diff --git a/server/src/domain/metadata/metadata.service.spec.ts b/server/src/domain/metadata/metadata.service.spec.ts
index f31605b121..bb2d706224 100644
--- a/server/src/domain/metadata/metadata.service.spec.ts
+++ b/server/src/domain/metadata/metadata.service.spec.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
 import { randomBytes } from 'crypto';
 import { Stats } from 'fs';
 import { constants } from 'fs/promises';
+import { when } from 'jest-when';
 import { JobName, QueueName } from '../job';
 import {
   IAlbumRepository,
@@ -248,6 +249,30 @@ describe(MetadataService.name, () => {
       expect(assetMock.save).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
+    it('should handle a date in a sidecar file', async () => {
+      const originalDate = new Date('2023-11-21T16:13:17.517Z');
+      const sidecarDate = new Date('2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z');
+      assetMock.getByIds.mockResolvedValue([assetStub.sidecar]);
+      when(metadataMock.getExifTags)
+        .calledWith(assetStub.sidecar.originalPath)
+        // higher priority tag
+        .mockResolvedValue({ CreationDate: originalDate.toISOString() });
+      when(metadataMock.getExifTags)
+        .calledWith(assetStub.sidecar.sidecarPath as string)
+        // lower priority tag, but in sidecar
+        .mockResolvedValue({ CreateDate: sidecarDate.toISOString() });
+
+      await sut.handleMetadataExtraction({ id: assetStub.image.id });
+      expect(assetMock.getByIds).toHaveBeenCalledWith([assetStub.sidecar.id]);
+      expect(assetMock.upsertExif).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ dateTimeOriginal: sidecarDate }));
+      expect(assetMock.save).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        id: assetStub.image.id,
+        duration: null,
+        fileCreatedAt: sidecarDate,
+        localDateTime: sidecarDate,
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should handle lists of numbers', async () => {
       assetMock.getByIds.mockResolvedValue([assetStub.image]);
       metadataMock.getExifTags.mockResolvedValue({ ISO: [160] as any });
diff --git a/server/src/domain/metadata/metadata.service.ts b/server/src/domain/metadata/metadata.service.ts
index 53c6668f3a..f600f75a9b 100644
--- a/server/src/domain/metadata/metadata.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/domain/metadata/metadata.service.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,18 @@ import {
 import { StorageCore } from '../storage';
 import { FeatureFlag, SystemConfigCore } from '../system-config';
 
+/** look for a date from these tags (in order) */
+const EXIF_DATE_TAGS: Array<keyof Tags> = [
+  'SubSecDateTimeOriginal',
+  'DateTimeOriginal',
+  'SubSecCreateDate',
+  'CreationDate',
+  'CreateDate',
+  'SubSecMediaCreateDate',
+  'MediaCreateDate',
+  'DateTimeCreated',
+];
+
 interface DirectoryItem {
   Length?: number;
   Mime: string;
@@ -340,6 +352,15 @@ export class MetadataService {
     const stats = await this.storageRepository.stat(asset.originalPath);
     const mediaTags = await this.repository.getExifTags(asset.originalPath);
     const sidecarTags = asset.sidecarPath ? await this.repository.getExifTags(asset.sidecarPath) : null;
+
+    // ensure date from sidecar is used if present
+    const hasDateOverride = !!this.getDateTimeOriginal(sidecarTags);
+    if (mediaTags && hasDateOverride) {
+      for (const tag of EXIF_DATE_TAGS) {
+        delete mediaTags[tag];
+      }
+    }
+
     const tags = { ...mediaTags, ...sidecarTags };
 
     this.logger.verbose('Exif Tags', tags);
@@ -350,19 +371,7 @@ export class MetadataService {
         assetId: asset.id,
         bitsPerSample: this.getBitsPerSample(tags),
         colorspace: tags.ColorSpace ?? null,
-        dateTimeOriginal:
-          exifDate(
-            firstDateTime(tags as Tags, [
-              'SubSecDateTimeOriginal',
-              'DateTimeOriginal',
-              'SubSecCreateDate',
-              'CreationDate',
-              'CreateDate',
-              'SubSecMediaCreateDate',
-              'MediaCreateDate',
-              'DateTimeCreated',
-            ]),
-          ) ?? asset.fileCreatedAt,
+        dateTimeOriginal: this.getDateTimeOriginal(tags) ?? asset.fileCreatedAt,
         exifImageHeight: validate(tags.ImageHeight),
         exifImageWidth: validate(tags.ImageWidth),
         exposureTime: tags.ExposureTime ?? null,
@@ -387,6 +396,13 @@ export class MetadataService {
     };
   }
 
+  private getDateTimeOriginal(tags: ImmichTags | Tags | null) {
+    if (!tags) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    return exifDate(firstDateTime(tags as Tags, EXIF_DATE_TAGS));
+  }
+
   private getBitsPerSample(tags: ImmichTags): number | null {
     const bitDepthTags = [
       tags.BitsPerSample,