diff --git a/gst/avi/gstavimux.c b/gst/avi/gstavimux.c
index 7c90f10b52..f1de873c6c 100644
--- a/gst/avi/gstavimux.c
+++ b/gst/avi/gstavimux.c
@@ -1998,13 +1998,16 @@ gst_avi_mux_do_buffer (GstAviMux * avimux, GstAviPad * avipad)
   gulong total_size, pad_bytes = 0;
   guint flags;
   gsize datasize;
+  GstClockTime time;
 
   data = gst_collect_pads_pop (avimux->collect, avipad->collect);
   /* arrange downstream running time */
-  data = gst_buffer_make_writable (data);
-  GST_BUFFER_TIMESTAMP (data) =
-      gst_segment_to_running_time (&avipad->collect->segment,
+  time = gst_segment_to_running_time (&avipad->collect->segment,
       GST_FORMAT_TIME, GST_BUFFER_TIMESTAMP (data));
+  if (time != GST_BUFFER_TIMESTAMP (data)) {
+    data = gst_buffer_make_writable (data);
+    GST_BUFFER_TIMESTAMP (data) = time;
+  }
 
   /* Prepend a special buffer to the first one for some formats */
   if (avipad->is_video) {