diff --git a/src/context/unshare.rs b/src/context/unshare.rs
index 81afaa0..c63dc2d 100644
--- a/src/context/unshare.rs
+++ b/src/context/unshare.rs
@@ -77,24 +77,70 @@ fn copy_dir_recursive(src: &Path, dest: &Path) -> io::Result<()> {
             // Recursively copy subdirectories
             copy_dir_recursive(&src_path, &dest_path)?;
         } else {
-            // Copy regular files
-            std::fs::copy(&src_path, &dest_path).map_err(|e| {
-                io::Error::new(
-                    e.kind(),
-                    format!(
-                        "Failed to copy '{}' to '{}': {}",
-                        src_path.display(),
-                        dest_path.display(),
-                        e
-                    ),
-                )
-            })?;
+            // Copy regular files, preserving the source modification and
+            // access times. This is important for autotools/gnulib-based
+            // packages (e.g. 'hello' from Debian sid) that ship pre-generated
+            // files alongside their prerequisites: if the copy resets the
+            // mtime to "now", the prerequisites appear as new as the
+            // generated targets and `make` tries to regenerate them using
+            // tools (like gperf) that are not declared build-dependencies.
+            copy_file_with_times(&src_path, &dest_path)?;
         }
     }
 
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Copy a single regular file from `src` to `dest`, preserving the source's
+/// modification and access times.
+///
+/// `std::fs::copy` resets the destination mtime to "now", which breaks
+/// timestamp-based build systems (autotools/gnulib) that ship pre-generated
+/// files alongside their prerequisites. Restoring the original timestamps
+/// prevents `make` from needlessly regenerating those files with tools that
+/// may not be installed (e.g. `gperf`).
+fn copy_file_with_times(src: &Path, dest: &Path) -> io::Result<()> {
+    std::fs::copy(src, dest).map_err(|e| {
+        io::Error::new(
+            e.kind(),
+            format!(
+                "Failed to copy '{}' to '{}': {}",
+                src.display(),
+                dest.display(),
+                e
+            ),
+        )
+    })?;
+
+    // Restore the original timestamps on the destination file.
+    let metadata = std::fs::metadata(src).map_err(|e| {
+        io::Error::new(
+            e.kind(),
+            format!("Failed to read metadata of '{}': {}", src.display(), e),
+        )
+    })?;
+    let mut times = std::fs::FileTimes::new();
+    let mut have_times = false;
+    if let Ok(mtime) = metadata.modified() {
+        times = times.set_modified(mtime);
+        have_times = true;
+    }
+    if let Ok(atime) = metadata.accessed() {
+        times = times.set_accessed(atime);
+        have_times = true;
+    }
+    if have_times && let Ok(dest_file) = std::fs::File::open(dest) {
+        let _ = dest_file.set_times(times).map_err(|e| {
+            io::Error::new(
+                e.kind(),
+                format!("Failed to set times on '{}': {}", dest.display(), e),
+            )
+        });
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 impl ContextDriver for UnshareDriver {
     fn ensure_available(&self, src: &Path, dest_root: &str) -> io::Result<PathBuf> {
         // Construct the destination path inside the chroot
@@ -125,7 +171,7 @@ impl ContextDriver for UnshareDriver {
                 dest_path.display()
             );
         } else {
-            std::fs::copy(src, &dest_path)?;
+            copy_file_with_times(src, &dest_path)?;
             debug!("Copied file {} to {}", src.display(), dest_path.display());
         }
 
diff --git a/src/pull.rs b/src/pull.rs
index 520f316..adef83f 100644
--- a/src/pull.rs
+++ b/src/pull.rs
@@ -113,13 +113,46 @@ fn copy_dir_all(src: &Path, dst: &Path) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
         } else if src_path.is_dir() {
             copy_dir_all(&src_path, &dst_path)?;
         } else {
+            // Copy the file, preserving the source modification and access
+            // times. This is important for autotools/gnulib-based packages
+            // (e.g. 'hello' from Debian sid) that ship pre-generated files
+            // alongside their prerequisites: if the copy resets the mtime to
+            // "now", the prerequisites appear as new as the generated targets
+            // and `make` tries to regenerate them using tools (like gperf)
+            // that are not declared build-dependencies.
             std::fs::copy(&src_path, &dst_path)?;
+            copy_file_times(&src_path, &dst_path)?;
         }
     }
 
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Restore the modification and access times of `dest` to match `src`.
+///
+/// `std::fs::copy` resets the destination mtime to "now", which breaks
+/// timestamp-based build systems (autotools/gnulib) that ship pre-generated
+/// files alongside their prerequisites. Restoring the original timestamps
+/// prevents `make` from needlessly regenerating those files with tools that
+/// may not be installed (e.g. `gperf`).
+fn copy_file_times(src: &Path, dest: &Path) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    let metadata = std::fs::metadata(src)?;
+    let mut times = std::fs::FileTimes::new();
+    let mut have_times = false;
+    if let Ok(mtime) = metadata.modified() {
+        times = times.set_modified(mtime);
+        have_times = true;
+    }
+    if let Ok(atime) = metadata.accessed() {
+        times = times.set_accessed(atime);
+        have_times = true;
+    }
+    if have_times && let Ok(dest_file) = std::fs::File::open(dest) {
+        let _ = dest_file.set_times(times);
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// Helper function to extract tar archive with progress tracking
 fn extract_tar_archive<D, F>(
     file_path: &Path,
@@ -467,6 +500,7 @@ async fn fetch_archive_sources(
                             copy_dir_all(&sub_path, &target_path)?;
                         } else {
                             std::fs::copy(&sub_path, &target_path)?;
+                            copy_file_times(&sub_path, &target_path)?;
                         }
                     }
                     std::fs::remove_dir_all(&src_dir)?;