diff --git a/exporter/containerimage/writer.go b/exporter/containerimage/writer.go
index edc12b44..96778ec8 100644
--- a/exporter/containerimage/writer.go
+++ b/exporter/containerimage/writer.go
@@ -409,6 +409,37 @@ func normalizeLayersAndHistory(diffs []blobs.DiffPair, history []ocispec.History
 		history[i] = h
 	}
 
+	// Find the first new layer time. Otherwise, the history item for a first
+	// metadata command would be the creation time of a base image layer.
+	// If there is no such then the last layer with timestamp.
+	var created *time.Time
+	var noCreatedTime bool
+	for _, h := range history {
+		if h.Created != nil {
+			created = h.Created
+			if noCreatedTime {
+				break
+			}
+		} else {
+			noCreatedTime = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Fill in created times for all history items to be either the first new
+	// layer time or the previous layer.
+	noCreatedTime = false
+	for i, h := range history {
+		if h.Created != nil {
+			if noCreatedTime {
+				created = h.Created
+			}
+		} else {
+			noCreatedTime = true
+			h.Created = created
+		}
+		history[i] = h
+	}
+
 	return diffs, history
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/dockerfile/dockerfile_test.go b/frontend/dockerfile/dockerfile_test.go
index 4045c28e..157543a7 100644
--- a/frontend/dockerfile/dockerfile_test.go
+++ b/frontend/dockerfile/dockerfile_test.go
@@ -1569,6 +1569,7 @@ FROM busybox AS base
 ENV foo=bar
 COPY foo /foo2
 FROM busybox
+LABEL lbl=val
 COPY --from=base foo2 foo3
 WORKDIR /
 RUN echo bar > foo4
@@ -1623,15 +1624,22 @@ RUN ["ls"]
 	// this depends on busybox. should be ok after freezing images
 	require.Equal(t, 3, len(ociimg.RootFS.DiffIDs))
 
-	require.Equal(t, 6, len(ociimg.History))
-	require.Contains(t, ociimg.History[2].CreatedBy, "COPY foo2 foo3")
-	require.Equal(t, false, ociimg.History[2].EmptyLayer)
-	require.Contains(t, ociimg.History[3].CreatedBy, "WORKDIR /")
-	require.Equal(t, true, ociimg.History[3].EmptyLayer)
-	require.Contains(t, ociimg.History[4].CreatedBy, "echo bar > foo4")
-	require.Equal(t, false, ociimg.History[4].EmptyLayer)
-	require.Contains(t, ociimg.History[5].CreatedBy, "RUN ls")
-	require.Equal(t, true, ociimg.History[5].EmptyLayer)
+	require.Equal(t, 7, len(ociimg.History))
+	require.Contains(t, ociimg.History[2].CreatedBy, "lbl=val")
+	require.Equal(t, true, ociimg.History[2].EmptyLayer)
+	require.NotNil(t, ociimg.History[2].Created)
+	require.Contains(t, ociimg.History[3].CreatedBy, "COPY foo2 foo3")
+	require.Equal(t, false, ociimg.History[3].EmptyLayer)
+	require.NotNil(t, ociimg.History[3].Created)
+	require.Contains(t, ociimg.History[4].CreatedBy, "WORKDIR /")
+	require.Equal(t, true, ociimg.History[4].EmptyLayer)
+	require.NotNil(t, ociimg.History[4].Created)
+	require.Contains(t, ociimg.History[5].CreatedBy, "echo bar > foo4")
+	require.Equal(t, false, ociimg.History[5].EmptyLayer)
+	require.NotNil(t, ociimg.History[5].Created)
+	require.Contains(t, ociimg.History[6].CreatedBy, "RUN ls")
+	require.Equal(t, true, ociimg.History[6].EmptyLayer)
+	require.NotNil(t, ociimg.History[6].Created)
 }
 
 func testUser(t *testing.T, sb integration.Sandbox) {