diff --git a/include/file.h b/include/file.h
index b14d0bc6..c086fe22 100644
--- a/include/file.h
+++ b/include/file.h
@@ -98,9 +98,11 @@ struct emptypedstr {
 #define EFF_PRIVATE	bit(9)
 /* Table is customized (configuration tables only) */
 #define EFF_CUSTOM	bit(10)
+/* Don't update timestamps */
+#define EFF_NOTIME	bit(11)
 /* Transient flags, only occur in argument of ef_open() */
 /* Create table file, clobbering any existing file */
-#define EFF_CREATE	bit(11)
+#define EFF_CREATE	bit(16)
 
 /*
  * Empire `file types'
diff --git a/src/lib/common/file.c b/src/lib/common/file.c
index b1ebfb13..d20f7e02 100644
--- a/src/lib/common/file.c
+++ b/src/lib/common/file.c
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ do_write(struct empfile *ep, void *buf, int id, int count)
 	return -1;
 
     if (ep->flags & EFF_TYPED) {
-	now = time(NULL);
+	now = ep->flags & EFF_NOTIME ? (time_t)-1 : time(NULL);
 	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
 	    /*
 	     * TODO Oopses here could be due to bad data corruption.
@@ -380,7 +380,8 @@ do_write(struct empfile *ep, void *buf, int id, int count)
 		elt->ef_type = ep->uid;
 	    if (CANT_HAPPEN(elt->uid != id + i))
 		elt->uid = id + i;
-	    elt->timestamp = now;
+	    if (now != (time_t)-1)
+		elt->timestamp = now;
 	}
     }
 
diff --git a/src/util/files.c b/src/util/files.c
index 4151e20d..5ef61618 100644
--- a/src/util/files.c
+++ b/src/util/files.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
     for (i = 0; i < EF_MAX; i++) {
 	if (!EF_IS_GAME_STATE(i))
 	    continue;
-	if (!ef_open(i, EFF_CREATE, -1)) {
+	if (!ef_open(i, EFF_CREATE | EFF_NOTIME, -1)) {
 	    perror("ef_open");
 	    exit(1);
 	}