diff --git a/src/directory.h b/src/directory.h
index 7ffb87d5e..9321e9530 100644
--- a/src/directory.h
+++ b/src/directory.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ struct directory {
 	struct dirvec children;
 	struct songvec songs;
 	struct directory *parent;
+	time_t mtime;
 	ino_t inode;
 	dev_t device;
 	unsigned stat; /* not needed if ino_t == dev_t == 0 is impossible */
diff --git a/src/directory_save.c b/src/directory_save.c
index 7b2668bc7..b009b1ef5 100644
--- a/src/directory_save.c
+++ b/src/directory_save.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
-#define DIRECTORY_MTIME "mtime: " /* DEPRECATED, noop-read-only */
+#define DIRECTORY_MTIME "mtime: "
 #define DIRECTORY_BEGIN "begin: "
 #define DIRECTORY_END "end: "
 
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ directory_save(FILE *fp, struct directory *directory)
 	int retv;
 
 	if (!directory_is_root(directory)) {
+		fprintf(fp, DIRECTORY_MTIME "%lu\n",
+			(unsigned long)directory->mtime);
+
 		retv = fprintf(fp, "%s%s\n", DIRECTORY_BEGIN,
 			       directory_get_path(directory));
 		if (retv < 0)
@@ -84,8 +87,12 @@ directory_load(FILE *fp, struct directory *directory)
 			strcpy(key, &(buffer[strlen(DIRECTORY_DIR)]));
 			if (!fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), fp))
 				FATAL("Error reading db, fgets\n");
-			/* for compatibility with db's prior to 0.11 */
+
 			if (g_str_has_prefix(buffer, DIRECTORY_MTIME)) {
+				directory->mtime =
+					g_ascii_strtoull(buffer + sizeof(DIRECTORY_MTIME) - 1,
+							 NULL, 10);
+
 				if (!fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), fp))
 					FATAL("Error reading db, fgets\n");
 			}
diff --git a/src/update.c b/src/update.c
index d03fc7cb4..78929f7d2 100644
--- a/src/update.c
+++ b/src/update.c
@@ -360,10 +360,12 @@ update_archive_tree(struct directory *directory, char *name)
  *
  * @param parent the parent directory the archive file resides in
  * @param name the UTF-8 encoded base name of the archive file
+ * @param st stat() information on the archive file
  * @param plugin the archive plugin which fits this archive type
  */
 static void
 update_archive_file(struct directory *parent, const char *name,
+		    const struct stat *st,
 		    const struct archive_plugin *plugin)
 {
 	char *path_fs;
@@ -393,6 +395,8 @@ update_archive_file(struct directory *parent, const char *name,
 		directory->device = DEVICE_INARCHIVE;
 	}
 
+	directory->mtime = st->st_mtime;
+
 	plugin->scan_reset(file);
 
 	while ((filepath = plugin->scan_next(file)) != NULL) {
@@ -438,7 +442,7 @@ update_regular_file(struct directory *directory,
 		}
 #ifdef ENABLE_ARCHIVE
 	} else if ((archive = archive_plugin_from_suffix(suffix))) {
-		update_archive_file(directory, name, archive);
+		update_archive_file(directory, name, st, archive);
 #endif
 	}
 }
@@ -593,6 +597,8 @@ updateDirectory(struct directory *directory, const struct stat *st)
 
 	closedir(dir);
 
+	directory->mtime = st->st_mtime;
+
 	return true;
 }