diff --git a/desktop/src/main/stream.ts b/desktop/src/main/stream.ts
index 12db786f5..21104028f 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/stream.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/main/stream.ts
@@ -62,9 +62,15 @@ const handleRead = async (path: string) => {
             // this is binary data.
             res.headers.set("Content-Type", "application/octet-stream");
 
+            const stat = await fs.stat(path);
+
             // Add the file's size as the Content-Length header.
-            const fileSize = (await fs.stat(path)).size;
+            const fileSize = stat.size;
             res.headers.set("Content-Length", `${fileSize}`);
+
+            // Add the file's last modified time (as epoch milliseconds).
+            const mtimeMs = stat.mtimeMs;
+            res.headers.set("X-Last-Modified-Ms", `${mtimeMs}`);
         }
         return res;
     } catch (e) {
diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/services/exif.ts b/web/apps/photos/src/services/exif.ts
index 0ceab6d28..56c20a1c2 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/services/exif.ts
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/services/exif.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ type RawEXIFData = Record<string, any> &
         ImageHeight: number;
     }>;
 
-const EXIF_TAGS_NEEDED = [
+const exifTagsNeededForParsingImageMetadata = [
     "DateTimeOriginal",
     "CreateDate",
     "ModifyDate",
@@ -53,31 +53,19 @@ const EXIF_TAGS_NEEDED = [
 ];
 
 /**
- * Read EXIF data from an image and use that to construct and return an
- * {@link ParsedExtractedMetadata}. This function is tailored for use when we
- * upload files.
+ * Read EXIF data from an image {@link file} and use that to construct and
+ * return an {@link ParsedExtractedMetadata}.
  *
- * @param fileOrData The image {@link File}, or its contents.
+ * This function is tailored for use when we upload files.
  */
 export const parseImageMetadata = async (
-    fileOrData: File | Uint8Array,
+    file: File,
     fileTypeInfo: FileTypeInfo,
 ): Promise<ParsedExtractedMetadata> => {
-    /*
-        if (!(receivedFile instanceof File)) {
-            receivedFile = new File(
-                [await receivedFile.blob()],
-                receivedFile.name,
-                {
-                    lastModified: receivedFile.lastModified,
-                },
-            );
-        }
-        */
     const exifData = await getParsedExifData(
-        fileOrData,
+        file,
         fileTypeInfo,
-        EXIF_TAGS_NEEDED,
+        exifTagsNeededForParsingImageMetadata,
     );
 
     return {
diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/uploadService.ts b/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/uploadService.ts
index 6dc8d1da7..1fc0a190b 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/uploadService.ts
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/uploadService.ts
@@ -375,21 +375,32 @@ export const assetName = ({
  */
 const readFileOrPath = async (
     fileOrPath: File | string,
-): Promise<{ dataOrStream: Uint8Array | DataStream; fileSize: number }> => {
+): Promise<{
+    dataOrStream: Uint8Array | DataStream;
+    fileSize: number;
+    lastModifiedMs: number;
+}> => {
     let dataOrStream: Uint8Array | DataStream;
     let fileSize: number;
+    let lastModifiedMs: number;
 
     if (fileOrPath instanceof File) {
         const file = fileOrPath;
         fileSize = file.size;
+        lastModifiedMs = file.lastModified;
         dataOrStream =
             fileSize > MULTIPART_PART_SIZE
                 ? getFileStream(file, FILE_READER_CHUNK_SIZE)
                 : new Uint8Array(await file.arrayBuffer());
     } else {
         const path = fileOrPath;
-        const { response, size } = await readStream(ensureElectron(), path);
+        const {
+            response,
+            size,
+            lastModifiedMs: lm,
+        } = await readStream(ensureElectron(), path);
         fileSize = size;
+        lastModifiedMs = lm;
         if (size > MULTIPART_PART_SIZE) {
             const chunkCount = Math.ceil(size / FILE_READER_CHUNK_SIZE);
             dataOrStream = { stream: response.body, chunkCount };
@@ -398,7 +409,7 @@ const readFileOrPath = async (
         }
     }
 
-    return { dataOrStream, fileSize };
+    return { dataOrStream, fileSize, lastModifiedMs };
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/utils/native-stream.ts b/web/apps/photos/src/utils/native-stream.ts
index a9a76b41b..c1033545b 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/utils/native-stream.ts
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/utils/native-stream.ts
@@ -19,18 +19,21 @@ import type { Electron } from "@/next/types/ipc";
  * @param path The path on the file on the user's local filesystem whose
  * contents we want to stream.
  *
- * @return A ({@link Response}, size) tuple.
+ * @return A ({@link Response}, size, lastModifiedMs) triple.
  *
  * * The response contains the contents of the file. In particular, the `body`
  *   {@link ReadableStream} property of this response can be used to read the
  *   files contents in a streaming manner.
  *
  * * The size is the size of the file that we'll be reading from disk.
+ *
+ * * The lastModifiedMs value is the last modified time of the file that we're
+ *   reading, expressed as epoch milliseconds.
  */
 export const readStream = async (
     _: Electron,
     path: string,
-): Promise<{ response: Response; size: number }> => {
+): Promise<{ response: Response; size: number; lastModifiedMs: number }> => {
     const req = new Request(`stream://read${path}`, {
         method: "GET",
     });
@@ -41,13 +44,19 @@ export const readStream = async (
             `Failed to read stream from ${path}: HTTP ${res.status}`,
         );
 
-    const size = +res.headers["Content-Length"];
-    if (isNaN(size))
-        throw new Error(
-            `Got a numeric Content-Length when reading a stream. The response was ${res}`,
-        );
+    const size = readNumericHeader(res, "Content-Length");
+    const lastModifiedMs = readNumericHeader(res, "X-Last-Modified-Ms");
 
-    return { response: res, size };
+    return { response: res, size, lastModifiedMs };
+};
+
+const readNumericHeader = (res: Response, key: string) => {
+    const value = +res.headers[key];
+    if (isNaN(value))
+        throw new Error(
+            `Expected a numeric ${key} when reading a stream response: ${res}`,
+        );
+    return value;
 };
 
 /**