diff --git a/pkgs/compiler-pkgs/compiler-lib/compiler/commands/decompile.rkt b/pkgs/compiler-pkgs/compiler-lib/compiler/commands/decompile.rkt
index fd6a2a4261..bada535b72 100644
--- a/pkgs/compiler-pkgs/compiler-lib/compiler/commands/decompile.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/compiler-pkgs/compiler-lib/compiler/commands/decompile.rkt
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@
                       orig-file
                       alt-file)]
    [(and (not force?)
-         ((file-or-directory-modify-seconds orig-file)
+         ((file-or-directory-modify-seconds orig-file
+                                            #f
+                                            (lambda () -inf.0))
           . > .
           (file-or-directory-modify-seconds alt-file)))
     ;; return a warning: