diff --git a/network/ephemeral/tracker.go b/network/ephemeral/tracker.go
index 31cc43890b4f3eb775dadaa5ff0094b8e790464f..69a417861e429e3e68e611f2e5bbba84e1ec93cd 100644
--- a/network/ephemeral/tracker.go
+++ b/network/ephemeral/tracker.go
@@ -151,7 +151,9 @@ func generateIdentities(protoIds []ephemeral.ProtoIdentity,
 // then the current time is stored
 func checkTimestampStore(session *storage.Session) error {
 	if _, err := session.Get(TimestampKey); err != nil {
-		now, err := marshalTimestamp(time.Unix(0, 0))
+		// only generate from the last hour because this is a new id, it
+		// couldn't receive messages yet
+		now, err := marshalTimestamp(time.Now().Add(-1*time.Hour))
 		if err != nil {
 			return errors.Errorf("Could not marshal new timestamp for storage: %v", err)
 		}