diff --git a/ui/compatibility.js b/ui/compatibility.js
index 5abf5c1b..ee3bce11 100755
--- a/ui/compatibility.js
+++ b/ui/compatibility.js
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ if(window.CEF_dumpJSON != null){
 	}
 	// XXX make this work across fs...
 	// XXX this will not overwrite...
+	// XXX set ctime to the same value as the original...
 	window.copyFile = function(src, dst){
 		var deferred = $.Deferred()
 		src = osPath(src)
@@ -75,7 +76,6 @@ if(window.CEF_dumpJSON != null){
 		path.pop()
 		path = path.join('/')
 
-
 		// make dirs...
 		if(!fs.existsSync(path)){
 			console.log('making:', path)
@@ -380,7 +380,22 @@ if(window.CEF_dumpJSON != null){
 		return queue
 	}
 
-	window.makeImageGID = function(source, make_text_gid){
+	// format: "20130102-122315"
+	window.getEXIFDate = function(source){
+		var getter = $.Deferred()
+		getVipsField('exif-ifd0-Date and Time', source)
+			.done(function(date){
+				getter.resolve(date
+					// remove substrings in braces...
+					.replace(/\([^)]*\)/, '')
+					.trim()
+					.replace(/:/g, '')
+					.replace(/ /g, '-'))
+			})
+		return getter
+	}
+
+	window.getEXIFGID = function(source, make_text_gid){
 		if(source in IMAGES){
 			var img = IMAGES[source]
 			var source = normalizePath(img.path)
@@ -389,21 +404,19 @@ if(window.CEF_dumpJSON != null){
 
 		$.when(
 				getVipsField('exif-ifd0-Artist', source),
-				getVipsField('exif-ifd0-Date and Time', source))
+				getEXIFDate(source))
 			.done(function(artist, date){
 				// Artist...
 				artist = artist
+					// remove substrings in braces...
 					.replace(/\([^)]*\)/, '')
 					.trim()
 				artist = artist == '' ? 'Unknown' : artist
+
 				// Date...
-				// format: "20130102-122315"
 				// XXX if not set, get ctime...
-				date = date
-					.replace(/\([^)]*\)/, '')
-					.trim()
-					.replace(/:/g, '')
-					.replace(/ /g, '-')
+				// XXX
+
 				// File name...
 				var name = source.split(/[\\\/]/).pop().split('.')[0]
 
diff --git a/ui/data.js b/ui/data.js
index 9c3334b7..b440a3eb 100755
--- a/ui/data.js
+++ b/ui/data.js
@@ -715,7 +715,10 @@ function orientationExif2ImageGrid(orientation){
 // NOTE: this depends on that the base dir contains ALL the images...
 // NOTE: if base is not given, this will not read image to get 
 // 		orientation data...
-function imagesFromUrls(lst){
+function imagesFromUrls(lst, ctime_getter){
+	ctime_getter = (ctime_getter == null 
+			? function(){ return Date.now()/1000 } 
+			: ctime_getter)
 	var res = {}
 
 	$.each(lst, function(i, e){
@@ -739,7 +742,7 @@ function imagesFromUrls(lst){
 			type: 'image',
 			state: 'single',
 			path: e,
-			ctime: Date.now(),
+			ctime: ctime_getter(e),
 			preview: {},
 			classes: '',
 			orientation: 0,
@@ -1606,7 +1609,7 @@ function openImageWith(prog){
 
 
 /**********************************************************************
-* Experimental 
+* Experimental & utility
 */
 
 // The idea here is to add markers as first-class image-like elements...
@@ -1641,6 +1644,85 @@ function loadRibbonsFromPath(path, cmp, reverse, dir_name){
 }
 
 
+function readImageDate(gid, images){
+	images = images == null ? IMAGES : images
+	var img = images[gid]
+	return getEXIFDate(normalizePath(img.path))
+		.done(function(date){
+			img.ctime = Date.fromTimeStamp(date).getTime()/1000
+		})
+}
+function readImagesDates(images){
+	images = images == null ? IMAGES : images
+
+	return $.when.apply(null, $.map(images, function(_, gid){
+		return readImageDate(gid, images)
+	}))
+}
+function readImagesDatesQ(images){
+	images = images == null ? IMAGES : images
+
+	var queue = getWorkerQueue('date_reader')
+
+	$.each(images, function(gid, img){
+		queue.enqueue(readImageDate, gid, images)
+			.always(function(){ queue.notify(gid, 'done') })
+	})
+
+	return queue
+}
+
+
+function updateImageGID(gid, images, data){
+	images = images == null ? IMAGES : images
+	var img = images[gid]
+	return getEXIFGID(normalizePath(img.path))
+		.done(function(gid){
+			img.id = gid
+			// images...
+			images[gid] = images[key]
+			delete images[key]
+
+			// data...
+			if(data != null){
+				// replace current...
+				if(data.current == key){
+					data.current = gid
+				}
+				// replace in order...
+				data.order[data.order.indexOf(key)] = gid
+				// replace in ribbons...
+				for(var i=0; i < data.ribbons; i++){
+					var r = data.ribbons[i]
+					var k = r.indexOf(key)
+					if(k >= 0){
+						r[k] = gid
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		})
+}
+function updateImagesGIDs(images, data){
+	images = images == null ? IMAGES : images
+
+	return $.when.apply(null, $.map(images, function(_, key){
+		return updateImageGID(key, images, data)
+	}))
+}
+function updateImagesGIDsQ(images, data){
+	images = images == null ? IMAGES : images
+
+	var queue = getWorkerQueue('gid_updater')
+
+	$.each(images, function(_, key){
+		queue.enqueue(updateImageGID, key, images, data)
+			.always(function(){ queue.notify(key, 'done') })
+	})
+
+	return queue
+}
+
+
 
 /**********************************************************************
 * vim:set ts=4 sw=4 spell :                                          */
diff --git a/ui/lib/jli.js b/ui/lib/jli.js
index 329985f7..60a664c0 100755
--- a/ui/lib/jli.js
+++ b/ui/lib/jli.js
@@ -778,6 +778,7 @@ Date.prototype.getTimeStamp = function(no_seconds){
 	return ''+y+M+D+H+m+s
 }
 Date.prototype.setTimeStamp = function(ts){
+	ts = ts.replace(/[^0-9]*/g, '')
 	this.setFullYear(ts.slice(0, 4))
 	this.setMonth(ts.slice(4, 6)*1-1)
 	this.setDate(ts.slice(6, 8))