')
+    ]).run()
+
+    event = TimelessEvent()
+    event.id = 'myevent'
+    event.body = {'salutation': 'hello'}
+    t = datetime(2020, 2, 15, 2, 0)
+    event.timestamp = t
+
+    controller.emit(event)
+    controller.terminate()
+    termination_result = controller.await_termination()
+    expected = pd.DataFrame([['hello', t]], columns=['salutation', 'mytime'])
+    assert termination_result.equals(expected)
+
+
 def test_csv_reader():
     controller = build_flow([
         CSVSource('tests/test.csv', header=True),