diff --git a/src/hostinfo/named.py b/src/hostinfo/named.py
index 06dc667e9e093c5ec5184ac558a3f0a987fc732d..2ea8a6f5393770cc2ff4794aefc2b44c7037a460 100755
--- a/src/hostinfo/named.py
+++ b/src/hostinfo/named.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import hostinfo.parser
 import ipaddr
 import hostinfo.util as util
 import re
+import sys
+import os
 
 def generate(tree, options):
     #
@@ -116,7 +118,7 @@ def header(tree, domain, origin=None):
       |                )
       |;""" % dict(nameserver=soa.nameserver[0],
                    email=soa.email[0],
-                   mtime=tree._mtime,
+                   mtime=int(max(tree._mtime, os.stat(sys.argv[0]).st_mtime)),
                    refresh=soa.refresh[0],
                    retry=soa.retry[0],
                    expire=soa.expire[0],