diff --git a/meta/classes/image.bbclass b/meta/classes/image.bbclass
index 3db34ac193..9fa0155c8a 100644
--- a/meta/classes/image.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/image.bbclass
@@ -182,10 +182,6 @@ zap_root_password () {
 	mv ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd.new ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd
 } 
 
-create_etc_timestamp() {
-	date +%2m%2d%2H%2M%Y >${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/timestamp
-}
-
 # Turn any symbolic /sbin/init link into a file
 remove_init_link () {
 	if [ -h ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/sbin/init ]; then
@@ -217,7 +213,7 @@ set_image_autologin () {
 # Can be use to create /etc/timestamp during image construction to give a reasonably 
 # sane default time setting
 rootfs_update_timestamp () {
-	date "+%m%d%H%M%Y" >${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/timestamp
+	date -u +%2m%2d%2H%2M%4Y >${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/timestamp
 }
 
 # Prevent X from being started
@@ -239,7 +235,7 @@ rootfs_trim_schemas () {
 }
 
 
-# export the zap_root_password, create_etc_timestamp and remote_init_link
-EXPORT_FUNCTIONS zap_root_password create_etc_timestamp remove_init_link do_rootfs make_zimage_symlink_relative set_image_autologin rootfs_update_timestamp rootfs_no_x_startup
+# export the zap_root_password, and remote_init_link
+EXPORT_FUNCTIONS zap_root_password remove_init_link do_rootfs make_zimage_symlink_relative set_image_autologin rootfs_update_timestamp rootfs_no_x_startup
 
 addtask rootfs before do_build after do_install
diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/bootmisc.sh b/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/bootmisc.sh
index 162df2b87e..03fd67c67e 100755
--- a/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/bootmisc.sh
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/bootmisc.sh
@@ -65,13 +65,13 @@ fi
 # If the timestamp is 1 day or more recent than the current time,
 # use the timestamp instead.
 /etc/init.d/hwclock.sh start
-if test -e /etc/timestamp2
+if test -e /etc/timestamp
 then
-	SYSTEMDATE=`date "+%Y%m%d%2H%2M"`
-	read TIMESTAMP < /etc/timestamp2
+	SYSTEMDATE=`date  -u +%2m%2d%2H%2M%4Y`
+	read TIMESTAMP < /etc/timestamp
         NEEDUPDATE=`expr \( $TIMESTAMP \> $SYSTEMDATE + 10000 \)`
         if [ $NEEDUPDATE -eq 1 ]; then 
-		date -s $TIMESTAMP
+		date -u $TIMESTAMP
 		/etc/init.d/hwclock.sh stop
 	fi
 fi
diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/save-rtc.sh b/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/save-rtc.sh
index 75e43001b8..77aa11c36c 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/save-rtc.sh
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/save-rtc.sh
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@
 ### END INIT INFO
 
 # Update the timestamp
-date +%Y%m%d%2H%2M > /etc/timestamp2
+date -u +%2m%2d%2H%2M%4Y > /etc/timestamp