diff --git a/build-setup.sh b/build-setup.sh
index 86891a9..d777906 100755
--- a/build-setup.sh
+++ b/build-setup.sh
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@
 
 ${PROXY}
 
-RUN dnf --refresh upgrade -y
+# change datestamp below to force a cache refresh
+RUN echo 201603091439 && dnf --refresh upgrade -y
 RUN dnf install -y git subversion gcc gcc-c++ make perl-Thread-Queue perl-Data-Dumper diffstat texinfo \
 chrpath wget SDL-devel patch bzip2 tar cpio findutils socat which python-devel perl-bignum
 
@@ -71,8 +72,8 @@
 
 ${PROXY}
 
-#RUN echo $(date +%s) && apt-get update
-RUN apt-get update
+# update datestamp below to force a cache refresh
+RUN echo 201603091439 && apt-get update
 RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get upgrade -y
 RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y build-essential git subversion diffstat texinfo \
   chrpath wget libthread-queue-any-perl libdata-dumper-simple-perl python libsdl1.2-dev gawk socat debianutils
diff --git a/initramfs-build.sh b/initramfs-build.sh
index 3ea2e08..26d4bcf 100755
--- a/initramfs-build.sh
+++ b/initramfs-build.sh
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 
 ${PROXY}
 
-#RUN echo $(date +%s) && apt-get update
-RUN apt-get update
+# update datestamp below to force a cache refresh
+RUN echo 201603091439 && apt-get update
 RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get upgrade -yy
 RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -yy bc build-essential cpio git python unzip wget
 RUN groupadd -g ${GROUPS} ${USER} && useradd -d ${HOME} -m -u ${UID} -g ${GROUPS} ${USER}
diff --git a/kernel-build-setup.sh b/kernel-build-setup.sh
index de3253f..056f902 100755
--- a/kernel-build-setup.sh
+++ b/kernel-build-setup.sh
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
 
 ${PROXY}
 
-RUN dnf --refresh upgrade -y
+# update datestamp below to force a cache refresh
+RUN echo 201603091439 && dnf --refresh upgrade -y
 RUN dnf install -y bc findutils git gcc gcc-arm-linux-gnu hostname make uboot-tools xz
 RUN groupadd -g ${GROUPS} ${USER} && useradd -d ${HOME} -m -u ${UID} -g ${GROUPS} ${USER}
 
@@ -49,7 +50,8 @@
 
 ${PROXY}
 
-RUN apt-get update
+# update datestamp below to force a cache refresh
+RUN echo 201603091439 && apt-get update
 RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get upgrade -yy
 RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -yy bc build-essential git gcc-arm-none-eabi u-boot-tools
 RUN groupadd -g ${GROUPS} ${USER} && useradd -d ${HOME} -m -u ${UID} -g ${GROUPS} ${USER}
diff --git a/kernel-build.sh b/kernel-build.sh
index af2bec0..a48bea7 100755
--- a/kernel-build.sh
+++ b/kernel-build.sh
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 
 ${PROXY}
 
-# If we need to fetch new apt repo data, update the timestamp
-RUN echo 201603031716 && apt-get update
+# update datestamp below to force a cache refresh
+RUN echo 201603091439 && apt-get update
 RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get upgrade -yy
 RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -yy bc build-essential git gcc-powerpc64le-linux-gnu
 RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -yy software-properties-common
diff --git a/openpower-build-setup.sh b/openpower-build-setup.sh
index 1c771aa..9ef0f2c 100755
--- a/openpower-build-setup.sh
+++ b/openpower-build-setup.sh
@@ -42,8 +42,9 @@
 FROM ubuntu:15.10
 
 ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND noninteractive
-RUN echo $(date +%s) && apt-get update && \
-	apt-get install -y \
+# update datestamp below to force a cache refresh
+RUN echo 201603091439 && apt-get update
+RUN apt-get install -y \
 	cscope ctags libz-dev libexpat-dev python language-pack-en texinfo \
 	build-essential g++ git bison flex unzip libxml-simple-perl \
 	libxml-sax-perl libxml2-dev libxml2-utils xsltproc wget cpio bc \