diff --git a/dumux/common/timemanager.hh b/dumux/common/timemanager.hh
index 7d67a38c8c5fee28743cd228f7ce667db12f58d2..3631192a5b90fc635d81a3a004e120c5ac19cf56 100644
--- a/dumux/common/timemanager.hh
+++ b/dumux/common/timemanager.hh
@@ -203,6 +203,12 @@ public:
     Scalar timeStepSize() const
     { return timeStepSize_; }
 
+    /*!
+     * \brief Returns the size of the previous time step \f$\mathrm{[s]}\f$.
+     */
+    Scalar previousTimeStepSize() const
+    { return previousTimeStepSize_; }
+
     /*!
      * \brief Returns number of time steps which have been
      *        executed since the beginning of the simulation.