diff --git a/src/helpers/ESP32Board.h b/src/helpers/ESP32Board.h
index 27d429b3..511bd1fe 100644
--- a/src/helpers/ESP32Board.h
+++ b/src/helpers/ESP32Board.h
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ public:
     if (_rtc_backup_magic == RTC_BACKUP_MAGIC && _rtc_backup_time > RTC_TIME_MIN) {
       tv.tv_sec = _rtc_backup_time;
     } else {
-      tv.tv_sec = 1772323200;  // 1 Mar 2026
+      tv.tv_sec = RTC_TIME_MIN;
     }
     tv.tv_usec = 0;
     settimeofday(&tv, NULL);