diff --git a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/Features.kt b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/Features.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..83e01827
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/Features.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package com.beust.kobalt
+
+class Features {
+    companion object {
+        /** If true, uses timestamps to speed up the tasks */
+        const val USE_TIMESTAMPS = true
+    }
+}
diff --git a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/JvmCompilerPlugin.kt b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/JvmCompilerPlugin.kt
index 16836248..f330e7e5 100644
--- a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/JvmCompilerPlugin.kt
+++ b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/JvmCompilerPlugin.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.beust.kobalt.internal
 
+import com.beust.kobalt.Features
 import com.beust.kobalt.KobaltException
 import com.beust.kobalt.TaskResult
 import com.beust.kobalt.api.*
@@ -170,7 +171,7 @@ abstract class JvmCompilerPlugin @Inject constructor(
             sourceDirectories.add(sourceDirectory)
         }
         val info = createCompilerActionInfo(project, context, isTest = false)
-        if (isOutdated(project, context, info)) {
+        if (! Features.USE_TIMESTAMPS || isOutdated(project, context, info)) {
             val compiler = ActorUtils.selectAffinityActor(project, context, context.pluginInfo.compilerContributors)
             if (compiler != null) {
                 return compiler.compile(project, context, info)
diff --git a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/misc/KFiles.kt b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/misc/KFiles.kt
index bdde58b5..76558e90 100644
--- a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/misc/KFiles.kt
+++ b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/misc/KFiles.kt
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 package com.beust.kobalt.misc
 
-import com.beust.kobalt.IFileSpec
-import com.beust.kobalt.SystemProperties
-import com.beust.kobalt.Variant
+import com.beust.kobalt.*
 import com.beust.kobalt.api.Kobalt
 import com.beust.kobalt.api.Project
-import com.beust.kobalt.homeDir
 import com.beust.kobalt.internal.build.BuildFile
 import com.beust.kobalt.maven.Md5
 import java.io.File
@@ -198,11 +195,12 @@ class KFiles {
                         } else if (src.isDirectory) {
                             dstFile.mkdirs()
                         } else {
-                            if (dstFile.exists() && Md5.toMd5(src) == Md5.toMd5(dstFile)) {
+                            if (Features.USE_TIMESTAMPS && dstFile.exists() && Md5.toMd5(src) == Md5.toMd5(dstFile)) {
                                 log(2, "  Identical files, not copying $src to $dstFile")
                             } else {
                                 if (src.copyTo(dstFile, true) != src.length()) {
-                                    if (onError(src, IOException("src.length() != dst.length()")) == OnErrorAction.TERMINATE)
+                                    if (onError(src,
+                                            IOException("src.length() != dst.length()")) == OnErrorAction.TERMINATE)
                                         return false
                                 }
                             }
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/plugin/packaging/PackagingPlugin.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/plugin/packaging/PackagingPlugin.kt
index f1d6695b..3ed06c25 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/plugin/packaging/PackagingPlugin.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/plugin/packaging/PackagingPlugin.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.beust.kobalt.plugin.packaging
 
+import com.beust.kobalt.Features
 import com.beust.kobalt.IFileSpec
 import com.beust.kobalt.IFileSpec.FileSpec
 import com.beust.kobalt.IFileSpec.Glob
@@ -238,7 +239,7 @@ class PackagingPlugin @Inject constructor(val dependencyManager : DependencyMana
         val archiveDir = File(libsDir(project))
         val result = File(archiveDir.path, fullArchiveName)
         log(2, "Creating $result")
-        if (isOutdated(project.directory, includedFiles, result)) {
+        if (! Features.USE_TIMESTAMPS || isOutdated(project.directory, includedFiles, result)) {
             val outStream = outputStreamFactory(FileOutputStream(result))
             JarUtils.addFiles(project.directory, includedFiles, outStream, expandJarFiles)
             log(2, text = "Added ${includedFiles.size} files to $result")