diff --git a/ffmpeg_opt.c b/ffmpeg_opt.c
index bce66f825b..323ae8b869 100644
--- a/ffmpeg_opt.c
+++ b/ffmpeg_opt.c
@@ -1368,8 +1368,11 @@ static int read_ffserver_streams(OptionsContext *o, AVFormatContext *s, const ch
             choose_pixel_fmt(st, codec, st->codec->pix_fmt);
     }
 
+    /* ffserver seeking with date=... needs a date reference */
+    err = parse_option(o, "metadata", "creation_time=now", options);
+
     avformat_close_input(&ic);
-    return 0;
+    return err;
 }
 
 static void init_output_filter(OutputFilter *ofilter, OptionsContext *o,
diff --git a/libavformat/ffm.h b/libavformat/ffm.h
index 04f19cc88e..49402355f4 100644
--- a/libavformat/ffm.h
+++ b/libavformat/ffm.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ typedef struct FFMContext {
     int64_t dts;
     uint8_t *packet_ptr, *packet_end;
     uint8_t packet[FFM_PACKET_SIZE];
+    int64_t start_time;
 } FFMContext;
 
 int64_t ffm_read_write_index(int fd);
diff --git a/libavformat/ffmenc.c b/libavformat/ffmenc.c
index fb397aff37..d43b7d44da 100644
--- a/libavformat/ffmenc.c
+++ b/libavformat/ffmenc.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "libavutil/intreadwrite.h"
 #include "libavutil/intfloat.h"
 #include "libavutil/avassert.h"
+#include "libavutil/parseutils.h"
 #include "avformat.h"
 #include "internal.h"
 #include "ffm.h"
@@ -85,11 +86,18 @@ static void ffm_write_data(AVFormatContext *s,
 static int ffm_write_header(AVFormatContext *s)
 {
     FFMContext *ffm = s->priv_data;
+    AVDictionaryEntry *t;
     AVStream *st;
     AVIOContext *pb = s->pb;
     AVCodecContext *codec;
     int bit_rate, i;
 
+    if (t = av_dict_get(s->metadata, "creation_time", NULL, 0)) {
+        int ret = av_parse_time(&ffm->start_time, t->value, 0);
+        if (ret < 0)
+            return ret;
+    }
+
     ffm->packet_size = FFM_PACKET_SIZE;
 
     /* header */
@@ -198,11 +206,12 @@ static int ffm_write_header(AVFormatContext *s)
 
 static int ffm_write_packet(AVFormatContext *s, AVPacket *pkt)
 {
+    FFMContext *ffm = s->priv_data;
     int64_t dts;
     uint8_t header[FRAME_HEADER_SIZE+4];
     int header_size = FRAME_HEADER_SIZE;
 
-    dts = pkt->dts;
+    dts = ffm->start_time + pkt->dts;
     /* packet size & key_frame */
     header[0] = pkt->stream_index;
     header[1] = 0;
@@ -210,7 +219,7 @@ static int ffm_write_packet(AVFormatContext *s, AVPacket *pkt)
         header[1] |= FLAG_KEY_FRAME;
     AV_WB24(header+2, pkt->size);
     AV_WB24(header+5, pkt->duration);
-    AV_WB64(header+8, pkt->pts);
+    AV_WB64(header+8, ffm->start_time + pkt->pts);
     if (pkt->pts != pkt->dts) {
         header[1] |= FLAG_DTS;
         AV_WB32(header+16, pkt->pts - pkt->dts);