diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 74589396..d97e90a4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,18 +1,20 @@
 Create SAML assertions.
 
-NOTE: currently supports SAML 1.1 tokens
+NOTE: currently supports SAML 1.1 and SAML 2.0 tokens
 
 [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/auth0/node-saml.png)](https://travis-ci.org/auth0/node-saml)
 
 ### Usage
 
 ```js
-var saml11 = require('saml').Saml11;
 
 var options = {
+  // Required
   cert: fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/test-auth0.pem'),
   key: fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/test-auth0.key'),
+  // Optional
   issuer: 'urn:issuer',
+  issueInstantSkewInSeconds: 60,
   lifetimeInSeconds: 600,
   audiences: 'urn:myapp',
   attributes: {
@@ -23,10 +25,15 @@ var options = {
   sessionIndex: '_faed468a-15a0-4668-aed6-3d9c478cc8fa'
 };
 
+// SAML 1.1
+var saml11 = require('saml').Saml11;
 var signedAssertion = saml11.create(options);
-```
 
-Everything except the cert and key is optional.
+// SAML 2.0
+var saml20 = require('saml').Saml20;
+var signedAssertion = saml20.create(options);
+
+```
 
 ## Issue Reporting
 
diff --git a/lib/saml11.js b/lib/saml11.js
index f359aa54..889a9603 100644
--- a/lib/saml11.js
+++ b/lib/saml11.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ var path = require('path');
 var saml11 = fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, 'saml11.template')).toString();
 
 var NAMESPACE = 'urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:1.0:assertion';
+var TIME_FORMAT = 'YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSS[Z]';
 
 var algorithms = {
   signature: {
@@ -61,12 +62,18 @@ exports.create = function(options, callback) {
     doc.documentElement.setAttribute('Issuer', options.issuer);
 
   var now = moment.utc();
-  doc.documentElement.setAttribute('IssueInstant', now.format('YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSS[Z]'));
+
+  // Optionally, back up the issue instant to accommodate for clock skew in the assertion consumer
+  if (!isNaN(options.issueInstantSkewInSeconds)) {
+    now.subtract(options.issueInstantSkewInSeconds, 'seconds');
+  }
+
+  doc.documentElement.setAttribute('IssueInstant', now.format(TIME_FORMAT));
   var conditions = doc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName('saml:Conditions');
 
   if (options.lifetimeInSeconds) {
-    conditions[0].setAttribute('NotBefore', now.format('YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSS[Z]'));
-    conditions[0].setAttribute('NotOnOrAfter', now.add(options.lifetimeInSeconds, 'seconds').format('YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSS[Z]'));
+    conditions[0].setAttribute('NotBefore', now.format(TIME_FORMAT));
+    conditions[0].setAttribute('NotOnOrAfter', now.clone().add(options.lifetimeInSeconds, 'seconds').format(TIME_FORMAT));
   }
   
   if (options.audiences) {
@@ -107,7 +114,7 @@ exports.create = function(options, callback) {
   }
 
   doc.getElementsByTagName('saml:AuthenticationStatement')[0]
-    .setAttribute('AuthenticationInstant', now.format('YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSS[Z]'));
+    .setAttribute('AuthenticationInstant', now.format(TIME_FORMAT));
 
   var nameID = doc.documentElement.getElementsByTagNameNS(NAMESPACE, 'NameIdentifier')[0];
   
diff --git a/lib/saml20.js b/lib/saml20.js
index 21c1f278..714f0439 100644
--- a/lib/saml20.js
+++ b/lib/saml20.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ var path = require('path');
 var saml20 = fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, 'saml20.template')).toString();
 
 var NAMESPACE = 'urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion';
+var TIME_FORMAT = 'YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSS[Z]';
 
 var algorithms = {
   signature: {
@@ -102,15 +103,21 @@ exports.create = function(options, callback) {
   }
 
   var now = moment.utc();
-  doc.documentElement.setAttribute('IssueInstant', now.format('YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSS[Z]'));
+
+  // Optionally, back up the issue instant to accommodate for clock skew in the assertion consumer
+  if (!isNaN(options.issueInstantSkewInSeconds)) {
+    now.subtract(options.issueInstantSkewInSeconds, 'seconds');
+  }
+
+  doc.documentElement.setAttribute('IssueInstant', now.format(TIME_FORMAT));
   var conditions = doc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName('saml:Conditions');
   var confirmationData = doc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName('saml:SubjectConfirmationData');
 
   if (options.lifetimeInSeconds) {
-    conditions[0].setAttribute('NotBefore', now.format('YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSS[Z]'));
-    conditions[0].setAttribute('NotOnOrAfter', now.clone().add(options.lifetimeInSeconds, 'seconds').format('YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSS[Z]'));
+    conditions[0].setAttribute('NotBefore', now.format(TIME_FORMAT));
+    conditions[0].setAttribute('NotOnOrAfter', now.clone().add(options.lifetimeInSeconds, 'seconds').format(TIME_FORMAT));
   
-    confirmationData[0].setAttribute('NotOnOrAfter', now.clone().add(options.lifetimeInSeconds, 'seconds').format('YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSS[Z]'));  
+    confirmationData[0].setAttribute('NotOnOrAfter', now.clone().add(options.lifetimeInSeconds, 'seconds').format(TIME_FORMAT));  
   }
   
   if (options.audiences) {
@@ -168,7 +175,7 @@ exports.create = function(options, callback) {
   }
 
   doc.getElementsByTagName('saml:AuthnStatement')[0]
-    .setAttribute('AuthnInstant', now.format('YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSS[Z]'));
+    .setAttribute('AuthnInstant', now.format(TIME_FORMAT));
 
   if (options.sessionIndex) {
     doc.getElementsByTagName('saml:AuthnStatement')[0]
diff --git a/test/saml11.tests.js b/test/saml11.tests.js
index d924c278..193f2229 100644
--- a/test/saml11.tests.js
+++ b/test/saml11.tests.js
@@ -81,6 +81,34 @@ describe('saml 1.1', function () {
     assert.equal(600, lifetime);
   });
 
+  it('should skew the issue instant if requested', function () {
+
+    var options = {
+      cert: fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/test-auth0.pem'),
+      key: fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/test-auth0.key'),
+      lifetimeInSeconds: 600,
+      issueInstantSkewInSeconds: 60,
+    };
+
+    var signedAssertion = saml11.create(options);
+    var isValid = utils.isValidSignature(signedAssertion, options.cert);
+    assert.equal(true, isValid);
+
+    var conditions = utils.getConditions(signedAssertion);
+    assert.equal(1, conditions.length);
+    var notBefore = conditions[0].getAttribute('NotBefore');
+    var notOnOrAfter = conditions[0].getAttribute('NotOnOrAfter');
+
+    should.ok(notBefore);
+    should.ok(notOnOrAfter);
+
+    var skew = Math.round((moment.utc() - moment(notBefore).utc()) / 1000);
+    assert.equal(60, skew);
+
+    var lifetime = Math.round((moment(notOnOrAfter).utc() - moment(notBefore).utc()) / 1000);
+    assert.equal(600, lifetime);
+  });
+
   it('should set audience restriction', function () {
     var options = {
       cert: fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/test-auth0.pem'),
diff --git a/test/saml20.tests.js b/test/saml20.tests.js
index e351cfa3..406806bd 100644
--- a/test/saml20.tests.js
+++ b/test/saml20.tests.js
@@ -340,6 +340,34 @@ describe('saml 2.0', function () {
     assert.equal('specific', authnContextClassRef.textContent);
   });
 
+  it('should skew the issue instant if requested', function () {
+
+    var options = {
+      cert: fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/test-auth0.pem'),
+      key: fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/test-auth0.key'),
+      lifetimeInSeconds: 600,
+      issueInstantSkewInSeconds: 60,
+    };
+
+    var signedAssertion = saml.create(options);
+    var isValid = utils.isValidSignature(signedAssertion, options.cert);
+    assert.equal(true, isValid);
+
+    var conditions = utils.getConditions(signedAssertion);
+    assert.equal(1, conditions.length);
+    var notBefore = conditions[0].getAttribute('NotBefore');
+    var notOnOrAfter = conditions[0].getAttribute('NotOnOrAfter');
+
+    should.ok(notBefore);
+    should.ok(notOnOrAfter);
+
+    var skew = Math.round((moment.utc() - moment(notBefore).utc()) / 1000);
+    assert.equal(60, skew);
+
+    var lifetime = Math.round((moment(notOnOrAfter).utc() - moment(notBefore).utc()) / 1000);
+    assert.equal(600, lifetime);
+  });
+
   it('should place signature where specified', function () {
      var options = {
       cert: fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/test-auth0.pem'),