diff --git a/build/parseChangelog.c b/build/parseChangelog.c
index ad6d834a17..22f445eb44 100644
--- a/build/parseChangelog.c
+++ b/build/parseChangelog.c
@@ -200,18 +200,26 @@ static rpmRC addChangelog(Header h, ARGV_const_t sb)
     rpmRC rc = RPMRC_FAIL; /* assume failure */
     char *s, *sp;
     int i;
-    time_t time;
+    time_t firstTime = 0;
     time_t lastTime = 0;
     time_t trimtime = rpmExpandNumeric("%{?_changelog_trimtime}");
+    time_t trimage = rpmExpandNumeric("%{?_changelog_trimage}");
     char *date, *name, *text, *next;
     int date_words;      /* number of words in date string */
 
+    /* Convert _changelog_trimtime to age for backwards compatibility */
+    if (trimtime && !trimage) {
+	trimage = time(NULL) - trimtime;
+	trimtime = 0;
+    }
+
     s = sp = argvJoin(sb, "");
 
     /* skip space */
     SKIPSPACE(s);
 
     while (*s != '\0') {
+	time_t time;
 	if (*s != '*') {
 	    rpmlog(RPMLOG_ERR, _("%%changelog entries must start with *\n"));
 	    goto exit;
@@ -235,6 +243,12 @@ static rpmRC addChangelog(Header h, ARGV_const_t sb)
 	    rpmlog(RPMLOG_ERR, _("bad date in %%changelog: %s\n"), date);
 	    goto exit;
 	}
+	/* Changelog trimming is always relative to first entry */
+	if (!firstTime) {
+	    firstTime = time;
+	    if (trimage)
+		trimtime = firstTime - trimage;
+	}
 	if (lastTime && lastTime < time) {
 	    rpmlog(RPMLOG_ERR,
 		     _("%%changelog not in descending chronological order\n"));
diff --git a/macros.in b/macros.in
index 6245eb879a..0e315b0b5d 100644
--- a/macros.in
+++ b/macros.in
@@ -212,8 +212,12 @@ package or when debugging this package.\
 %__global_requires_exclude_from		%{?_docdir:%{_docdir}}
 %__global_provides_exclude_from		%{?_docdir:%{_docdir}}
 
+#	Maximum age of preserved changelog entries in binary packages,
+#	relative to newest existing entry. Unix timestamp format.
+%_changelog_trimage	0
+
 #	The Unix time of the latest kept changelog entry in binary packages.
-#	Any older entry is not packaged in binary packages.
+#	DEPRACATED, use %_changelog_trimage instead.
 %_changelog_trimtime	0
 
 #	If true, set the SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH environment variable