diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/.settings/.api_filters b/org.eclipse.jgit/.settings/.api_filters
index d313e92a0..5f58e7e45 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/.settings/.api_filters
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/.settings/.api_filters
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@
     <resource path="src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FileUtils.java" type="org.eclipse.jgit.util.FileUtils">
         <filter id="1142947843">
             <message_arguments>
-                <message_argument value="5.2.3"/>
+                <message_argument value="5.1.8"/>
                 <message_argument value="touch(Path)"/>
             </message_arguments>
         </filter>
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java
index 687c7a4fd..64dbf5823 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java
@@ -294,6 +294,8 @@ public abstract class FS {
 			Path probe = dir.resolve(".probe-" + UUID.randomUUID()); //$NON-NLS-1$
 			try {
 				Files.createFile(probe);
+				// ensure we always use the local system clock
+				FileUtils.touch(probe);
 				long wait = 512;
 				long start = System.nanoTime();
 				FileTime t1 = Files.getLastModifiedTime(probe);
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FileUtils.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FileUtils.java
index 9bba6ca8a..9650602fe 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FileUtils.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FileUtils.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.UTF_8;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.OutputStream;
+import java.nio.channels.FileChannel;
 import java.nio.file.AtomicMoveNotSupportedException;
 import java.nio.file.CopyOption;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ import java.nio.file.InvalidPathException;
 import java.nio.file.LinkOption;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.nio.file.StandardCopyOption;
+import java.nio.file.StandardOpenOption;
 import java.nio.file.attribute.BasicFileAttributeView;
 import java.nio.file.attribute.BasicFileAttributes;
 import java.nio.file.attribute.FileTime;
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ import java.nio.file.attribute.PosixFilePermission;
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 import java.text.Normalizer;
 import java.text.Normalizer.Form;
+import java.time.Instant;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Locale;
@@ -916,11 +918,13 @@ public class FileUtils {
 	 * @param f
 	 *            the file to touch
 	 * @throws IOException
-	 * @since 5.2.3
+	 * @since 5.1.8
 	 */
 	public static void touch(Path f) throws IOException {
-		try (OutputStream fos = Files.newOutputStream(f)) {
-			// touch the file
+		try (FileChannel fc = FileChannel.open(f, StandardOpenOption.CREATE,
+				StandardOpenOption.APPEND, StandardOpenOption.SYNC)) {
+			// touch
 		}
+		Files.setLastModifiedTime(f, FileTime.from(Instant.now()));
 	}
 }