diff --git a/cmdline/check.c b/cmdline/check.c
index c55dc9cd..1a332059 100644
--- a/cmdline/check.c
+++ b/cmdline/check.c
@@ -1343,11 +1343,12 @@ close_and_continue:
 				}
 
 				/* set the original modification time */
-				ret = file_utime(file, f);
+				ret = fmtime(f, file->mtime_sec, file->mtime_nsec);
 				if (ret != 0) {
 					/* LCOV_EXCL_START */
 					close(f);
 
+					fprintf(stderr, "Error timing file '%s'. %s.\n", file->sub, strerror(errno));
 					fprintf(stderr, "WARNING! Without a working data disk, it isn't possible to fix errors on it.\n");
 					printf("Stopping\n");
 					++unrecoverable_error;
diff --git a/cmdline/handle.c b/cmdline/handle.c
index 7dba07be..8d0df88a 100644
--- a/cmdline/handle.c
+++ b/cmdline/handle.c
@@ -353,52 +353,19 @@ int handle_write(struct snapraid_handle* handle, struct snapraid_block* block, u
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int file_utime(struct snapraid_file* file, int f)
+int handle_utime(struct snapraid_handle* handle)
 {
-#if HAVE_FUTIMENS
-	struct timespec tv[2];
-#else
-	struct timeval tv[2];
-#endif
 	int ret;
 
-#if HAVE_FUTIMENS /* futimens() is preferred because it gives nanosecond precision */
-	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;
+	/* do nothing if not opened */
+	if (handle->f == -1)
+		return 0;
 
-	ret = futimens(f, tv);
-#elif HAVE_FUTIMES /* fallback to futimes() if nanosecond precision is not available */
-	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(f, tv);
-#elif HAVE_FUTIMESAT /* fallback to futimesat() for Solaris, it only has futimesat() */
-	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(f, 0, tv);
-#else
-#error No function available to set file timestamps with sub-second precision
-#endif
+	ret = fmtime(handle->f, handle->file->mtime_sec, handle->file->mtime_nsec);
 
 	if (ret != 0) {
 		/* LCOV_EXCL_START */
-		fprintf(stderr, "Error timing file '%s'. %s.\n", file->sub, strerror(errno));
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error timing file '%s'. %s.\n", handle->file->sub, strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
 		/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
 	}
@@ -406,15 +373,6 @@ int file_utime(struct snapraid_file* file, int f)
 	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/cmdline/handle.h b/cmdline/handle.h
index 297474e7..7205d641 100644
--- a/cmdline/handle.h
+++ b/cmdline/handle.h
@@ -20,14 +20,6 @@
 
 #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 */
 
diff --git a/cmdline/nano.c b/cmdline/nano.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d9299dc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmdline/nano.c
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2014 Andrea Mazzoleni
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include "portable.h"
+
+#include "util.h"
+#include "elem.h"
+#include "state.h"
+#include "handle.h"
+
+void state_nano(struct snapraid_state* state)
+{
+	tommy_node* i;
+
+	printf("Setting nanosecond timestamps...\n");
+
+	/* for all disks */
+	for(i=state->disklist;i!=0;i=i->next) {
+		struct snapraid_disk* disk = i->data;
+		tommy_node* j;
+
+		/* for all files */
+		for(j=disk->filelist;j!=0;j=j->next) {
+			struct snapraid_file* file = j->data;
+
+			/* if the file has a zero nanosecond timestamp */
+			if (file->mtime_nsec == 0) {
+				char path[PATH_MAX];
+				struct stat st;
+				int f;
+				int ret;
+				int nsec;
+
+				pathprint(path, sizeof(path), "%s%s", disk->dir, file->sub);
+
+				/* generate a new nanosecond timestamp different than 0 */
+				do {
+					nsec = rand() % 1000000000;
+				} while (nsec == 0);
+
+				/* uses stat to get the present timestamp */
+				ret = stat(path, &st);
+				if (ret == -1) {
+					/* LCOV_EXCL_START */
+					fprintf(stderr, "Error accessing file '%s'. %s.\n", path, strerror(errno));
+					continue;
+					/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
+				}
+
+				/* open it */
+				/* O_NOFOLLOW: do not follow links to ensure to open the real file */
+				f = open(path, O_WRONLY | O_BINARY | O_NOFOLLOW);
+				if (f == -1) {
+					/* LCOV_EXCL_START */
+					fprintf(stderr, "Error opening file '%s'. %s.\n", path, strerror(errno));
+					continue;
+					/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
+				}
+
+				/* set the tweaked modification time */
+				ret = fmtime(f, st.st_mtime, nsec);
+				if (ret != 0) {
+					/* LCOV_EXCL_START */
+					close(f);
+
+					fprintf(stderr, "Error timing file '%s'. %s.\n", path, strerror(errno));
+					continue;
+					/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
+				}
+
+				/* close it */
+				ret = close(f);
+				if (ret != 0) {
+					/* LCOV_EXCL_START */
+					fprintf(stderr, "Error closing file '%s'. %s.\n", path, strerror(errno));
+					continue;
+					/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
+				}
+
+				/* uses stat again to get the present timestamp */
+				/* this is needed because the value read */
+				/* may be different than the written one */
+				ret = stat(path, &st);
+				if (ret == -1) {
+					/* LCOV_EXCL_START */
+					fprintf(stderr, "Error accessing file '%s'. %s.\n", path, strerror(errno));
+					continue;
+					/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
+				}
+
+				/* set the same nanosecond value in the content file */
+				/* note that if the second value is already matching */
+				/* the file won't be synched because the content file will */
+				/* contain the new updated timestamp */
+				file->mtime_nsec = STAT_NSEC(&st);
+
+				/* state changed, we need to update it */
+				state->need_write = 1;
+
+				fprintf(stdlog, "nano:%s:%s\n", disk->name, file->sub);
+				printf("nano %s%s\n", disk->dir, file->sub);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/cmdline/util.c b/cmdline/util.c
index cde900a3..99fff70c 100644
--- a/cmdline/util.c
+++ b/cmdline/util.c
@@ -1690,3 +1690,52 @@ int lock_unlock(int f)
 }
 #endif
 
+/****************************************************************************/
+/* file */
+
+int fmtime(int f, int64_t mtime_sec, int mtime_nsec)
+{
+#if HAVE_FUTIMENS
+	struct timespec tv[2];
+#else
+	struct timeval tv[2];
+#endif
+	int ret;
+
+#if HAVE_FUTIMENS /* futimens() is preferred because it gives nanosecond precision */
+	tv[0].tv_sec = mtime_sec;
+	if (mtime_nsec != STAT_NSEC_INVALID)
+		tv[0].tv_nsec = 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(f, tv);
+#elif HAVE_FUTIMES /* fallback to futimes() if nanosecond precision is not available */
+	tv[0].tv_sec = mtime_sec;
+	if (mtime_nsec != STAT_NSEC_INVALID)
+		tv[0].tv_usec = 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(f, tv);
+#elif HAVE_FUTIMESAT /* fallback to futimesat() for Solaris, it only has futimesat() */
+	tv[0].tv_sec = mtime_sec;
+	if (mtime_nsec != STAT_NSEC_INVALID)
+		tv[0].tv_usec = 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(f, 0, tv);
+#else
+#error No function available to set file timestamps with sub-second precision
+#endif
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
diff --git a/cmdline/util.h b/cmdline/util.h
index a6ed2e13..d443834e 100644
--- a/cmdline/util.h
+++ b/cmdline/util.h
@@ -558,5 +558,13 @@ int lock_lock(const char* file);
  */
 int lock_unlock(int f);
 
+/****************************************************************************/
+/* file */
+
+/**
+ * Changes the modification time of an open file.
+ */
+int fmtime(int f, int64_t mtime_sec, int mtime_nsec);
+
 #endif