A method for providing a message-time-ordering facility is disclosed. The method comprises initiating the message-timer ordering facility for a message at a sender system. Initiating includes setting a delay variable to zero. The message is sent to a receiver system in response to initiating the message-time-ordering facility. Sending the message includes marking the message with a first departure time-stamp responsive to a sender system clock and transmitting the message to the receiver system. The message is received at the at the receiver system, receiving includes delaying the processing of the message until the time on a receiver system clock is greater than the first departure time-stamp and recording a time associated with the delaying the processing of the message in the delay variable. A response to the message is sent to the sender system in response to receiving the message. Sending the response includes marking the response with a second departure time-stamp responsive to the receiver system clock if the delay variable is equal to zero and transmitting the response to the sender system. The response is received at the sender system. Receiving the response includes delaying the processing of the response if the delay variable is equal to zero until the time on the sender system clock is greater than the second departure time-stamp and recording a time associated with the delaying the processing of the response in the delay variable.