diff --git a/tools/releasetools/add_img_to_target_files.py b/tools/releasetools/add_img_to_target_files.py
index 3f8246d48..87e3ef889 100755
--- a/tools/releasetools/add_img_to_target_files.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/add_img_to_target_files.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ if sys.hexversion < 0x02070000:
   print >> sys.stderr, "Python 2.7 or newer is required."
   sys.exit(1)
 
+import datetime
 import errno
 import os
 import shutil
@@ -123,6 +124,12 @@ def CreateImage(input_dir, info_dict, what, block_list=None):
   if fstab:
     image_props["fs_type"] = fstab["/" + what].fs_type
 
+  # Use a fixed timestamp (01/01/2009) when packaging the image.
+  # Bug: 24377993
+  epoch = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(0)
+  timestamp = (datetime.datetime(2009, 1, 1) - epoch).total_seconds()
+  image_props["timestamp"] = int(timestamp)
+
   if what == "system":
     fs_config_prefix = ""
   else:
@@ -169,6 +176,12 @@ def AddUserdata(output_zip, prefix="IMAGES/"):
 
   print "creating userdata.img..."
 
+  # Use a fixed timestamp (01/01/2009) when packaging the image.
+  # Bug: 24377993
+  epoch = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(0)
+  timestamp = (datetime.datetime(2009, 1, 1) - epoch).total_seconds()
+  image_props["timestamp"] = int(timestamp)
+
   # The name of the directory it is making an image out of matters to
   # mkyaffs2image.  So we create a temp dir, and within it we create an
   # empty dir named "data", or a symlink to the DATA dir,
@@ -213,6 +226,12 @@ def AddCache(output_zip, prefix="IMAGES/"):
 
   print "creating cache.img..."
 
+  # Use a fixed timestamp (01/01/2009) when packaging the image.
+  # Bug: 24377993
+  epoch = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(0)
+  timestamp = (datetime.datetime(2009, 1, 1) - epoch).total_seconds()
+  image_props["timestamp"] = int(timestamp)
+
   # The name of the directory it is making an image out of matters to
   # mkyaffs2image.  So we create a temp dir, and within it we create an
   # empty dir named "cache", and build the image from that.
diff --git a/tools/releasetools/build_image.py b/tools/releasetools/build_image.py
index a20230d19..470a10824 100755
--- a/tools/releasetools/build_image.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/build_image.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ Build image output_image_file from input_directory and properties_file.
 Usage:  build_image input_directory properties_file output_image_file
 
 """
-import datetime
 import os
 import os.path
 import re
@@ -401,11 +400,10 @@ def ImagePropFromGlobalDict(glob_dict, mount_point):
   """
   d = {}
 
-  # Use a fixed timestamp (01/01/2009) for all the files in an image.
-  # Bug: 24377993
-  epoch = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(0)
-  timestamp = (datetime.datetime(2009, 1, 1) - epoch).total_seconds()
-  d["timestamp"] = int(timestamp)
+  if "build.prop" in glob_dict:
+    bp = glob_dict["build.prop"]
+    if "ro.build.date.utc" in bp:
+      d["timestamp"] = bp["ro.build.date.utc"]
 
   def copy_prop(src_p, dest_p):
     if src_p in glob_dict: