diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc b/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
index 3477c2fb..89746e85 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
@@ -292,6 +292,10 @@ do_bootstrap() {
     sudo rm -rf --one-file-system "${ROOTFSDIR}"
     deb_dl_dir_import "${ROOTFSDIR}" "${BOOTSTRAP_BASE_DISTRO}-${BASE_DISTRO_CODENAME}"
 
+    if [ ! -z "${SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH}" ]; then
+        export SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH="${SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH}"
+    fi
+
     sudo -E -s <<'EOSUDO'
         set -e
         if [ "${BOOTSTRAP_FOR_HOST}" = "0" ]; then