diff --git a/common/xdg-app-dir.c b/common/xdg-app-dir.c
index 681e7443..943a519d 100644
--- a/common/xdg-app-dir.c
+++ b/common/xdg-app-dir.c
@@ -616,6 +616,7 @@ xdg_app_dir_update_appstream (XdgAppDir *self,
   g_autofree char *tmpname = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GFile) active_tmp_link = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GFile) active_link = NULL;
+  g_autoptr(GFile) timestamp_file = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GError) tmp_error = NULL;
 
   if (!xdg_app_dir_ensure_repo (self, cancellable, error))
@@ -647,14 +648,25 @@ xdg_app_dir_update_appstream (XdgAppDir *self,
   remote_dir = g_file_get_child (appstream_dir, remote);
   arch_dir = g_file_get_child (remote_dir, arch);
   checkout_dir = g_file_get_child (arch_dir, new_checksum);
+  timestamp_file = g_file_get_child (arch_dir, ".timestamp");
+
+  arch_path = g_file_get_path (arch_dir);
+  if (g_mkdir_with_parents (arch_path, 0755) != 0)
+    {
+      glnx_set_error_from_errno (error);
+      return FALSE;
+    }
 
   if (old_checksum != NULL && new_checksum != NULL &&
       strcmp (old_checksum, new_checksum) == 0 &&
       g_file_query_exists (checkout_dir, NULL))
     {
+      if (!g_file_replace_contents (timestamp_file, "", 0, NULL, FALSE,
+                                    G_FILE_CREATE_REPLACE_DESTINATION, NULL, NULL, error))
+        return FALSE;
+
       if (out_changed)
         *out_changed = FALSE;
-
       return TRUE; /* No changes, don't checkout */
     }
 
@@ -667,13 +679,6 @@ xdg_app_dir_update_appstream (XdgAppDir *self,
   if (file_info == NULL)
     return FALSE;
 
-  arch_path = g_file_get_path (arch_dir);
-  if (g_mkdir_with_parents (arch_path, 0755) != 0)
-    {
-      glnx_set_error_from_errno (error);
-      return FALSE;
-    }
-
   if (!ostree_repo_checkout_tree (self->repo,
                                   self->user ? OSTREE_REPO_CHECKOUT_MODE_USER : OSTREE_REPO_CHECKOUT_MODE_NONE,
                                   OSTREE_REPO_CHECKOUT_OVERWRITE_NONE,
@@ -702,6 +707,10 @@ xdg_app_dir_update_appstream (XdgAppDir *self,
         g_warning ("Unable to remove old appstream checkout: %s\n", tmp_error->message);
     }
 
+  if (!g_file_replace_contents (timestamp_file, "", 0, NULL, FALSE,
+                                G_FILE_CREATE_REPLACE_DESTINATION, NULL, NULL, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
   if (out_changed)
     *out_changed = TRUE;
   return TRUE;
diff --git a/lib/xdg-app-remote.c b/lib/xdg-app-remote.c
index 6087b61d..8d45a785 100644
--- a/lib/xdg-app-remote.c
+++ b/lib/xdg-app-remote.c
@@ -145,6 +145,22 @@ xdg_app_remote_get_appstream_dir (XdgAppRemote *self,
                                        subdir);
 }
 
+GFile *
+xdg_app_remote_get_appstream_timestamp (XdgAppRemote *self,
+                                        const char *arch)
+{
+  XdgAppRemotePrivate *priv = xdg_app_remote_get_instance_private (self);
+  g_autoptr(GFile) dir = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *subdir = NULL;
+
+  if (arch == NULL)
+    arch = xdg_app_get_arch ();
+
+  subdir = g_strdup_printf ("appstream/%s/%s/.timestamp", priv->name, arch);
+  return g_file_resolve_relative_path (xdg_app_dir_get_path (priv->dir),
+                                       subdir);
+}
+
 char *
 xdg_app_remote_get_url (XdgAppRemote *self)
 {
diff --git a/lib/xdg-app-remote.h b/lib/xdg-app-remote.h
index ee107734..a50bbac4 100644
--- a/lib/xdg-app-remote.h
+++ b/lib/xdg-app-remote.h
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC(XdgAppRemote, g_object_unref)
 XDG_APP_EXTERN const char *  xdg_app_remote_get_name          (XdgAppRemote *self);
 XDG_APP_EXTERN GFile *       xdg_app_remote_get_appstream_dir (XdgAppRemote *self,
                                                                const char   *arch);
+XDG_APP_EXTERN GFile *       xdg_app_remote_get_appstream_timestamp (XdgAppRemote *self,
+                                                                     const char   *arch);
 XDG_APP_EXTERN char *        xdg_app_remote_get_url           (XdgAppRemote *self);
 XDG_APP_EXTERN char *        xdg_app_remote_get_title         (XdgAppRemote *self);
 XDG_APP_EXTERN gboolean      xdg_app_remote_get_gpg_verify    (XdgAppRemote *self);