diff --git a/swh/storage/db.py b/swh/storage/db.py
--- a/swh/storage/db.py
+++ b/swh/storage/db.py
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@
     content_get_metadata_keys = [
         'sha1', 'sha1_git', 'sha256', 'blake2s256', 'length', 'status']
 
+    content_add_keys = content_get_metadata_keys + ['ctime']
+
     skipped_content_keys = [
         'sha1', 'sha1_git', 'sha256', 'blake2s256',
         'length', 'reason', 'status', 'origin']
diff --git a/swh/storage/in_memory.py b/swh/storage/in_memory.py
--- a/swh/storage/in_memory.py
+++ b/swh/storage/in_memory.py
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@
             self._objects[content['sha1_git']].append(
                 ('content', content['sha1']))
             self._contents[key] = copy.deepcopy(content)
-            self._contents[key]['ctime'] = now()
             bisect.insort(self._sorted_sha1s, content['sha1'])
             count_contents += 1
             if self._contents[key]['status'] == 'visible':
@@ -133,6 +132,10 @@
                 skipped_content:add: New skipped contents (no data) added
 
         """
+        contents = [dict(c.items()) for c in contents]  # semi-shallow copy
+        now = datetime.datetime.now(tz=datetime.timezone.utc)
+        for item in contents:
+            item['ctime'] = now
         return self._content_add(contents, with_data=True)
 
     def content_add_metadata(self, contents):
@@ -152,6 +155,7 @@
                 - reason (str): if status = absent, the reason why
                 - origin (int): if status = absent, the origin we saw the
                   content in
+                - ctime (datetime): time of insertion in the archive
 
         Raises:
             HashCollision in case of collision
diff --git a/swh/storage/sql/40-swh-func.sql b/swh/storage/sql/40-swh-func.sql
--- a/swh/storage/sql/40-swh-func.sql
+++ b/swh/storage/sql/40-swh-func.sql
@@ -203,8 +203,8 @@
     language plpgsql
 as $$
 begin
-    insert into content (sha1, sha1_git, sha256, blake2s256, length, status)
-        select distinct sha1, sha1_git, sha256, blake2s256, length, status from tmp_content;
+    insert into content (sha1, sha1_git, sha256, blake2s256, length, status, ctime)
+        select distinct sha1, sha1_git, sha256, blake2s256, length, status, ctime from tmp_content;
     return;
 end
 $$;
diff --git a/swh/storage/storage.py b/swh/storage/storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/storage.py
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@
             db.mktemp('content', cur)
 
             db.copy_to(content_with_data, 'tmp_content',
-                       db.content_get_metadata_keys, cur)
+                       db.content_add_keys, cur)
 
             # move metadata in place
             try:
@@ -207,6 +207,10 @@
                 content:bytes:add: Sum of the contents' length data
                 skipped_content:add: New skipped contents (no data) added
         """
+        content = [dict(c.items()) for c in content]  # semi-shallow copy
+        now = datetime.datetime.now(tz=datetime.timezone.utc)
+        for item in content:
+            item['ctime'] = now
 
         if self.journal_writer:
             for item in content:
@@ -306,6 +310,7 @@
                 - reason (str): if status = absent, the reason why
                 - origin (int): if status = absent, the origin we saw the
                   content in
+                - ctime (datetime): time of insertion in the archive
 
         Returns:
             Summary dict with the following key and associated values:
diff --git a/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py b/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
@@ -566,7 +566,11 @@
 
         expected_cont = cont.copy()
         del expected_cont['data']
-        self.assertEqual(list(self.journal_writer.objects),
+        journal_objects = list(self.journal_writer.objects)
+        for (obj_type, obj) in journal_objects:
+            if 'ctime' in obj:
+                del obj['ctime']
+        self.assertEqual(journal_objects,
                          [('content', expected_cont)])
 
     def test_content_add_same_input(self):
@@ -615,7 +619,11 @@
 
         expected_cont = cont.copy()
         del expected_cont['data']
-        self.assertEqual(list(self.journal_writer.objects),
+        journal_objects = list(self.journal_writer.objects)
+        for (obj_type, obj) in journal_objects:
+            if 'ctime' in obj:
+                del obj['ctime']
+        self.assertEqual(journal_objects,
                          [('content', expected_cont)])
 
     def test_content_add_collision(self):
@@ -635,6 +643,7 @@
     def test_content_add_metadata(self):
         cont = self.cont.copy()
         del cont['data']
+        cont['ctime'] = datetime.datetime.now()
 
         actual_result = self.storage.content_add_metadata([cont])
         self.assertEqual(actual_result, {
@@ -642,9 +651,11 @@
             'skipped_content:add': 0
         })
 
+        expected_cont = cont.copy()
+        del expected_cont['ctime']
         self.assertEqual(
             list(self.storage.content_get_metadata([cont['sha1']])),
-            [cont])
+            [expected_cont])
 
         self.assertEqual(list(self.journal_writer.objects),
                          [('content', cont)])
@@ -652,6 +663,7 @@
     def test_content_add_metadata_same_input(self):
         cont = self.cont.copy()
         del cont['data']
+        cont['ctime'] = datetime.datetime.now()
 
         actual_result = self.storage.content_add_metadata([cont, cont])
         self.assertEqual(actual_result, {
@@ -662,8 +674,10 @@
     def test_content_add_metadata_different_input(self):
         cont = self.cont.copy()
         del cont['data']
+        cont['ctime'] = datetime.datetime.now()
         cont2 = self.cont2.copy()
         del cont2['data']
+        cont2['ctime'] = datetime.datetime.now()
 
         actual_result = self.storage.content_add_metadata([cont, cont2])
         self.assertEqual(actual_result, {
@@ -674,6 +688,7 @@
     def test_content_add_metadata_db(self):
         cont = self.cont.copy()
         del cont['data']
+        cont['ctime'] = datetime.datetime.now()
 
         actual_result = self.storage.content_add_metadata([cont])
 
@@ -700,6 +715,7 @@
     def test_content_add_metadata_collision(self):
         cont1 = self.cont.copy()
         del cont1['data']
+        cont1['ctime'] = datetime.datetime.now()
 
         # create (corrupted) content with same sha1{,_git} but != sha256
         cont1b = cont1.copy()
@@ -2209,6 +2225,25 @@
         self.assertEqual(counters['revision'], 1)
         self.assertEqual(counters['person'], 2)
 
+    def test_content_find_ctime(self):
+        cont = self.cont.copy()
+        del cont['data']
+        now = datetime.datetime.now(tz=datetime.timezone.utc)
+        cont['ctime'] = now
+        self.storage.content_add_metadata([cont])
+
+        actually_present = self.storage.content_find({'sha1': cont['sha1']})
+
+        self.assertEqual(actually_present, {
+            'ctime': now,
+            'sha1': cont['sha1'],
+            'sha256': cont['sha256'],
+            'sha1_git': cont['sha1_git'],
+            'blake2s256': cont['blake2s256'],
+            'length': cont['length'],
+            'status': 'visible'
+        })
+
     def test_content_find_with_present_content(self):
         # 1. with something to find
         cont = self.cont