diff --git a/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/017_convert_timestamp_as_datetime_to_decimal.py b/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/017_convert_timestamp_as_datetime_to_decimal.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c0adc697d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/017_convert_timestamp_as_datetime_to_decimal.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+# -*- encoding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# Copyright © 2013 Rackspace Hosting
+#
+# Author: Thomas Maddox <thomas.maddox@rackspace.com>
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+from ceilometer.storage.sqlalchemy.models import PreciseTimestamp
+
+_col = 'timestamp'
+
+
+def _paged(query, size):
+    offset = 0
+    while True:
+        page = query.offset(offset).limit(size).execute()
+        if page.rowcount <= 0:
+            # There are no more rows
+            break
+        for row in page:
+            yield row
+        offset += size
+
+
+def _convert_data_type(table, col, from_t, to_t, pk_attr='id', index=False):
+    temp_col_n = 'convert_data_type_temp_col'
+    # Override column we're going to convert with from_t, since the type we're
+    # replacing could be custom and we need to tell SQLALchemy how to perform
+    # CRUD operations with it.
+    table = sa.Table(table.name, table.metadata, sa.Column(col, from_t),
+                     extend_existing=True)
+    sa.Column(temp_col_n, to_t).create(table)
+
+    key_attr = getattr(table.c, pk_attr)
+    orig_col = getattr(table.c, col)
+    new_col = getattr(table.c, temp_col_n)
+
+    query = sa.select([key_attr, orig_col])
+    for key, value in _paged(query, 1000):
+        table.update().where(key_attr == key)\
+            .values({temp_col_n: value}).execute()
+
+    orig_col.drop()
+    new_col.alter(name=col)
+    if index:
+        sa.Index('ix_%s_%s' % (table.name, col), new_col).create()
+
+
+def upgrade(migrate_engine):
+    if migrate_engine.name == 'mysql':
+        meta = sa.MetaData(bind=migrate_engine)
+        meter = sa.Table('meter', meta, autoload=True)
+        _convert_data_type(meter, _col, sa.DateTime(), PreciseTimestamp(),
+                           pk_attr='id', index=True)
+
+
+def downgrade(migrate_engine):
+    if migrate_engine.name == 'mysql':
+        meta = sa.MetaData(bind=migrate_engine)
+        meter = sa.Table('meter', meta, autoload=True)
+        _convert_data_type(meter, _col, PreciseTimestamp(), sa.DateTime(),
+                           pk_attr='id', index=True)
diff --git a/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py b/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
index 0b828366e4..bc6abcd811 100644
--- a/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
+++ b/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
@@ -25,10 +25,11 @@
 from sqlalchemy import Column, Integer, String, Table, ForeignKey, DateTime, \
     Index, UniqueConstraint
 from sqlalchemy import Float, Boolean, Text
+from sqlalchemy.dialects.mysql import DECIMAL
 from sqlalchemy.ext.declarative import declarative_base
 from sqlalchemy.orm import backref
 from sqlalchemy.orm import relationship
-from sqlalchemy.types import TypeDecorator
+from sqlalchemy.types import TypeDecorator, DATETIME
 
 from ceilometer.openstack.common import timeutils
 from ceilometer.storage import models as api_models
@@ -67,6 +68,33 @@ def process_result_value(self, value, dialect):
         return value
 
 
+class PreciseTimestamp(TypeDecorator):
+    """Represents a timestamp precise to the microsecond."""
+
+    impl = DATETIME
+
+    def load_dialect_impl(self, dialect):
+        if dialect.name == 'mysql':
+            return dialect.type_descriptor(DECIMAL(precision=20,
+                                                   scale=6,
+                                                   asdecimal=True))
+        return dialect.type_descriptor(DATETIME())
+
+    def process_bind_param(self, value, dialect):
+        if value is None:
+            return value
+        elif dialect.name == 'mysql':
+            return utils.dt_to_decimal(value)
+        return value
+
+    def process_result_value(self, value, dialect):
+        if value is None:
+            return value
+        elif dialect.name == 'mysql':
+            return utils.decimal_to_dt(value)
+        return value
+
+
 class CeilometerBase(object):
     """Base class for Ceilometer Models."""
     __table_args__ = table_args()
@@ -133,7 +161,7 @@ class Meter(Base):
     counter_type = Column(String(255))
     counter_unit = Column(String(255))
     counter_volume = Column(Float(53))
-    timestamp = Column(DateTime, default=timeutils.utcnow)
+    timestamp = Column(PreciseTimestamp(), default=timeutils.utcnow)
     message_signature = Column(String(1000))
     message_id = Column(String(1000))
 
diff --git a/tests/storage/sqlalchemy/__init__.py b/tests/storage/sqlalchemy/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/tests/storage/sqlalchemy/test_models.py b/tests/storage/sqlalchemy/test_models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..107e811f62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/storage/sqlalchemy/test_models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+# -*- encoding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# Copyright © 2013 Rackspace Hosting
+#
+# Author: Thomas Maddox <thomas.maddox@rackspace.com>
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+from datetime import datetime
+
+import mock
+from sqlalchemy.types import DATETIME, NUMERIC
+from sqlalchemy.dialects.mysql import DECIMAL
+
+from ceilometer import utils
+from ceilometer.storage.sqlalchemy import models
+from ceilometer.tests import base
+
+
+class PreciseTimestampTest(base.TestCase):
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def fake_dialect(name):
+        def _type_descriptor_mock(desc):
+            if type(desc) == DECIMAL:
+                return NUMERIC(precision=desc.precision, scale=desc.scale)
+            if type(desc) == DATETIME:
+                return DATETIME()
+        dialect = mock.MagicMock()
+        dialect.name = name
+        dialect.type_descriptor = _type_descriptor_mock
+        return dialect
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(PreciseTimestampTest, self).setUp()
+        self._mysql_dialect = self.fake_dialect('mysql')
+        self._postgres_dialect = self.fake_dialect('postgres')
+        self._type = models.PreciseTimestamp()
+        self._date = datetime(2012, 7, 2, 10, 44)
+
+    def test_load_dialect_impl_mysql(self):
+        result = self._type.load_dialect_impl(self._mysql_dialect)
+        self.assertEqual(type(result), NUMERIC)
+        self.assertEqual(result.precision, 20)
+        self.assertEqual(result.scale, 6)
+        self.assertTrue(result.asdecimal)
+
+    def test_load_dialect_impl_postgres(self):
+        result = self._type.load_dialect_impl(self._postgres_dialect)
+        self.assertEqual(type(result), DATETIME)
+
+    def test_process_bind_param_store_decimal_mysql(self):
+        expected = utils.dt_to_decimal(self._date)
+        result = self._type.process_bind_param(self._date, self._mysql_dialect)
+        self.assertEqual(result, expected)
+
+    def test_process_bind_param_store_datetime_postgres(self):
+        result = self._type.process_bind_param(self._date,
+                                               self._postgres_dialect)
+        self.assertEqual(result, self._date)
+
+    def test_process_bind_param_store_none_mysql(self):
+        result = self._type.process_bind_param(None, self._mysql_dialect)
+        self.assertEqual(result, None)
+
+    def test_process_bind_param_store_none_postgres(self):
+        result = self._type.process_bind_param(None,
+                                               self._postgres_dialect)
+        self.assertEqual(result, None)
+
+    def test_process_result_value_datetime_mysql(self):
+        dec_value = utils.dt_to_decimal(self._date)
+        result = self._type.process_result_value(dec_value,
+                                                 self._mysql_dialect)
+        self.assertEqual(result, self._date)
+
+    def test_process_result_value_datetime_postgres(self):
+        result = self._type.process_result_value(self._date,
+                                                 self._postgres_dialect)
+        self.assertEqual(result, self._date)
+
+    def test_process_result_value_none_mysql(self):
+        result = self._type.process_result_value(None,
+                                                 self._mysql_dialect)
+        self.assertEqual(result, None)
+
+    def test_process_result_value_none_postgres(self):
+        result = self._type.process_result_value(None,
+                                                 self._postgres_dialect)
+        self.assertEqual(result, None)