diff --git a/src/hotspot.c b/src/hotspot.c
index fb75ef13..e0252753 100644
--- a/src/hotspot.c
+++ b/src/hotspot.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ static void hotspot_network_sync(struct network_info *info,
 							super);
 
 	data = l_settings_to_data(settings, &length);
-	write_file(data, length, "%s", config->filename);
+	write_file(data, length, true, "%s", config->filename);
 	l_free(data);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/storage.c b/src/storage.c
index 66e6b49e..a075d31d 100644
--- a/src/storage.c
+++ b/src/storage.c
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ ssize_t read_file(void *buffer, size_t len, const char *path_fmt, ...)
  * file with a temporary name and when closed, it is renamed to the
  * specified name (@path_fmt+args).
  */
-ssize_t write_file(const void *buffer, size_t len,
+ssize_t write_file(const void *buffer, size_t len, bool preserve_times,
 			const char *path_fmt, ...)
 {
 	va_list ap;
@@ -150,6 +150,18 @@ ssize_t write_file(const void *buffer, size_t len,
 		goto error_write;
 	}
 
+	if (preserve_times) {
+		struct stat st;
+
+		if (stat(path, &st) == 0) {
+			struct timespec times[2];
+
+			times[0] = st.st_atim;
+			times[1] = st.st_mtim;
+			utimensat(0, tmp_path, times, 0);
+		}
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Now that the file contents are written, rename to the real
 	 * file name; this way we are uniquely sure that the whole
@@ -372,7 +384,7 @@ void storage_network_sync(enum security type, const char *ssid,
 
 	path = storage_get_network_file_path(type, ssid);
 	data = l_settings_to_data(settings, &length);
-	write_file(data, length, "%s", path);
+	write_file(data, length, true, "%s", path);
 	l_free(data);
 	l_free(path);
 }
@@ -420,7 +432,7 @@ void storage_known_frequencies_sync(struct l_settings *known_freqs)
 	known_freq_file_path = storage_get_path("/%s", KNOWN_FREQ_FILENAME);
 
 	data = l_settings_to_data(known_freqs, &len);
-	write_file(data, len, "%s", known_freq_file_path);
+	write_file(data, len, false, "%s", known_freq_file_path);
 	l_free(data);
 
 	l_free(known_freq_file_path);
diff --git a/src/storage.h b/src/storage.h
index 891bb771..80b63c53 100644
--- a/src/storage.h
+++ b/src/storage.h
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@ enum security;
 ssize_t read_file(void *buffer, size_t len, const char *path_fmt, ...)
 	__attribute__((format(printf, 3, 4)));
 
-ssize_t write_file(const void *buffer, size_t len, const char *path_fmt, ...)
-	__attribute__((format(printf, 3, 4)));
+ssize_t write_file(const void *buffer, size_t len, bool preserve_times,
+			const char *path_fmt, ...)
+	__attribute__((format(printf, 4, 5)));
 
 bool storage_create_dirs(void);
 void storage_cleanup_dirs(void);