diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 45ca5662..aaeacfde 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -485,6 +485,16 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES(MONOTONIC, glib-2.0 >= 2.28,
   ]
 )
 
+# from 2.62 we have datetime
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(DATE_TIME_FORMAT_ISO8601, glib-2.0 >= 2.62,
+  [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_DATE_TIME_FORMAT_ISO8601,1,
+      [define if your glib has g_date_time_format_iso8601().]
+   )
+  ],
+  [:
+  ]
+)
+
 # the old threading system 
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GTHREAD, gthread-2.0)
 PACKAGES_USED="$PACKAGES_USED gthread-2.0"
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c b/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c
index a4fe1aff..4ca05e20 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/dzsave.c
@@ -1132,14 +1132,28 @@ char *
 build_scan_properties( VipsImage *image )
 {
 	VipsDbuf dbuf;
-	GTimeVal now;
 	char *date;
 	int i;
 
 	vips_dbuf_init( &dbuf );
 
+#ifdef HAVE_DATE_TIME_FORMAT_ISO8601
+{
+	GDateTime *now;
+
+	now = g_date_time_new_now_local();
+	date = g_date_time_format_iso8601( now );
+	g_date_time_unref( now );
+}
+#else /*!HAVE_DATE_TIME_FORMAT_ISO8601*/
+{
+	GTimeVal now;
+
 	g_get_current_time( &now );
 	date = g_time_val_to_iso8601( &now );
+}
+#endif /*HAVE_DATE_TIME_FORMAT_ISO8601*/
+
 	vips_dbuf_writef( &dbuf, "<?xml version=\"1.0\"?>\n" ); 
 	vips_dbuf_writef( &dbuf, "<image xmlns=\"http://www.pathozoom.com/szi\""
 		" date=\"%s\" version=\"1.0\">\n", date );
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/vips.c b/libvips/iofuncs/vips.c
index 5b43f101..3379755a 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/vips.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/vips.c
@@ -955,13 +955,27 @@ char *
 vips__xml_properties( VipsImage *image )
 {
 	VipsDbuf dbuf;
-	GTimeVal now;
 	char *date;
 
 	vips_dbuf_init( &dbuf ); 
 
+#ifdef HAVE_DATE_TIME_FORMAT_ISO8601
+{
+	GDateTime *now;
+
+	now = g_date_time_new_now_local();
+	date = g_date_time_format_iso8601( now );
+	g_date_time_unref( now );
+}
+#else /*!HAVE_DATE_TIME_FORMAT_ISO8601*/
+{
+	GTimeVal now;
+
 	g_get_current_time( &now );
-	date = g_time_val_to_iso8601( &now ); 
+	date = g_time_val_to_iso8601( &now );
+}
+#endif /*HAVE_DATE_TIME_FORMAT_ISO8601*/
+
 	vips_dbuf_writef( &dbuf, "<?xml version=\"1.0\"?>\n" ); 
 	vips_dbuf_writef( &dbuf, "<image xmlns=\"%s/dzsave\" "
 		"date=\"%s\" version=\"%d.%d.%d\">\n",