diff --git a/notebooks/LPDMini/LPD_Mini_Char_Darks_NBC.ipynb b/notebooks/LPDMini/LPD_Mini_Char_Darks_NBC.ipynb
index ccda0f90b61e9fbaf9df7fce4807e1ed4acbfa05..15da781de6fac216e3b175adff1406caebcb0b2a 100644
--- a/notebooks/LPDMini/LPD_Mini_Char_Darks_NBC.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/LPDMini/LPD_Mini_Char_Darks_NBC.ipynb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     "h5path_idx = '/INDEX/{}/DET/{}:xtdf/image' # path in the HDF5 file to images\n",
     "source_name = \"{}/DET/0CH0:xtdf\"\n",
     "\n",
-    "use_dir_creation_date = True # use the creation date of the directory for database time derivation\n",
+    "creation_time = \"\"  # Override the timestamp taken from the run (format '2023-03-30 15:04:31')\n",
     "cal_db_interface = \"tcp://max-exfl016:8015#8025\" # the database interface to use\n",
     "cal_db_timeout = 300000 # timeout on caldb requests\n",
     "local_output = True # output constants locally\n",
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@
     ")\n",
     "from cal_tools.restful_config import calibration_client\n",
     "from cal_tools.tools import (\n",
+    "    calcat_creation_time,\n",
     "    get_dir_creation_date,\n",
     "    get_from_db,\n",
     "    get_notebook_name,\n",
@@ -153,10 +154,8 @@
     "h5path = h5path.format(karabo_id, receiver_id)\n",
     "h5path_idx = h5path_idx.format(karabo_id, receiver_id)\n",
     "\n",
-    "creation_time = None\n",
-    "if use_dir_creation_date:\n",
-    "    creation_time = get_dir_creation_date(in_folder, run_high)\n",
-    "    print(\"Using {} as creation time\".format(creation_time))\n",
+    "creation_time = calcat_creation_time(in_folder, run_high, creation_time)\n",
+    "print(f\"Using {creation_time} as creation time\")\n",
     "\n",
     "run, prop, seq = run_prop_seq_from_path(in_folder)\n",
     "\n",