diff --git a/gramps/gen/db/generic.py b/gramps/gen/db/generic.py
index 35aab50b5..0a884da94 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/db/generic.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/db/generic.py
@@ -34,9 +34,7 @@ import shutil
 import bisect
 import ast
 from operator import itemgetter
-import platform
-
-PYVERSION = platform.python_version_tuple()
+import sys
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -76,16 +74,14 @@ SIGBASE = ('person', 'family', 'source', 'event', 'media',
 
 def touch(fname, mode=0o666, dir_fd=None, **kwargs):
     ## After http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1158076/implement-touch-using-python
-    flags = os.O_CREAT | os.O_APPEND
-
-    if PYVERSION >= ("3", "3", "0"):
-        opened = os.open(fname, flags=flags, mode=mode, dir_fd=dir_fd)
+    if sys.version_info < (3, 3, 0):
+        with open(fname, 'a'):
+            os.utime(fname, times)
     else:
-        opened = os.open(fname, flags, mode)
-
-    with os.fdopen(opened) as f:
-        os.utime(f.fileno() if os.utime in os.supports_fd else fname,
-                 dir_fd=None if os.supports_fd else dir_fd, **kwargs)
+        flags = os.O_CREAT | os.O_APPEND
+        with os.fdopen(os.open(fname, flags=flags, mode=mode, dir_fd=dir_fd)) as f:
+            os.utime(f.fileno() if os.utime in os.supports_fd else fname,
+                     dir_fd=None if os.supports_fd else dir_fd, **kwargs)
 
 class DbGenericUndo(DbUndo):
     def __init__(self, grampsdb, path):