diff --git a/soem/ethercatdc.c b/soem/ethercatdc.c
index 98ccbf4..f3883d0 100644
--- a/soem/ethercatdc.c
+++ b/soem/ethercatdc.c
@@ -292,8 +292,10 @@ boolean ecx_configdc(ecx_contextt *context)
    context->slavelist[0].hasdc = FALSE;
    context->grouplist[0].hasdc = FALSE;
    ht = 0;
-   mastertime = osal_current_time();
+
    ecx_BWR(context->port, 0, ECT_REG_DCTIME0, sizeof(ht), &ht, EC_TIMEOUTRET);  /* latch DCrecvTimeA of all slaves */
+   mastertime = osal_current_time();
+   mastertime.sec -= 946684800UL;  /* EtherCAT uses 2000-01-01 as epoch start instead of 1970-01-01 */
    mastertime64 = (((uint64)mastertime.sec * 1000000) + (uint64)mastertime.usec) * 1000;
    for (i = 1; i <= *(context->slavecount); i++)
    {