lib/PublicInbox/Import.pm | 2 +-

diff --git a/lib/PublicInbox/Import.pm b/lib/PublicInbox/Import.pm
index f8d100377e17e6e3058b2a91e3b0795969b276ea..1f831a7bf118be2649ef21b0936affa01abc2fb9 100644
--- a/lib/PublicInbox/Import.pm
+++ b/lib/PublicInbox/Import.pm
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ 	if ($zone >= 1400 || $zone <= -1400) {
 		warn "bogus TZ offset: $zone, ignoring and assuming +0000\n";
 		$zone = '+0000';
 	}
-	$ts ||= time;
+	$ts = time unless defined $ts;
 	$ts = 0 if $ts < 0; # git uses unsigned times
 	"$ts $zone";
 }