diff --git a/check_test.go b/check_test.go
index de7c96c..bd757ef 100644
--- a/check_test.go
+++ b/check_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package mtree
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -95,3 +96,46 @@ func ExampleCheck() {
 		// handle failed validity ...
 	}
 }
+
+// https://github.com/vbatts/go-mtree/issues/8
+func TestTimeComparison(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "test-time.")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	// This is the format of time from FreeBSD
+	spec := `
+/set type=file time=5.000000000
+.               type=dir 
+    file       time=5.000000000
+..
+`
+
+	fh, err := os.Create(filepath.Join(dir, "file"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	// This is what mode we're checking for. Round integer of epoch seconds
+	epoch := time.Unix(5, 0)
+	if err := os.Chtimes(fh.Name(), epoch, epoch); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := fh.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	dh, err := ParseSpec(bytes.NewBufferString(spec))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	res, err := Check(dir, dh, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	if len(res.Failures) > 0 {
+		t.Fatal(res.Failures)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/keywords.go b/keywords.go
index bffe169..8b01c80 100644
--- a/keywords.go
+++ b/keywords.go
@@ -208,7 +208,10 @@ var (
 	}
 	timeKeywordFunc = func(path string, info os.FileInfo) (string, error) {
 		t := info.ModTime().UnixNano()
-		return fmt.Sprintf("time=%d.%d", (t / 1e9), (t % (t / 1e9))), nil
+		if t == 0 {
+			return "time=0.000000000", nil
+		}
+		return fmt.Sprintf("time=%d.%9.9d", (t / 1e9), (t % (t / 1e9))), nil
 	}
 	linkKeywordFunc = func(path string, info os.FileInfo) (string, error) {
 		if info.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {