diff --git a/arch/arch.go b/arch/arch.go
index d2485744..a35d021d 100644
--- a/arch/arch.go
+++ b/arch/arch.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/files"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/internal/maps"
+	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/internal/modtime"
 	"github.com/klauspost/compress/zstd"
 	"github.com/klauspost/pgzip"
 )
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ func (ArchLinux) Package(info *nfpm.Info, w io.Writer) error {
 	// .PKGINFO must be the first entry in .MTREE
 	entries = append([]MtreeEntry{*pkginfoEntry}, entries...)
 
-	err = createMtree(tw, entries, info.MTime)
+	err = createMtree(tw, entries, modtime.Get(info.MTime))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("create mtree: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -310,7 +311,7 @@ func createPkginfo(info *nfpm.Info, tw *tar.Writer, totalSize int64) (*MtreeEntr
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	builddate := strconv.FormatInt(info.MTime.Unix(), 10)
+	builddate := strconv.FormatInt(modtime.Get(info.MTime).Unix(), 10)
 	totalSizeStr := strconv.FormatInt(totalSize, 10)
 
 	err = writeKVPairs(buf, map[string]string{
@@ -374,7 +375,7 @@ func createPkginfo(info *nfpm.Info, tw *tar.Writer, totalSize int64) (*MtreeEntr
 		Mode:     0o644,
 		Name:     ".PKGINFO",
 		Size:     int64(size),
-		ModTime:  info.MTime,
+		ModTime:  modtime.Get(info.MTime),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -392,7 +393,7 @@ func createPkginfo(info *nfpm.Info, tw *tar.Writer, totalSize int64) (*MtreeEntr
 
 	return &MtreeEntry{
 		Destination: ".PKGINFO",
-		Time:        info.MTime.Unix(),
+		Time:        modtime.Get(info.MTime).Unix(),
 		Mode:        0o644,
 		Size:        int64(size),
 		Type:        files.TypeFile,
@@ -558,7 +559,7 @@ func createScripts(info *nfpm.Info, tw *tar.Writer) error {
 		Mode:     0o644,
 		Name:     ".INSTALL",
 		Size:     int64(buf.Len()),
-		ModTime:  info.MTime,
+		ModTime:  modtime.Get(info.MTime),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/deb/deb.go b/deb/deb.go
index 66f4a13e..be50cf7e 100644
--- a/deb/deb.go
+++ b/deb/deb.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/deprecation"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/files"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/internal/maps"
+	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/internal/modtime"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/internal/sign"
 	"github.com/klauspost/compress/zstd"
 	"github.com/ulikunitz/xz"
@@ -126,15 +127,17 @@ func (d *Deb) Package(info *nfpm.Info, deb io.Writer) (err error) { // nolint: f
 		return fmt.Errorf("cannot write ar header to deb file: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := addArFile(w, "debian-binary", debianBinary, info.MTime); err != nil {
+	mtime := modtime.Get(info.MTime)
+
+	if err := addArFile(w, "debian-binary", debianBinary, mtime); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("cannot pack debian-binary: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := addArFile(w, "control.tar.gz", controlTarGz, info.MTime); err != nil {
+	if err := addArFile(w, "control.tar.gz", controlTarGz, mtime); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("cannot add control.tar.gz to deb: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := addArFile(w, dataTarballName, dataTarball, info.MTime); err != nil {
+	if err := addArFile(w, dataTarballName, dataTarball, mtime); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("cannot add data.tar.gz to deb: %w", err)
 	}
 
@@ -144,7 +147,7 @@ func (d *Deb) Package(info *nfpm.Info, deb io.Writer) (err error) { // nolint: f
 			return err
 		}
 
-		if err := addArFile(w, "_gpg"+sigType, sig, info.MTime); err != nil {
+		if err := addArFile(w, "_gpg"+sigType, sig, mtime); err != nil {
 			return &nfpm.ErrSigningFailure{
 				Err: fmt.Errorf("add signature to ar file: %w", err),
 			}
@@ -256,7 +259,7 @@ func newDpkgSigFileLine(name string, fileContent []byte) dpkgSigFileLine {
 func readDpkgSigData(info *nfpm.Info, debianBinary, controlTarGz, dataTarball []byte) (io.Reader, error) {
 	data := dpkgSigData{
 		Signer: info.Deb.Signature.Signer,
-		Date:   info.MTime,
+		Date:   modtime.Get(info.MTime),
 		Role:   info.Deb.Signature.Type,
 		Files: []dpkgSigFileLine{
 			newDpkgSigFileLine("debian-binary", debianBinary),
@@ -392,14 +395,14 @@ func createFilesInsideDataTar(info *nfpm.Info, tw *tar.Writer) (md5buf bytes.Buf
 				Format:   tar.FormatGNU,
 				Uname:    file.FileInfo.Owner,
 				Gname:    file.FileInfo.Group,
-				ModTime:  time.Unix(0, 0),
+				ModTime:  modtime.Get(info.MTime),
 			})
 		case files.TypeSymlink:
 			err = newItemInsideTar(tw, []byte{}, &tar.Header{
 				Name:     files.AsExplicitRelativePath(file.Destination),
 				Linkname: file.Source,
 				Typeflag: tar.TypeSymlink,
-				ModTime:  time.Unix(0, 0),
+				ModTime:  modtime.Get(info.MTime),
 				Format:   tar.FormatGNU,
 			})
 		case files.TypeDebChangelog:
@@ -511,7 +514,7 @@ func createChangelogInsideDataTar(
 		return 0, err
 	}
 
-	if err = newFileInsideTar(tarw, fileName, changelogData, info.MTime); err != nil {
+	if err = newFileInsideTar(tarw, fileName, changelogData, modtime.Get(info.MTime)); err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
 
@@ -555,18 +558,19 @@ func createControl(instSize int64, md5sums []byte, info *nfpm.Info) (controlTarG
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if err := newFileInsideTar(out, "./control", body.Bytes(), info.MTime); err != nil {
+	mtime := modtime.Get(info.MTime)
+	if err := newFileInsideTar(out, "./control", body.Bytes(), mtime); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if err := newFileInsideTar(out, "./md5sums", md5sums, info.MTime); err != nil {
+	if err := newFileInsideTar(out, "./md5sums", md5sums, mtime); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if err := newFileInsideTar(out, "./conffiles", conffiles(info), info.MTime); err != nil {
+	if err := newFileInsideTar(out, "./conffiles", conffiles(info), mtime); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	if triggers := createTriggers(info); len(triggers) > 0 {
-		if err := newFileInsideTar(out, "./triggers", triggers, info.MTime); err != nil {
+		if err := newFileInsideTar(out, "./triggers", triggers, mtime); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
@@ -612,13 +616,7 @@ func createControl(instSize int64, md5sums []byte, info *nfpm.Info) (controlTarG
 		if dets.fileName == "" {
 			continue
 		}
-		if err := newFilePathInsideTar(
-			out,
-			dets.fileName,
-			filename,
-			dets.mode,
-			info.MTime,
-		); err != nil {
+		if err := newFilePathInsideTar(out, dets.fileName, filename, dets.mode, mtime); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/internal/modtime/mtime.go b/internal/modtime/mtime.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a00ce3c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/modtime/mtime.go
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package modtime
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func FromEnv() time.Time {
+	epoch := os.Getenv("SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH")
+	if epoch == "" {
+		return time.Time{}
+	}
+	sde, err := strconv.ParseInt(epoch, 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return time.Time{}
+	}
+	return time.Unix(sde, 0).UTC()
+}
+
+func Get(times ...time.Time) time.Time {
+	for _, t := range times {
+		if !t.IsZero() {
+			return t
+		}
+	}
+	return time.Now()
+}
diff --git a/nfpm.go b/nfpm.go
index b7c6bf3c..06e30d44 100644
--- a/nfpm.go
+++ b/nfpm.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"io/fs"
 	"os"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -18,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/Masterminds/semver/v3"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/chglog"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/files"
+	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/internal/modtime"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ func WithDefaults(info *Info) *Info {
 		info.Umask = 0o02
 	}
 	if info.MTime.IsZero() {
-		info.MTime = getSourceDateEpoch()
+		info.MTime = modtime.FromEnv()
 	}
 	switch info.VersionSchema {
 	case "none":
@@ -552,19 +552,6 @@ func WithDefaults(info *Info) *Info {
 	return info
 }
 
-func getSourceDateEpoch() time.Time {
-	now := time.Now().UTC()
-	epoch := os.Getenv("SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH")
-	if epoch == "" {
-		return now
-	}
-	sde, err := strconv.ParseInt(epoch, 10, 64)
-	if err != nil {
-		return now
-	}
-	return time.Unix(sde, 0).UTC()
-}
-
 // ErrSigningFailure is returned whenever something went wrong during
 // the package signing process. The underlying error can be unwrapped
 // and could be crypto-related or something that occurred while adding
diff --git a/rpm/rpm.go b/rpm/rpm.go
index b07cf156..f533f549 100644
--- a/rpm/rpm.go
+++ b/rpm/rpm.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/goreleaser/chglog"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/files"
+	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/internal/modtime"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/nfpm/v2/internal/sign"
 )
 
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@ func buildRPMMeta(info *nfpm.Info) (*rpmpack.RPMMetaData, error) {
 		Suggests:    suggests,
 		Conflicts:   conflicts,
 		Compressor:  info.RPM.Compression,
-		BuildTime:   info.MTime,
+		BuildTime:   modtime.Get(info.MTime),
 		BuildHost:   hostname,
 	}, nil
 }
@@ -344,7 +345,9 @@ func addScriptFiles(info *nfpm.Info, rpm *rpmpack.RPM) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// TODO: pass mtime down in all content types
 func createFilesInsideRPM(info *nfpm.Info, rpm *rpmpack.RPM) (err error) {
+	mtime := modtime.Get(info.MTime)
 	for _, content := range info.Contents {
 		if content.Packager != "" && content.Packager != packagerName {
 			continue
@@ -372,7 +375,7 @@ func createFilesInsideRPM(info *nfpm.Info, rpm *rpmpack.RPM) (err error) {
 		case files.TypeSymlink:
 			file = asRPMSymlink(content)
 		case files.TypeDir:
-			file = asRPMDirectory(content, info.MTime)
+			file = asRPMDirectory(content, mtime)
 		case files.TypeImplicitDir:
 			// we don't need to add imlicit directories to RPMs
 			continue