diff --git a/libs/temporal/temporal/timeline.h b/libs/temporal/temporal/timeline.h
index bc88a7c71d..6f61d7c069 100644
--- a/libs/temporal/temporal/timeline.h
+++ b/libs/temporal/temporal/timeline.h
@@ -426,12 +426,11 @@ class LIBTEMPORAL_API timecnt_t {
 
 } /* end namespace Temporal */
 
-
 namespace std {
 std::ostream&  operator<< (std::ostream & o, Temporal::timecnt_t const & tc);
-std::ostream&  operator>> (std::istream & o, Temporal::timecnt_t const & tc);
+std::istream&  operator>> (std::istream & o, Temporal::timecnt_t & tc);
 std::ostream&  operator<< (std::ostream & o, Temporal::timepos_t const & tp);
-std::ostream&  operator>> (std::istream & o, Temporal::timepos_t const & tp);
+std::istream&  operator>> (std::istream & o, Temporal::timepos_t & tp);
 }
 
 #if 0
diff --git a/libs/temporal/timeline.cc b/libs/temporal/timeline.cc
index 000863d633..7164d57a7b 100644
--- a/libs/temporal/timeline.cc
+++ b/libs/temporal/timeline.cc
@@ -365,6 +365,16 @@ std::operator<< (std::ostream & o, timecnt_t const & tc)
 	return o << tc.to_string();
 }
 
+std::istream&
+std::operator>> (std::istream & o, timecnt_t & tc)
+{
+	std::string str;
+	o >> str; /* will break at whitespace */
+	tc.string_to (str);
+	return o;
+}
+
+
 /* timepos */
 
 timepos_t::timepos_t (timecnt_t const & t)
@@ -739,6 +749,15 @@ std::operator<< (std::ostream & o, timepos_t const & tp)
 	return o << tp.to_string();
 }
 
+std::istream&
+std::operator>> (std::istream & o, timepos_t & tp)
+{
+	std::string str;
+	o >> str; /* should break on whitespace */
+	tp.string_to (str);
+	return o;
+}
+
 std::string
 timepos_t::to_string () const
 {