diff --git a/lib/core/constants.dart b/lib/core/constants.dart
index bb6c131d7..b86d21287 100644
--- a/lib/core/constants.dart
+++ b/lib/core/constants.dart
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const String sentryTunnel = "https://sentry-reporter.ente.io";
 const String roadmapURL = "https://roadmap.ente.io";
 const int microSecondsInDay = 86400000000;
 const int android11SDKINT = 30;
-const int jan011991Time = 662668200000000;
+const int jan011981Time = 347135400000000;
 const int galleryLoadStartTime = -8000000000000000; // Wednesday, March 6, 1748
 const int galleryLoadEndTime = 9223372036854775807; // 2^63 -1
 
diff --git a/lib/models/file.dart b/lib/models/file.dart
index bceeede8c..7f006c715 100644
--- a/lib/models/file.dart
+++ b/lib/models/file.dart
@@ -83,12 +83,12 @@ class File extends EnteFile {
 
   static int fileCreationTime(String? fileTitle, AssetEntity asset) {
     int creationTime = asset.createDateTime.microsecondsSinceEpoch;
-    if (creationTime >= jan011991Time) {
+    if (creationTime >= jan011981Time) {
       // assuming that fileSystem is returning correct creationTime.
       // During upload, this might get overridden with exif Creation time
       return creationTime;
     } else {
-      if (asset.modifiedDateTime.microsecondsSinceEpoch >= jan011991Time) {
+      if (asset.modifiedDateTime.microsecondsSinceEpoch >= jan011981Time) {
         creationTime = asset.modifiedDateTime.microsecondsSinceEpoch;
       } else {
         creationTime = DateTime.now().toUtc().microsecondsSinceEpoch;
diff --git a/test/utils/date_time_util_test.dart b/test/utils/date_time_util_test.dart
index f52540ed0..b0bff610c 100644
--- a/test/utils/date_time_util_test.dart
+++ b/test/utils/date_time_util_test.dart
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ void main() {
 
   test("verify constants", () {
     expect(
-      jan011991Time,
-      DateTime(1991, 1, 1).toUtc().microsecondsSinceEpoch,
+      jan011981Time,
+      DateTime(1981, 1, 1).toUtc().microsecondsSinceEpoch,
       reason: "constant mismatch",
     );
   });