diff --git a/src/freedombone b/src/freedombone
index 1f82955e..3c95269f 100755
--- a/src/freedombone
+++ b/src/freedombone
@@ -4774,10 +4774,10 @@ function time_synchronisation {
   echo '# File which contains the previous date as a string' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo 'BEFORE_FULLDATE_FILE=/var/log/tlsdate.txt' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo 'DATE_BEFORE=$(date)' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
-  echo 'BEFORE=$(date -d "$Y-$M-$D" "+%s")' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
+  echo 'BEFORE=$(date +%Y-%M-%D)' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo 'BACKWARDS_BETWEEN=0' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '# If the date was previously set' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
-  echo 'if [ -f "$BEFORE_DATE_FILE" ]; then' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
+  echo 'if [ -s "$BEFORE_DATE_FILE" ]; then' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '    BEFORE_FILE=$(cat $BEFORE_DATE_FILE)' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '    BEFORE_FULLDATE=$(cat $BEFORE_FULLDATE_FILE)' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '    # is the date going backwards?' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
@@ -4797,7 +4797,7 @@ function time_synchronisation {
   echo '# Set the date' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '/usr/bin/timeout $TIMEOUT tlsdate -l -t -H $TIMESOURCE -p 443 >> $LOGFILE' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo 'DATE_AFTER=$(date)' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
-  echo 'AFTER=$(date -d "$Y-$M-$D" '+%s')' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
+  echo 'AFTER=$(date +%Y-%M-%D)' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '# After setting the date did it go backwards?' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo 'if (( $AFTER < $BEFORE )); then' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '    echo "Incorrect date: $DATE_BEFORE -> $DATE_AFTER" >> $LOGFILE' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
@@ -4806,10 +4806,10 @@ function time_synchronisation {
   echo '    # Try resetting the date from another time source' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '    /usr/bin/timeout $TIMEOUT tlsdate -l -t -H $TIMESOURCE2 -p 443 >> $LOGFILE' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '    DATE_AFTER=$(date)' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
-  echo '    AFTER=$(date -d "$Y-$M-$D" "+%s")' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
+  echo '    AFTER=$(date +%Y-%M-%D)' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo 'else' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '    echo -n $TIMESOURCE >> $LOGFILE' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
-  echo '    if [ -f "$BEFORE_DATE_FILE" ]; then' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
+  echo '    if [ -s "$BEFORE_DATE_FILE" ]; then' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '        echo -n " " >> $LOGFILE' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '        echo -n $BEFORE_FILE >> $LOGFILE' >> /usr/bin/updatedate
   echo '    fi' >> /usr/bin/updatedate