diff --git a/controller/ovn-controller.c b/controller/ovn-controller.c
index d6251afb8..f0fd24820 100644
--- a/controller/ovn-controller.c
+++ b/controller/ovn-controller.c
@@ -4615,6 +4615,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
                         }
                         stopwatch_start(PINCTRL_RUN_STOPWATCH_NAME,
                                         time_msec());
+                        pinctrl_update(ovnsb_idl_loop.idl, br_int->name);
                         pinctrl_run(ovnsb_idl_txn,
                                     sbrec_datapath_binding_by_key,
                                     sbrec_port_binding_by_datapath,
diff --git a/controller/pinctrl.c b/controller/pinctrl.c
index f44775c7e..82da6ae73 100644
--- a/controller/pinctrl.c
+++ b/controller/pinctrl.c
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ struct pinctrl {
     pthread_t pinctrl_thread;
     /* Latch to destroy the 'pinctrl_thread' */
     struct latch pinctrl_thread_exit;
+    bool mac_binding_can_timestamp;
 };
 
 static struct pinctrl pinctrl;
@@ -544,6 +545,7 @@ pinctrl_init(void)
     bfd_monitor_init();
     init_fdb_entries();
     pinctrl.br_int_name = NULL;
+    pinctrl.mac_binding_can_timestamp = false;
     pinctrl_handler_seq = seq_create();
     pinctrl_main_seq = seq_create();
 
@@ -3519,7 +3521,7 @@ pinctrl_handler(void *arg_)
 }
 
 static void
-pinctrl_set_br_int_name_(char *br_int_name)
+pinctrl_set_br_int_name_(const char *br_int_name)
     OVS_REQUIRES(pinctrl_mutex)
 {
     if (br_int_name && (!pinctrl.br_int_name || strcmp(pinctrl.br_int_name,
@@ -3533,13 +3535,31 @@ pinctrl_set_br_int_name_(char *br_int_name)
 }
 
 void
-pinctrl_set_br_int_name(char *br_int_name)
+pinctrl_set_br_int_name(const char *br_int_name)
 {
     ovs_mutex_lock(&pinctrl_mutex);
     pinctrl_set_br_int_name_(br_int_name);
     ovs_mutex_unlock(&pinctrl_mutex);
 }
 
+void
+pinctrl_update(const struct ovsdb_idl *idl, const char *br_int_name)
+{
+    ovs_mutex_lock(&pinctrl_mutex);
+    pinctrl_set_br_int_name_(br_int_name);
+
+    bool can_timestamp = sbrec_server_has_mac_binding_table_col_timestamp(idl);
+    if (can_timestamp != pinctrl.mac_binding_can_timestamp) {
+        pinctrl.mac_binding_can_timestamp = can_timestamp;
+
+        /* Notify pinctrl_handler that mac binding timestamp column
+         * availability has changed. */
+        notify_pinctrl_handler();
+    }
+
+    ovs_mutex_unlock(&pinctrl_mutex);
+}
+
 /* Called by ovn-controller. */
 void
 pinctrl_run(struct ovsdb_idl_txn *ovnsb_idl_txn,
@@ -3563,7 +3583,6 @@ pinctrl_run(struct ovsdb_idl_txn *ovnsb_idl_txn,
             const struct shash *local_active_ports_ras)
 {
     ovs_mutex_lock(&pinctrl_mutex);
-    pinctrl_set_br_int_name_(br_int->name);
     run_put_mac_bindings(ovnsb_idl_txn, sbrec_datapath_binding_by_key,
                          sbrec_port_binding_by_key,
                          sbrec_mac_binding_by_lport_ip);
@@ -4245,12 +4264,17 @@ mac_binding_add_to_sb(struct ovsdb_idl_txn *ovnsb_idl_txn,
         b = sbrec_mac_binding_insert(ovnsb_idl_txn);
         sbrec_mac_binding_set_logical_port(b, logical_port);
         sbrec_mac_binding_set_ip(b, ip);
-        sbrec_mac_binding_set_mac(b, mac_string);
         sbrec_mac_binding_set_datapath(b, dp);
-        sbrec_mac_binding_set_timestamp(b, time_wall_msec());
-    } else if (strcmp(b->mac, mac_string)) {
+    }
+
+    if (strcmp(b->mac, mac_string)) {
         sbrec_mac_binding_set_mac(b, mac_string);
-        sbrec_mac_binding_set_timestamp(b, time_wall_msec());
+
+        /* For backward compatibility check if timestamp column is available
+         * in SB DB. */
+        if (pinctrl.mac_binding_can_timestamp) {
+            sbrec_mac_binding_set_timestamp(b, time_wall_msec());
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/controller/pinctrl.h b/controller/pinctrl.h
index d4f52e94d..cfece04da 100644
--- a/controller/pinctrl.h
+++ b/controller/pinctrl.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 struct hmap;
 struct shash;
 struct lport_index;
+struct ovsdb_idl;
 struct ovsdb_idl_index;
 struct ovsdb_idl_txn;
 struct ovsrec_bridge;
@@ -57,7 +58,8 @@ void pinctrl_run(struct ovsdb_idl_txn *ovnsb_idl_txn,
                  const struct shash *local_active_ports_ras);
 void pinctrl_wait(struct ovsdb_idl_txn *ovnsb_idl_txn);
 void pinctrl_destroy(void);
-void pinctrl_set_br_int_name(char *br_int_name);
+void pinctrl_set_br_int_name(const char *br_int_name);
+void pinctrl_update(const struct ovsdb_idl *idl, const char *br_int_name);
 
 struct activated_port {
     uint32_t dp_key;
