diff --git a/dev/devcam/server.go b/dev/devcam/server.go
index 2e6c26594..e33377a47 100644
--- a/dev/devcam/server.go
+++ b/dev/devcam/server.go
@@ -130,16 +130,21 @@ func (c *serverCmd) build(name string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Could not build, invalid target: %v", name)
 	}
 	binPath := filepath.Join(c.camliSrcRoot, "bin", name)
+	var modtime int64
 	fi, err := os.Stat(binPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Could not stat %v: %v", binPath, err)
+		if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Could not stat %v: %v", binPath, err)
+		}
+	} else {
+		modtime = fi.ModTime().Unix()
 	}
 	args := []string{
 		"run", "make.go",
 		"--quiet",
 		"--embed_static=false",
 		"--sqlite=false",
-		fmt.Sprintf("--if_mods_since=%d", fi.ModTime().Unix()),
+		fmt.Sprintf("--if_mods_since=%d", modtime),
 		"--targets=" + target,
 	}
 	cmd := exec.Command("go", args...)
diff --git a/make.go b/make.go
index ba8606310..098ee0c04 100644
--- a/make.go
+++ b/make.go
@@ -50,9 +50,10 @@ var (
 	verbose        = flag.Bool("v", false, "Verbose mode")
 	targets        = flag.String("targets", "", "Optional comma-separated list of targets (i.e go packages) to build and install. Empty means all. Example: camlistore.org/server/camlistored,camlistore.org/cmd/camput")
 	quiet          = flag.Bool("quiet", false, "Don't print anything unless there's a failure.")
-	ifModsSince    = flag.Int64("if_mods_since", 0, "If non-zero return immediately without building if there aren't any filesystem modifications past this time (in unix seconds)")
-	buildARCH      = flag.String("arch", runtime.GOARCH, "Architecture to build for.")
-	buildOS        = flag.String("os", runtime.GOOS, "Operating system to build for.")
+	// TODO(mpl): looks like ifModsSince is not used anywhere?
+	ifModsSince = flag.Int64("if_mods_since", 0, "If non-zero return immediately without building if there aren't any filesystem modifications past this time (in unix seconds)")
+	buildARCH   = flag.String("arch", runtime.GOARCH, "Architecture to build for.")
+	buildOS     = flag.String("os", runtime.GOOS, "Operating system to build for.")
 )
 
 var (