diff --git a/check.c b/check.c
index 33b86bc7..2bd76db4 100644
--- a/check.c
+++ b/check.c
@@ -1034,7 +1034,7 @@ static int state_check_process(struct snapraid_state* state, int check, int fix,
 				collide_file = tommy_hashdyn_search(&handle[j].disk->inodeset, file_inode_compare_to_arg, &inode, file_inode_hash(inode));
 
 				/* if the inode is already in the database and it refers at a different file name, */
-				/* we can fix the file time ONLY if the time and size allow to differentiates */
+				/* we can fix the file time ONLY if the time and size allow to differentiate */
 				/* between the two files */
 
 				/* for example, suppose we delete a bunch of files with all the same size and time, */
@@ -1045,7 +1045,7 @@ static int state_check_process(struct snapraid_state* state, int check, int fix,
 					|| strcmp(collide_file->sub, file->sub) == 0 /* if the name is the same, it's the right collision */
 					|| collide_file->size != file->size /* if the size is different, the collision is identified */
 					|| collide_file->mtime_sec != file->mtime_sec /* if the mtime is different, the collision is identified */
-					|| collide_file->mtime_nsec != file->mtime_nsec
+					|| collide_file->mtime_nsec != file->mtime_nsec /* same for mtime_nsec */
 				) {
 					/* set the original modification time */
 					ret = handle_utime(&handle[j]);
@@ -1121,7 +1121,7 @@ close_and_continue:
 		if (!handle[i].disk)
 			continue;
 
-		/* for each file in the disk */
+		/* for each empty file in the disk */
 		disk = handle[i].disk;
 		node = disk->filelist;
 		while (node) {
@@ -1192,8 +1192,25 @@ close_and_continue:
 					goto bail;
 				}
 
+				/* set the original modification time */
+				ret = file_utime(file, f);
+				if (ret != 0) {
+					close(f);
+
+					fprintf(stderr, "WARNING! Without a working data disk, it isn't possible to fix errors on it.\n");
+					printf("Stopping\n");
+					++unrecoverable_error;
+					goto bail;
+				}
+
 				/* close it */
-				close(f);
+				ret = close(f);
+				if (ret != 0) {
+					fprintf(stderr, "WARNING! Without a working data disk, it isn't possible to fix errors on it.\n");
+					printf("Stopping\n");
+					++unrecoverable_error;
+					goto bail;
+				}
 
 				fprintf(stdlog, "fixed:%s:%s: Fixed empty file\n", disk->name, file->sub);
 				++recovered_error;
diff --git a/handle.c b/handle.c
index bf41f34c..1b22474b 100644
--- a/handle.c
+++ b/handle.c
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ int handle_write(struct snapraid_handle* handle, struct snapraid_block* block, u
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int handle_utime(struct snapraid_handle* handle)
+int file_utime(struct snapraid_file* file, int f)
 {
 #if HAVE_FUTIMENS
 	struct timespec tv[2];
@@ -327,52 +327,57 @@ int handle_utime(struct snapraid_handle* handle)
 #endif
 	int ret;
 
-	/* do nothing if not opened */
-	if (handle->f == -1)
-		return 0;
-
 #if HAVE_FUTIMENS /* futimens() is preferred because it gives nanosecond precision */
-	tv[0].tv_sec = handle->file->mtime_sec;
-	if (handle->file->mtime_nsec != STAT_NSEC_INVALID)
-		tv[0].tv_nsec = handle->file->mtime_nsec;
+	tv[0].tv_sec = file->mtime_sec;
+	if (file->mtime_nsec != STAT_NSEC_INVALID)
+		tv[0].tv_nsec = file->mtime_nsec;
 	else
 		tv[0].tv_nsec = 0;
 	tv[1].tv_sec = tv[0].tv_sec;
 	tv[1].tv_nsec = tv[0].tv_nsec;
 
-	ret = futimens(handle->f, tv);
+	ret = futimens(f, tv);
 #elif HAVE_FUTIMES /* fallback to futimes() if nanosecond precision is not available */
-	tv[0].tv_sec = handle->file->mtime_sec;
-	if (handle->file->mtime_nsec != STAT_NSEC_INVALID)
-		tv[0].tv_usec = handle->file->mtime_nsec / 1000;
+	tv[0].tv_sec = file->mtime_sec;
+	if (file->mtime_nsec != STAT_NSEC_INVALID)
+		tv[0].tv_usec = file->mtime_nsec / 1000;
 	else
 		tv[0].tv_usec = 0;
 	tv[1].tv_sec = tv[0].tv_sec;
 	tv[1].tv_usec = tv[0].tv_usec;
 
-	ret = futimes(handle->f, tv);
+	ret = futimes(f, tv);
 #elif HAVE_FUTIMESAT /* fallback to futimesat() for Solaris, it only has futimesat() */
-	tv[0].tv_sec = handle->file->mtime_sec;
-	if (handle->file->mtime_nsec != STAT_NSEC_INVALID)
-		tv[0].tv_usec = handle->file->mtime_nsec / 1000;
+	tv[0].tv_sec = file->mtime_sec;
+	if (file->mtime_nsec != STAT_NSEC_INVALID)
+		tv[0].tv_usec = file->mtime_nsec / 1000;
 	else
 		tv[0].tv_usec = 0;
 	tv[1].tv_sec = tv[0].tv_sec;
 	tv[1].tv_usec = tv[0].tv_usec;
 
-	ret = futimesat(handle->f, 0, tv);
+	ret = futimesat(f, 0, tv);
 #else
 #error No function available to set file timestamps
 #endif
 
 	if (ret != 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Error timing file '%s'. %s.\n", handle->file->sub, strerror(errno));
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error timing file '%s'. %s.\n", file->sub, strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int handle_utime(struct snapraid_handle* handle)
+{
+	/* do nothing if not opened */
+	if (handle->f == -1)
+		return 0;
+
+	return file_utime(handle->file, handle->f);
+}
+
 struct snapraid_handle* handle_map(struct snapraid_state* state, unsigned* handlemax)
 {
 	tommy_node* i;
diff --git a/handle.h b/handle.h
index 733f7f9c..9c69b6d9 100644
--- a/handle.h
+++ b/handle.h
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@
 
 #include "state.h"
 
+/****************************************************************************/
+/* file */
+
+/**
+ * Changes the modification time of a open file to the saved value.
+ */
+int file_utime(struct snapraid_file* file, int f);
+
 /****************************************************************************/
 /* handle */