diff --git a/gramps/gen/db/generic.py b/gramps/gen/db/generic.py
index 0a884da94..515dc7a63 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/db/generic.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/db/generic.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def touch(fname, mode=0o666, dir_fd=None, **kwargs):
     ## After http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1158076/implement-touch-using-python
     if sys.version_info < (3, 3, 0):
         with open(fname, 'a'):
-            os.utime(fname, times)
+            os.utime(fname, None) # set to now
     else:
         flags = os.O_CREAT | os.O_APPEND
         with os.fdopen(os.open(fname, flags=flags, mode=mode, dir_fd=dir_fd)) as f: