diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/sysds/parser/StatementBlock.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/sysds/parser/StatementBlock.java
index cc37b252c61..82501f63c52 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/sysds/parser/StatementBlock.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/sysds/parser/StatementBlock.java
@@ -595,6 +595,13 @@ else if( expr instanceof BuiltinFunctionExpression ) {
 			Expression[] clexpr = lexpr.getAllExpr();
 			for( int i=0; i<clexpr.length; i++ )
 				clexpr[i] = rHoistFunctionCallsFromExpressions(clexpr[i], false, tmp, prog);
+			if( !root && lexpr.getOpCode()==Builtins.TIME ) { //core time hoisting
+				String varname = StatementBlockRewriteRule.createCutVarName(true);
+				DataIdentifier di = new DataIdentifier(varname);
+				di.setDataType(lexpr.getDataType());
+				di.setValueType(lexpr.getValueType());
+				tmp.add(new AssignmentStatement(di, lexpr, di));
+			}
 		}
 		else if( expr instanceof ParameterizedBuiltinFunctionExpression ) {
 			ParameterizedBuiltinFunctionExpression lexpr = (ParameterizedBuiltinFunctionExpression) expr;
@@ -612,7 +619,7 @@ else if( expr instanceof FunctionCallIdentifier ) {
 			FunctionCallIdentifier fexpr = (FunctionCallIdentifier) expr;
 			for( ParameterExpression pexpr : fexpr.getParamExprs() )
 				pexpr.setExpr(rHoistFunctionCallsFromExpressions(pexpr.getExpr(), false, tmp, prog));
-			if( !root ) { //core hoisting
+			if( !root ) { //core fcall hoisting
 				String varname = StatementBlockRewriteRule.createCutVarName(true);
 				DataIdentifier di = new DataIdentifier(varname);
 				di.setDataType(fexpr.getDataType());
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/sysds/test/functions/rewrite/RewriteHoistingTimeTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/sysds/test/functions/rewrite/RewriteHoistingTimeTest.java
index fd7f3bdda4b..40cdb5c7383 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/sysds/test/functions/rewrite/RewriteHoistingTimeTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/sysds/test/functions/rewrite/RewriteHoistingTimeTest.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 package org.apache.sysds.test.functions.rewrite;
 
+import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.apache.sysds.common.Types.ExecMode;
 import org.apache.sysds.common.Types.ExecType;
@@ -43,9 +44,14 @@ public void setUp() {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void testTimeHoisting() {
+	public void testTimeHoistingCP() {
 		test(TEST_NAME1, ExecType.CP);
 	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testTimeHoistingSpark() {
+		test(TEST_NAME1, ExecType.SPARK);
+	}
 
 	private void test(String testname, ExecType et)
 	{
@@ -58,11 +64,15 @@ private void test(String testname, ExecType et)
 			
 			String HOME = SCRIPT_DIR + TEST_DIR;
 			fullDMLScriptName = HOME + testname + ".dml";
-			programArgs = new String[] { "-explain", "-args",
+			programArgs = new String[] {"-args",
 				String.valueOf(rows), String.valueOf(cols) };
-			
-			//FIXME need to hoist time() out of expression similar to function calls
-			runTest(true, false, null, -1); 
+
+			//test that time is not executed before 1k-by-1k rand
+			setOutputBuffering(true);
+			String out = runTest(true, false, null, -1).toString();
+			double time = Double.parseDouble(out.split(";")[1]);
+			System.out.println("Time = "+time+"s");
+			Assert.assertTrue(time>0.001);
 		}
 		finally {
 			resetExecMode(platformOld);
diff --git a/src/test/scripts/functions/rewrite/RewriteTimeHoisting.dml b/src/test/scripts/functions/rewrite/RewriteTimeHoisting.dml
index b4a44572121..46c3623ccd3 100644
--- a/src/test/scripts/functions/rewrite/RewriteTimeHoisting.dml
+++ b/src/test/scripts/functions/rewrite/RewriteTimeHoisting.dml
@@ -22,5 +22,5 @@
 t1 = time();
 X = rand(rows=$1, cols=$2);
 
-print("time = "+(time()-t1)/1e9+"s"+" "+sum(X));
+print(";"+(time()-t1)/1e9+";"+" "+sum(X));