diff --git a/resources/lib/playlists/__init__.py b/resources/lib/playlists/__init__.py
index 54c90550..b3658ba0 100644
--- a/resources/lib/playlists/__init__.py
+++ b/resources/lib/playlists/__init__.py
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, unicode_literals
 from logging import getLogger
 
-from .common import Playlist, PlaylistError, PlaylistObserver
+from .common import Playlist, PlaylistError, PlaylistObserver, \
+    kodi_playlist_hash
 from . import pms, db, kodi_pl, plex_pl
 
 from ..watchdog import events
@@ -221,7 +222,7 @@ def _full_sync():
                 pass
             if not sync_kodi_playlist(path):
                 continue
-            kodi_hash = utils.generate_file_md5(path)
+            kodi_hash = kodi_playlist_hash(path)
             playlist = db.get_playlist(path=path)
             if playlist and playlist.kodi_hash == kodi_hash:
                 continue
@@ -387,7 +388,7 @@ class PlaylistEventhandler(events.FileSystemEventHandler):
     def on_created(self, event):
         LOG.debug('on_created: %s', event.src_path)
         old_playlist = db.get_playlist(path=event.src_path)
-        kodi_hash = utils.generate_file_md5(event.src_path)
+        kodi_hash = kodi_playlist_hash(event.src_path)
         if old_playlist and old_playlist.kodi_hash == kodi_hash:
             LOG.debug('Playlist already in DB - skipping')
             return
@@ -406,7 +407,7 @@ class PlaylistEventhandler(events.FileSystemEventHandler):
     def on_modified(self, event):
         LOG.debug('on_modified: %s', event.src_path)
         old_playlist = db.get_playlist(path=event.src_path)
-        kodi_hash = utils.generate_file_md5(event.src_path)
+        kodi_hash = kodi_playlist_hash(event.src_path)
         if old_playlist and old_playlist.kodi_hash == kodi_hash:
             LOG.debug('Nothing modified, playlist already in DB - skipping')
             return
@@ -425,7 +426,7 @@ class PlaylistEventhandler(events.FileSystemEventHandler):
 
     def on_moved(self, event):
         LOG.debug('on_moved: %s to %s', event.src_path, event.dest_path)
-        kodi_hash = utils.generate_file_md5(event.dest_path)
+        kodi_hash = kodi_playlist_hash(event.dest_path)
         # First check whether we don't already have destination playlist in
         # our DB. Just in case....
         old_playlist = db.get_playlist(path=event.dest_path)
diff --git a/resources/lib/playlists/common.py b/resources/lib/playlists/common.py
index ce173475..5b348cd4 100644
--- a/resources/lib/playlists/common.py
+++ b/resources/lib/playlists/common.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import, division, unicode_literals
 from logging import getLogger
 import Queue
 import time
+import os
+import hashlib
 
 from ..watchdog import events
 from ..watchdog.observers import Observer
@@ -121,6 +123,22 @@ class Playlist(object):
         self._kodi_path = path
 
 
+def kodi_playlist_hash(path):
+    """
+    Returns a md5 hash [unicode] using os.stat() st_size and st_mtime for the
+    playlist located at path [unicode]
+    (size of file in bytes and time of most recent content modification)
+
+    There are probably way more efficient ways out there to do this
+    """
+    stat = os.stat(path_ops.encode_path(path))
+    # stat.st_size is of type long; stat.st_mtime is of type float - hash both
+    m = hashlib.md5()
+    m.update(repr(stat.st_size))
+    m.update(repr(stat.st_mtime))
+    return m.hexdigest().decode('utf-8')
+
+
 class PlaylistQueue(OrderedSetQueue):
     """
     OrderedSetQueue that drops all directory events immediately
diff --git a/resources/lib/playlists/kodi_pl.py b/resources/lib/playlists/kodi_pl.py
index 147f935b..4b040c25 100644
--- a/resources/lib/playlists/kodi_pl.py
+++ b/resources/lib/playlists/kodi_pl.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import, division, unicode_literals
 from logging import getLogger
 import re
 
-from .common import Playlist, PlaylistError
+from .common import Playlist, PlaylistError, kodi_playlist_hash
 from . import db, pms
 
 from ..plex_api import API
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def create(plex_id):
     except Exception:
         IGNORE_KODI_PLAYLIST_CHANGE.remove(playlist.kodi_path)
         raise
-    playlist.kodi_hash = utils.generate_file_md5(path)
+    playlist.kodi_hash = kodi_playlist_hash(path)
     db.update_playlist(playlist)
     LOG.debug('Created Kodi playlist based on Plex playlist: %s', playlist)
 
diff --git a/resources/lib/utils.py b/resources/lib/utils.py
index be8aadcc..c84d5e25 100644
--- a/resources/lib/utils.py
+++ b/resources/lib/utils.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import xml.etree.ElementTree as etree
 from . import defused_etree
 from xml.etree.ElementTree import ParseError
 from functools import wraps
-import hashlib
 import re
 import gc
 try:
@@ -931,23 +930,6 @@ class XmlKodiSetting(object):
         return element
 
 
-def generate_file_md5(path):
-    """
-    Generates the md5 hash value for the file located at path [unicode].
-    The hash does not include the path and filename and is thus identical for
-    a file that was moved/changed name.
-    Returns a unique unicode containing only hexadecimal digits
-    """
-    m = hashlib.md5()
-    with open(path_ops.encode_path(path), 'rb') as f:
-        while True:
-            piece = f.read(32768)
-            if not piece:
-                break
-            m.update(piece)
-    return m.hexdigest().decode('utf-8')
-
-
 def process_method_on_list(method_to_run, items):
     """
     helper method that processes a method on each item with pooling if the