diff --git a/common/environment/setup/git.sh b/common/environment/setup/git.sh
index a2f7f0a28ee..a7395ef53f3 100644
--- a/common/environment/setup/git.sh
+++ b/common/environment/setup/git.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ if [ -n "$XBPS_USE_BUILD_MTIME" ]; then
 	unset SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH
 elif [ -z "${SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH}" -a -n "$IN_CHROOT" ]; then
 	# check if the template is under version control:
-	if $XBPS_GIT_CMD -C ${XBPS_SRCPKGDIR}/${basepkg} status -u normal --porcelain template | grep "^?? " &> /dev/null; then
+	if [ -z "$($XBPS_GIT_CMD -C ${XBPS_SRCPKGDIR}/${basepkg} ls-files template)" ]; then
 		export SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH="$(stat -c %Y ${XBPS_SRCPKGDIR}/${basepkg}/template)"
 	else
 		export SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH="$($XBPS_GIT_CMD -C ${XBPS_DISTDIR} log --pretty='%ct' -n1 HEAD)"