diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index c881b85bd..0dc29da85 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ func NewPrometheus() *prometheus {
 		PersistenceRetentionPeriod: *persistenceRetentionPeriod,
 		CheckpointInterval:         *checkpointInterval,
 		CheckpointDirtySeriesLimit: *checkpointDirtySeriesLimit,
-		Dirty: *storageDirty,
+		Dirty:          *storageDirty,
+		PedanticChecks: *storagePedanticChecks,
 	}
 	memStorage, err := local.NewMemorySeriesStorage(o)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/storage/local/crashrecovery.go b/storage/local/crashrecovery.go
index 384f79869..aaa22802f 100644
--- a/storage/local/crashrecovery.go
+++ b/storage/local/crashrecovery.go
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ func (p *persistence) sanitizeSeries(
 
 	bytesToTrim := fi.Size() % int64(chunkLen+chunkHeaderLen)
 	chunksInFile := int(fi.Size()) / (chunkLen + chunkHeaderLen)
+	modTime := fi.ModTime()
 	if bytesToTrim != 0 {
 		glog.Warningf(
 			"Truncating file %s to exactly %d chunks, trimming %d extraneous bytes.",
@@ -224,7 +225,8 @@ func (p *persistence) sanitizeSeries(
 		if !p.pedanticChecks &&
 			bytesToTrim == 0 &&
 			s.chunkDescsOffset != -1 &&
-			chunksInFile == s.chunkDescsOffset+s.persistWatermark {
+			chunksInFile == s.chunkDescsOffset+s.persistWatermark &&
+			modTime.Equal(s.modTime) {
 			// Everything is consistent. We are good.
 			return fp, true
 		}
@@ -241,8 +243,9 @@ func (p *persistence) sanitizeSeries(
 				s.metric, fp, chunksInFile,
 			)
 			s.chunkDescs = nil
-			s.chunkDescsOffset = -1
+			s.chunkDescsOffset = chunksInFile
 			s.persistWatermark = 0
+			s.modTime = modTime
 			return fp, true
 		}
 		// This is the tricky one: We have chunks from heads.db, but
@@ -268,6 +271,7 @@ func (p *persistence) sanitizeSeries(
 		}
 		s.persistWatermark = len(cds)
 		s.chunkDescsOffset = 0
+		s.modTime = modTime
 
 		lastTime := cds[len(cds)-1].lastTime()
 		keepIdx := -1
diff --git a/storage/local/persistence.go b/storage/local/persistence.go
index 8870bac4b..5c6c579e7 100644
--- a/storage/local/persistence.go
+++ b/storage/local/persistence.go
@@ -479,7 +479,11 @@ func (p *persistence) loadChunkDescs(fp clientmodel.Fingerprint, beforeTime clie
 //
 // (4.4) The varint-encoded persistWatermark. (Missing in v1.)
 //
-// (4.5) The varint-encoded chunkDescsOffset.
+// (4.5) The modification time of the series file as nanoceconds elapsed since
+// January 1, 1970 UTC. -1 if the modification time is unknown or no series file
+// exists yet. (Missing in v1.)
+//
+// (4.6) The varint-encoded chunkDescsOffset.
 //
 // (4.6) The varint-encoded savedFirstTime.
 //
@@ -571,6 +575,15 @@ func (p *persistence) checkpointSeriesMapAndHeads(fingerprintToSeries *seriesMap
 			if _, err = codable.EncodeVarint(w, int64(m.series.persistWatermark)); err != nil {
 				return
 			}
+			if m.series.modTime.IsZero() {
+				if _, err = codable.EncodeVarint(w, -1); err != nil {
+					return
+				}
+			} else {
+				if _, err = codable.EncodeVarint(w, m.series.modTime.UnixNano()); err != nil {
+					return
+				}
+			}
 			if _, err = codable.EncodeVarint(w, int64(m.series.chunkDescsOffset)); err != nil {
 				return
 			}
@@ -708,6 +721,7 @@ func (p *persistence) loadSeriesMapAndHeads() (sm *seriesMap, chunksToPersist in
 			return sm, chunksToPersist, nil
 		}
 		var persistWatermark int64
+		var modTime time.Time
 		if version != headsFormatLegacyVersion {
 			// persistWatermark only present in v2.
 			persistWatermark, err = binary.ReadVarint(r)
@@ -716,6 +730,15 @@ func (p *persistence) loadSeriesMapAndHeads() (sm *seriesMap, chunksToPersist in
 				p.dirty = true
 				return sm, chunksToPersist, nil
 			}
+			modTimeNano, err := binary.ReadVarint(r)
+			if err != nil {
+				glog.Warning("Could not decode modification time:", err)
+				p.dirty = true
+				return sm, chunksToPersist, nil
+			}
+			if modTimeNano != -1 {
+				modTime = time.Unix(0, modTimeNano)
+			}
 		}
 		chunkDescsOffset, err := binary.ReadVarint(r)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -786,6 +809,7 @@ func (p *persistence) loadSeriesMapAndHeads() (sm *seriesMap, chunksToPersist in
 			metric:           clientmodel.Metric(metric),
 			chunkDescs:       chunkDescs,
 			persistWatermark: int(persistWatermark),
+			modTime:          modTime,
 			chunkDescsOffset: int(chunkDescsOffset),
 			savedFirstTime:   clientmodel.Timestamp(savedFirstTime),
 			headChunkClosed:  persistWatermark >= numChunkDescs,
@@ -964,6 +988,17 @@ func (p *persistence) deleteSeriesFile(fp clientmodel.Fingerprint) (int, error)
 	return numChunks, nil
 }
 
+// getSeriesFileModTime returns the modification time of the series file
+// belonging to the provided fingerprint. In case of an error, the zero value of
+// time.Time is returned.
+func (p *persistence) getSeriesFileModTime(fp clientmodel.Fingerprint) time.Time {
+	var modTime time.Time
+	if fi, err := os.Stat(p.fileNameForFingerprint(fp)); err == nil {
+		return fi.ModTime()
+	}
+	return modTime
+}
+
 // indexMetric queues the given metric for addition to the indexes needed by
 // getFingerprintsForLabelPair, getLabelValuesForLabelName, and
 // getFingerprintsModifiedBefore.  If the queue is full, this method blocks
diff --git a/storage/local/series.go b/storage/local/series.go
index 3b67e424b..df76c9712 100644
--- a/storage/local/series.go
+++ b/storage/local/series.go
@@ -143,6 +143,9 @@ type memorySeries struct {
 	// points to a non-persisted chunk. If all chunks are persisted, then
 	// persistWatermark == len(chunkDescs).
 	persistWatermark int
+	// The modification time of the series file. The zero value of time.Time
+	// is used to mark an unknown modification time.
+	modTime time.Time
 	// The chunkDescs in memory might not have all the chunkDescs for the
 	// chunks that are persisted to disk. The missing chunkDescs are all
 	// contiguous and at the tail end. chunkDescsOffset is the index of the
diff --git a/storage/local/storage.go b/storage/local/storage.go
index 9ffd928b0..c781461e9 100644
--- a/storage/local/storage.go
+++ b/storage/local/storage.go
@@ -770,6 +770,7 @@ func (s *memorySeriesStorage) writeMemorySeries(
 		}
 		s.incNumChunksToPersist(-len(cds))
 		chunkOps.WithLabelValues(persistAndUnpin).Add(float64(len(cds)))
+		series.modTime = s.persistence.getSeriesFileModTime(fp)
 	}()
 
 	// Get the actual chunks from underneath the chunkDescs.