diff --git a/recording-daemon/db.c b/recording-daemon/db.c
index 2f39f213c..a1c978ffa 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/db.c
+++ b/recording-daemon/db.c
@@ -256,11 +256,9 @@ static void db_do_call_id(metafile_t *mf) {
 	if (!mf->call_id)
 		return;
 
-	double now = now_double();
-
 	MYSQL_BIND b[2];
 	my_cstr(&b[0], mf->call_id);
-	my_d(&b[1], &now);
+	my_d(&b[1], &mf->start_time);
 
 	execute_wrap(&stm_insert_call, b, &mf->db_id);
 }
@@ -315,7 +313,6 @@ void db_do_stream(metafile_t *mf, output_t *op, stream_t *stream, unsigned long
 		return;
 
 	unsigned long id = stream ? stream->id : 0;
-	double now = now_double();
 
 	MYSQL_BIND b[11];
 	my_ull(&b[0], &mf->db_id);
@@ -343,7 +340,7 @@ void db_do_stream(metafile_t *mf, output_t *op, stream_t *stream, unsigned long
 	}
 	else
 		my_cstr(&b[9], "");
-	my_d(&b[10], &now);
+	my_d(&b[10], &op->start_time);
 
 	execute_wrap(&stm_insert_stream, b, &op->db_id);
 
diff --git a/recording-daemon/metafile.c b/recording-daemon/metafile.c
index 515c48bdb..46a063bf1 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/metafile.c
+++ b/recording-daemon/metafile.c
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ static metafile_t *metafile_get(char *name) {
 	mf->forward_count = 0;
 	mf->forward_failed = 0;
 	mf->recording_on = 1;
+	mf->start_time = now_double();
 
 	if (decoding_enabled) {
 		pthread_mutex_init(&mf->payloads_lock, NULL);
diff --git a/recording-daemon/output.c b/recording-daemon/output.c
index 172b5f350..69f833948 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/output.c
+++ b/recording-daemon/output.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "db.h"
 #include "main.h"
+#include "recaux.h"
 
 
 //static int output_codec_id;
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ static output_t *output_alloc(const char *path, const char *name) {
 	ret->channel_mult = 1;
 	ret->requested_format.format = -1;
 	ret->actual_format.format = -1;
+	ret->start_time = now_double();
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/recording-daemon/stream.c b/recording-daemon/stream.c
index 93111f650..548396403 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/stream.c
+++ b/recording-daemon/stream.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "main.h"
 #include "packet.h"
 #include "forward.h"
+#include "recaux.h"
 
 
 #define MAXBUFLEN 65535
@@ -107,6 +108,7 @@ static stream_t *stream_get(metafile_t *mf, unsigned long id) {
 	ret->id = id;
 	ret->metafile = mf;
 	ret->tag = (unsigned long) -1;
+	ret->start_time = now_double();
 
 out:
 	return ret;
diff --git a/recording-daemon/types.h b/recording-daemon/types.h
index c7fbec5a3..e4b7ef7c2 100644
--- a/recording-daemon/types.h
+++ b/recording-daemon/types.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ struct stream_s {
 	int fd;
 	handler_t handler;
 	unsigned int forwarding_on:1;
+	double start_time;
 };
 typedef struct stream_s stream_t;
 
@@ -116,6 +117,7 @@ struct metafile_s {
 	off_t pos;
 	unsigned long long db_id;
 	unsigned int db_streams;
+	double start_time;
 
 	GStringChunk *gsc; // XXX limit max size
 
@@ -152,6 +154,7 @@ struct output_s {
 	unsigned long long db_id;
 	gboolean skip_filename_extension;
 	unsigned int channel_mult;
+	double start_time;
 
 	AVFormatContext *fmtctx;
 	AVStream *avst;