diff --git a/gnu/local.mk b/gnu/local.mk
index 86437b37b9..597f346901 100644
--- a/gnu/local.mk
+++ b/gnu/local.mk
@@ -1240,6 +1240,7 @@ dist_patch_DATA =						\
   %D%/packages/patches/fifengine-swig-compat.patch		\
   %D%/packages/patches/fifo-map-fix-flags-for-gcc.patch		\
   %D%/packages/patches/fifo-map-remove-catch.hpp.patch		\
+  %D%/packages/patches/file-32bit-time.patch			\
   %D%/packages/patches/findutils-localstatedir.patch		\
   %D%/packages/patches/firebird-riscv64-support-pt1.patch	\
   %D%/packages/patches/firebird-riscv64-support-pt2.patch	\
diff --git a/gnu/packages/file.scm b/gnu/packages/file.scm
index c5cdc1d7c0..016572f120 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/file.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/file.scm
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ (define-public file
                                   version ".tar.gz"))
               (sha256
                (base32
-                "10jdg2fd19h2q3jrsaw7xqwy1w3qyvdfzzrv9sgjq3mv548gb5zw"))))
+                "10jdg2fd19h2q3jrsaw7xqwy1w3qyvdfzzrv9sgjq3mv548gb5zw"))
+              (patches (search-patches "file-32bit-time.patch"))))
    (build-system gnu-build-system)
 
    ;; When cross-compiling, this package depends upon a native install of
diff --git a/gnu/packages/patches/file-32bit-time.patch b/gnu/packages/patches/file-32bit-time.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..671bcfdf66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnu/packages/patches/file-32bit-time.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+Upstream uses CVS, this is taken from the Github mirror
+https://github.com/file/file/commit/218fdf813fd5ccecbb8887a1b62509cd1c6dd3a1.patch
+https://sources.debian.org/src/file/1%3A5.45-2/debian/patches/1690555105.FILE5_45-1-g218fdf81.deal-with-32-bit-time-t.patch/
+
+From 218fdf813fd5ccecbb8887a1b62509cd1c6dd3a1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Christos Zoulas <christos@zoulas.com>
+Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:38:25 +0000
+Subject: [PATCH] deal with 32 bit time_t
+
+---
+ src/file.h | 8 +++++---
+ 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/src/file.h b/src/file.h
+index 2e0494d2f..78f574ea1 100644
+--- a/src/file.h
++++ b/src/file.h
+@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
+  */
+ /*
+  * file.h - definitions for file(1) program
+- * @(#)$File: file.h,v 1.247 2023/07/27 19:40:22 christos Exp $
++ * @(#)$File: file.h,v 1.248 2023/07/28 14:38:25 christos Exp $
+  */
+ 
+ #ifndef __file_h__
+@@ -159,9 +159,11 @@
+ /*
+  * Dec 31, 23:59:59 9999
+  * we need to make sure that we don't exceed 9999 because some libc
+- * implementations like muslc crash otherwise
++ * implementations like muslc crash otherwise. If you are unlucky
++ * to be running on a system with a 32 bit time_t, then it is even less.
+  */
+-#define	MAX_CTIME	CAST(time_t, 0x3afff487cfULL)
++#define	MAX_CTIME \
++    CAST(time_t, sizeof(time_t) > 4 ? 0x3afff487cfULL : 0x7fffffffULL)
+ 
+ #define FILE_BADSIZE CAST(size_t, ~0ul)
+ #define MAXDESC	64		/* max len of text description/MIME type */