diff --git a/ax_init_standard_project.m4 b/ax_init_standard_project.m4
index 9dc367f..ddcf603 100644
--- a/ax_init_standard_project.m4
+++ b/ax_init_standard_project.m4
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([AX_INIT_STANDARD_PROJECT], [
   AX_SUBST(DISTRO)
   BUILD_NUMBER=${BUILD_NUMBER:-1}
   AX_SUBST(BUILD_NUMBER)
-  BUILD_DATE=$(date +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M %Z")
+  BUILD_DATE=$(LANG= date +"%a, %d %B %Y %H:%M:%S %z")
   AX_SUBST(BUILD_DATE)
   if test -f "${PROJECT_NAME}-logo.png"; then
      PROJECT_LOGO="${PROJECT_NAME}-logo.png"
diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index a9b4c8f..e954655 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ done
 
 HEADER='## @id '"\$Id\$"'
 #
-# This file has been added by '${MY_NAME}' on '$(date +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M %Z")'
+# This file has been added by '${MY_NAME}' on '$(LANG= date +"%a, %d %B %Y %H:%M:%S %z")'
 # Feel free to change it or even remove and rebuild it, up to your needs
 #
 ##       1         2         3         4         5         6         7         8