diff --git a/py/mock.py b/py/mock.py
index d5afbbe..cbd9ffe 100755
--- a/py/mock.py
+++ b/py/mock.py
@@ -425,6 +425,9 @@ def main(ret):
     if options.configdir:
         config_path = options.configdir
 
+    # save for use in Root object
+    config_opts['config_path'] = config_path
+
     # Read in the config files: default, and then user specified
     for cfg in ( os.path.join(config_path, 'site-defaults.cfg'), '%s/%s.cfg' % (config_path, options.chroot)):
         if os.path.exists(cfg):
diff --git a/py/mock/backend.py b/py/mock/backend.py
index 7d11532..274ea40 100644
--- a/py/mock/backend.py
+++ b/py/mock/backend.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ class Root(object):
         self._state_log = getLog("mock.Root.state")
 
         # config options
+        self.configfile = os.path.join(config['config_path'], config['chroot_name']) + ".cfg"
         self.chrootuid = config['chrootuid']
         self.chrootuser = 'mockbuild'
         self.chrootgid = config['chrootgid']
diff --git a/py/mock/plugins/root_cache.py b/py/mock/plugins/root_cache.py
index 9cb0a13..d1ed152 100644
--- a/py/mock/plugins/root_cache.py
+++ b/py/mock/plugins/root_cache.py
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ class RootCache(object):
             statinfo = os.stat(self.rootCacheFile)
             file_age_days = (time.time() - statinfo.st_ctime) / (60 * 60 * 24)
             if file_age_days > self.root_cache_opts['max_age_days']:
+                getLog().info("root cache aged out! cache will be rebuilt")
+                os.unlink(self.rootCacheFile)
+
+            elif os.stat(self.rootObj.configfile).st_mtime > statinfo.st_mtime:
+                getLog().info("root cache older than %s; cache will be rebuilt" % self.rootObj.configfile)
                 os.unlink(self.rootCacheFile)
         except OSError:
             pass