diff --git a/runtime/default.go b/runtime/default.go
index c9c198e1..4ec72929 100644
--- a/runtime/default.go
+++ b/runtime/default.go
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ package runtime
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"fmt"
-	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -60,6 +58,34 @@ func (r *runtime) run(events <-chan Event) {
 	t := time.NewTicker(time.Second * 5)
 	defer t.Stop()
 
+	// process event processes an incoming event
+	processEvent := func(event Event, service *service) error {
+		// get current vals
+		r.RLock()
+		name := service.Name
+		updated := service.updated
+		r.RUnlock()
+
+		// only process if the timestamp is newer
+		if !event.Timestamp.After(updated) {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		log.Debugf("Runtime updating service %s", name)
+
+		// this will cause a delete followed by created
+		if err := r.Update(service.Service); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		// update the local timestamp
+		r.Lock()
+		service.updated = updated
+		r.Unlock()
+
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-t.C:
@@ -91,36 +117,6 @@ func (r *runtime) run(events <-chan Event) {
 			// NOTE: we only handle Update events for now
 			switch event.Type {
 			case Update:
-				// parse returned response to timestamp
-				updateTimeStamp, err := strconv.ParseInt(event.Version, 10, 64)
-				if err != nil {
-					log.Debugf("Runtime error parsing build time for %s: %v", event.Service, err)
-					continue
-				}
-				buildTime := time.Unix(updateTimeStamp, 0)
-				processEvent := func(event Event, service *Service) error {
-					r.RLock()
-					name := service.Name
-					version := service.Version
-					r.RUnlock()
-
-					buildTimeStamp, err := strconv.ParseInt(version, 10, 64)
-					if err != nil {
-						return err
-					}
-					muBuild := time.Unix(buildTimeStamp, 0)
-					if buildTime.After(muBuild) {
-						log.Debugf("Runtime updating service %s", name)
-						if err := r.Update(service); err != nil {
-							return err
-						}
-						r.Lock()
-						service.Version = fmt.Sprintf("%d", buildTime.Unix())
-						r.Unlock()
-					}
-					return nil
-				}
-
 				if len(event.Service) > 0 {
 					r.RLock()
 					service, ok := r.services[event.Service]
@@ -129,14 +125,19 @@ func (r *runtime) run(events <-chan Event) {
 						log.Debugf("Runtime unknown service: %s", event.Service)
 						continue
 					}
-					if err := processEvent(event, service.Service); err != nil {
+					if err := processEvent(event, service); err != nil {
 						log.Debugf("Runtime error updating service %s: %v", event.Service, err)
 					}
 					continue
 				}
+
+				r.RLock()
+				services := r.services
+				r.RUnlock()
+
 				// if blank service was received we update all services
-				for _, service := range r.services {
-					if err := processEvent(event, service.Service); err != nil {
+				for _, service := range services {
+					if err := processEvent(event, service); err != nil {
 						log.Debugf("Runtime error updating service %s: %v", service.Name, err)
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go b/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
index 69b032b7..29c90925 100644
--- a/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
+++ b/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func (k *kubernetes) getService(labels map[string]string) ([]*runtime.Service, e
 			}
 
 			// parse out deployment build
-			if build, ok := kdep.Metadata.Annotations["build"]; ok {
+			if build, ok := kdep.Spec.Template.Metadata.Annotations["build"]; ok {
 				buildTime, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, build)
 				if err != nil {
 					log.Debugf("Runtime failed parsing build time for %s: %v", name, err)
@@ -228,7 +228,18 @@ func (k *kubernetes) run(events <-chan runtime.Event) {
 					// update build time annotation
 					if service.Spec.Template.Metadata.Annotations == nil {
 						service.Spec.Template.Metadata.Annotations = make(map[string]string)
+
 					}
+
+					// check the existing build timestamp
+					if build, ok := service.Spec.Template.Metadata.Annotations["build"]; ok {
+						buildTime, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, build)
+						if err == nil && !event.Timestamp.After(buildTime) {
+							continue
+						}
+					}
+
+					// update the build time
 					service.Spec.Template.Metadata.Annotations["build"] = event.Timestamp.Format(time.RFC3339)
 
 					log.Debugf("Runtime updating service: %s", event.Service)
diff --git a/runtime/kubernetes/service.go b/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
index 1fcb4029..e4a5c6ad 100644
--- a/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
+++ b/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
@@ -36,7 +36,10 @@ func newService(s *runtime.Service, c runtime.CreateOptions) *service {
 	kdeploy.Metadata.Annotations["group"] = "micro"
 
 	// set a build timestamp to the current time
-	kdeploy.Metadata.Annotations["build"] = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339)
+	if kdeploy.Spec.Template.Metadata.Annotations == nil {
+		kdeploy.Spec.Template.Metadata.Annotations = make(map[string]string)
+	}
+	kdeploy.Spec.Template.Metadata.Annotations["build"] = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339)
 
 	// define the environment values used by the container
 	env := make([]client.EnvVar, 0, len(c.Env))
diff --git a/runtime/service.go b/runtime/service.go
index cf142c16..a3945d64 100644
--- a/runtime/service.go
+++ b/runtime/service.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package runtime
 import (
 	"io"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/runtime/build"
 
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ type service struct {
 	running bool
 	closed  chan bool
 	err     error
+	updated time.Time
 
 	// output for logs
 	output io.Writer
@@ -64,8 +66,9 @@ func newService(s *Service, c CreateOptions) *service {
 			Env:  c.Env,
 			Args: args,
 		},
-		closed: make(chan bool),
-		output: c.Output,
+		closed:  make(chan bool),
+		output:  c.Output,
+		updated: time.Now(),
 	}
 }