diff --git a/stages/org.osbuild.dnf4.versionlock b/stages/org.osbuild.dnf4.versionlock
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 062da425..9deaabe8
--- a/stages/org.osbuild.dnf4.versionlock
+++ b/stages/org.osbuild.dnf4.versionlock
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python3
+import os
 import pathlib
 import sys
-import time
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
 import osbuild.api
 
@@ -11,7 +12,13 @@ def main(tree, options):
 
     tree = pathlib.Path(tree)
     locklist = tree / "etc/dnf/plugins/versionlock.list"
-    nowstr = time.ctime()
+
+    # respect SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH for the timestamp in the comment for reproducible builds
+    source_date_epoch = os.environ.get("SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH")
+    nowstr = datetime.now().ctime()
+    if source_date_epoch:
+        nowstr = datetime.fromtimestamp(int(source_date_epoch), tz=timezone.utc).ctime()
+
     with locklist.open(mode="a", encoding="utf-8") as locklist_fp:
         for item in add:
             # the plugin adds an empty line followed by a comment with a timestamp above each item, let's replicate the
diff --git a/stages/org.osbuild.dnf4.versionlock.meta.json b/stages/org.osbuild.dnf4.versionlock.meta.json
index b7b61123..77bdcd95 100644
--- a/stages/org.osbuild.dnf4.versionlock.meta.json
+++ b/stages/org.osbuild.dnf4.versionlock.meta.json
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@
     "Notes:",
     " - This stage is only valid for dnf4 and will have no effect on distributions that use dnf5.",
     " - Items are written as is. This is unlike adding items by calling 'dnf versionlock add',",
-    "   which uses the dnf cache to retrieve version information for the listed packages."
+    "   which uses the dnf cache to retrieve version information for the listed packages.",
+    " - The stage respects SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH for reproducible builds, which affects the timestamps",
+    "   that are included as comments in the file."
   ],
   "schema": {
     "additionalProperties": false,
diff --git a/stages/test/test_dnf4_versionlock.py b/stages/test/test_dnf4_versionlock.py
index 85a36a20..5f29dea9 100644
--- a/stages/test/test_dnf4_versionlock.py
+++ b/stages/test/test_dnf4_versionlock.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ def test_schema_validation_dnf4_versionlock(stage_schema, test_data, expected_er
     ({"add": ["proto-1:1.1", "deftero-0:2.2", "trito-3:3.3-3.fc33"]}),
 ])
 def test_locklist_dnf4_versionlock(tmp_path, stage_module, test_data):
+    os.environ["SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH"] = "1554721380"
     plugins_dir = os.path.join(tmp_path, "etc/dnf/plugins/")
     locklist_path = os.path.join(plugins_dir, "versionlock.list")
     os.makedirs(plugins_dir)
@@ -44,8 +45,5 @@ def test_locklist_dnf4_versionlock(tmp_path, stage_module, test_data):
 
     for idx, package in enumerate(test_data["add"]):
         assert locklist_data[idx * 3] == "\n"
-
-        # let's ignore the timestamp, just check that the comment was written
-        assert locklist_data[idx * 3 + 1].startswith("# Added lock on")
-
+        assert locklist_data[idx * 3 + 1] == "# Added lock on Mon Apr  8 11:03:00 2019\n"
         assert locklist_data[idx * 3 + 2] == package + "\n"