diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/MediaFiles/UpdateEpisodeFileService.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/MediaFiles/UpdateEpisodeFileService.cs
index d157a6147..cdc8454ec 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core/MediaFiles/UpdateEpisodeFileService.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/MediaFiles/UpdateEpisodeFileService.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using NLog;
 using NzbDrone.Common.Disk;
+using NzbDrone.Common.EnvironmentInfo;
 using NzbDrone.Common.Extensions;
 using NzbDrone.Common.Instrumentation.Extensions;
 using NzbDrone.Core.Configuration;
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.MediaFiles
         private readonly IConfigService _configService;
         private readonly IEpisodeService _episodeService;
         private readonly Logger _logger;
+        private static readonly DateTime EpochTime = new DateTime(1970, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc);
 
         public UpdateEpisodeFileService(IDiskProvider diskProvider,
                                         IConfigService configService,
@@ -77,42 +79,6 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.MediaFiles
             return false;
         }
 
-        public void Handle(SeriesScannedEvent message)
-        {
-            if (_configService.FileDate == FileDateType.None)
-            {
-                return;
-            }
-
-            var episodes = _episodeService.EpisodesWithFiles(message.Series.Id);
-
-            var episodeFiles = new List<EpisodeFile>();
-            var updated = new List<EpisodeFile>();
-
-            foreach (var group in episodes.GroupBy(e => e.EpisodeFileId))
-            {
-                var episodesInFile = group.Select(e => e).ToList();
-                var episodeFile = episodesInFile.First().EpisodeFile;
-
-                episodeFiles.Add(episodeFile);
-
-                if (ChangeFileDate(episodeFile, message.Series, episodesInFile))
-                {
-                    updated.Add(episodeFile);
-                }
-            }
-
-            if (updated.Any())
-            {
-                _logger.ProgressDebug("Changed file date for {0} files of {1} in {2}", updated.Count, episodeFiles.Count, message.Series.Title);
-            }
-
-            else
-            {
-                _logger.ProgressDebug("No file dates changed for {0}", message.Series.Title);
-            }
-        }
-
         private bool ChangeFileDateToLocalAirDate(string filePath, string fileDate, string fileTime)
         {
             DateTime airDate;
@@ -122,6 +88,12 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.MediaFiles
                 // avoiding false +ve checks and set date skewing by not using UTC (Windows)
                 DateTime oldDateTime = _diskProvider.FileGetLastWrite(filePath);
 
+                if (OsInfo.IsNotWindows && airDate < EpochTime)
+                {
+                    _logger.Debug("Setting date of file to 1970-01-01 as actual airdate is before that time and will not be set properly");
+                    airDate = EpochTime;
+                }
+
                 if (!DateTime.Equals(airDate, oldDateTime))
                 {
                     try
@@ -151,6 +123,12 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.MediaFiles
         {
             DateTime oldLastWrite = _diskProvider.FileGetLastWrite(filePath);
 
+            if (OsInfo.IsNotWindows && airDateUtc < EpochTime)
+            {
+                _logger.Debug("Setting date of file to 1970-01-01 as actual airdate is before that time and will not be set properly");
+                airDateUtc = EpochTime;
+            }
+
             if (!DateTime.Equals(airDateUtc, oldLastWrite))
             {
                 try
@@ -169,5 +147,41 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.MediaFiles
 
             return false;
         }
+
+        public void Handle(SeriesScannedEvent message)
+        {
+            if (_configService.FileDate == FileDateType.None)
+            {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            var episodes = _episodeService.EpisodesWithFiles(message.Series.Id);
+
+            var episodeFiles = new List<EpisodeFile>();
+            var updated = new List<EpisodeFile>();
+
+            foreach (var group in episodes.GroupBy(e => e.EpisodeFileId))
+            {
+                var episodesInFile = group.Select(e => e).ToList();
+                var episodeFile = episodesInFile.First().EpisodeFile;
+
+                episodeFiles.Add(episodeFile);
+
+                if (ChangeFileDate(episodeFile, message.Series, episodesInFile))
+                {
+                    updated.Add(episodeFile);
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (updated.Any())
+            {
+                _logger.ProgressDebug("Changed file date for {0} files of {1} in {2}", updated.Count, episodeFiles.Count, message.Series.Title);
+            }
+
+            else
+            {
+                _logger.ProgressDebug("No file dates changed for {0}", message.Series.Title);
+            }
+        }
     }
 }