diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/server.cpp b/arangod/VocBase/server.cpp
index b5099b403a..588b29b457 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/server.cpp
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/server.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "Aql/QueryRegistry.h"
 #include "Basics/Exceptions.h"
 #include "Basics/FileUtils.h"
+#include "Basics/HybridLogicalClock.h"
 #include "Basics/MutexLocker.h"
 #include "Basics/StringUtils.h"
 #include "Basics/VelocyPackHelper.h"
@@ -106,6 +107,12 @@ static uint16_t ServerIdentifier = 0;
 
 static std::atomic<uint64_t> CurrentTick(0);
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief a hybrid logical clock
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+static HybridLogicalClock hybridLogicalClock;
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief the server's global id
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -2060,6 +2067,18 @@ void TRI_GetDatabaseDefaultsServer(TRI_server_t* server,
 
 TRI_voc_tick_t TRI_NewTickServer() { return ++CurrentTick; }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief create a new tick, using a hybrid logical clock
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+TRI_voc_tick_t TRI_NewTickServerHLC(void) {
+  return hybridLogicalClock.getTimeStamp();
+}
+
+TRI_voc_tick_t TRI_NewTickServerHLC(TRI_voc_tick_t received) {
+  return hybridLogicalClock.getTimeStamp(received);
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief updates the tick counter, with lock
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/server.h b/arangod/VocBase/server.h
index 390ffde642..eb5c04a8d3 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/server.h
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/server.h
@@ -250,6 +250,13 @@ void TRI_GetDatabaseDefaultsServer(TRI_server_t*, TRI_vocbase_defaults_t*);
 
 TRI_voc_tick_t TRI_NewTickServer(void);
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief create a new tick, using a hybrid logical clock
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+TRI_voc_tick_t TRI_NewTickServerHLC(void);
+TRI_voc_tick_t TRI_NewTickServerHLC(TRI_voc_tick_t received);
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief updates the tick counter, with lock
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/lib/Basics/HybridLogicalClock.h b/lib/Basics/HybridLogicalClock.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6a4655d105
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Basics/HybridLogicalClock.h
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// DISCLAIMER
+///
+/// Copyright 2014-2016 ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+/// Copyright 2004-2014 triAGENS GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+///
+/// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+/// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+/// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+///
+///     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+///
+/// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+/// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+/// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+/// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+/// limitations under the License.
+///
+/// Copyright holder is ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+///
+/// @author Max Neunhoeffer
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#ifndef ARANGODB_BASICS_HYBRID_LOGICAL_CLOCK_H
+#define ARANGODB_BASICS_HYBRID_LOGICAL_CLOCK_H 1
+
+#include <chrono>
+
+class HybridLogicalClock {
+  std::chrono::high_resolution_clock clock;
+  std::atomic<uint64_t> lastTimeStamp;
+
+ public:
+  HybridLogicalClock() : lastTimeStamp(0) {
+  }
+  HybridLogicalClock(HybridLogicalClock const& other) = delete;
+  HybridLogicalClock(HybridLogicalClock&& other) = delete;
+  HybridLogicalClock& operator=(HybridLogicalClock const& other) = delete;
+  HybridLogicalClock& operator=(HybridLogicalClock&& other) = delete;
+
+  uint64_t getTimeStamp() {
+    uint64_t oldTimeStamp;
+    uint64_t newTimeStamp;
+    do {
+      uint64_t physical = getPhysicalTime();
+      oldTimeStamp = lastTimeStamp.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+      uint64_t oldTime = extractTime(oldTimeStamp);
+      newTimeStamp = (physical <= oldTime) ?
+                     assembleTimeStamp(oldTime, extractCount(oldTimeStamp)+1) :
+                     assembleTimeStamp(physical, 0);
+    } while (!lastTimeStamp.compare_exchange_weak(oldTimeStamp, newTimeStamp,
+                 std::memory_order_release, std::memory_order_relaxed));
+    return newTimeStamp;
+  }
+
+  // Call the following when a message with a time stamp has been received:
+  uint64_t getTimeStamp(uint64_t receivedTimeStamp) {
+    uint64_t oldTimeStamp;
+    uint64_t newTimeStamp;
+    do {
+      uint64_t physical = getPhysicalTime();
+      oldTimeStamp = lastTimeStamp.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+      uint64_t oldTime = extractTime(oldTimeStamp);
+      uint64_t recTime = extractTime(receivedTimeStamp);
+      uint64_t newTime = (std::max)((std::max)(oldTime, physical),recTime);
+      // Note that this implies newTime >= oldTime and newTime >= recTime
+      uint64_t newCount;
+      if (newTime == oldTime) {
+        if (newTime == recTime) {
+          // all three identical
+          newCount = (std::max)(extractCount(oldTime), extractCount(recTime))+1;
+        } else {
+          // this means recTime < newTime
+          newCount = extractCount(oldTime) + 1;
+        }
+      } else {
+        // newTime > oldTime
+        if (newTime == recTime) {
+          newCount = extractCount(recTime) + 1;
+        } else {
+          newCount = 0;
+        }
+      }
+      newTimeStamp = assembleTimeStamp(newTime, newCount);
+    } while (!lastTimeStamp.compare_exchange_weak(oldTimeStamp, newTimeStamp,
+                 std::memory_order_release, std::memory_order_relaxed));
+    return newTimeStamp;
+  }
+
+ private:
+  // Helper to get the physical time in milliseconds since the epoch:
+  uint64_t getPhysicalTime() {
+    auto now = clock.now();
+    uint64_t ms = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(
+        now.time_since_epoch()).count();
+    return ms;
+  }
+
+  static uint64_t extractTime(uint64_t t) {
+    return t >> 20;
+  }
+
+  static uint64_t extractCount(uint64_t t) {
+    return t & 0xfffffUL;
+  }
+
+  static uint64_t assembleTimeStamp(uint64_t time, uint64_t count) {
+    return (time << 20) | count;
+  }
+
+};
+
+#endif