diff --git a/release/Makefile.inc1 b/release/Makefile.inc1
--- a/release/Makefile.inc1
+++ b/release/Makefile.inc1
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-#
-#
-
 # Figure out where the git binary is.
 .for _P in /usr/bin /usr/local/bin
 . if !defined(GIT_CMD) || empty(GIT_CMD)
@@ -24,13 +21,19 @@
 GITCOUNT!=	${GIT_CMD} -C ${.CURDIR} rev-list --first-parent --count HEAD 2>/dev/null || true
 . export GITCOUNT
 . endif
+. if !defined(GITEPOCH) || empty(GITEPOCH)
+GITEPOCH!=	${GIT_CMD} -C ${.CURDIR} show -s --format=%ct HEAD 2>/dev/null || true
+. export GITEPOCH
+. endif
 .else
 GITBRANCH=	nullbranch
 GITREV=		nullhash
 GITCOUNT=	nullcount
+GITEPOCH=	0
 . export GITBRANCH
 . export GITREV
 . export GITCOUNT
+. export GITEPOCH
 .endif
 
 # Set the build date, primarily for snapshot builds.
diff --git a/release/Makefile.vm b/release/Makefile.vm
--- a/release/Makefile.vm
+++ b/release/Makefile.vm
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@
 	env TARGET=${TARGET} TARGET_ARCH=${TARGET_ARCH} SWAPSIZE=${SWAPSIZE} \
 		QEMUSTATIC=${QEMUSTATIC} \
 		WITHOUT_QEMU=${WITHOUT_QEMU:Dtrue} \
+		PKG_INSTALL_EPOCH=${PKG_INSTALL_EPOCH:U${GITEPOCH}} \
 		${.CURDIR}/scripts/mk-vmimage.sh \
 		-C ${.CURDIR}/tools/vmimage.subr \
 		-d ${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET}-${FORMAT}-${FS} -F ${FS} \