diff --git a/lib/delayed/job.rb b/lib/delayed/job.rb
index 057859710..2dfa0bba1 100644
--- a/lib/delayed/job.rb
+++ b/lib/delayed/job.rb
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ def reschedule(message, backtrace = [], time = nil)
         save!
       else
         logger.info "* [JOB] PERMANENTLY removing #{self.name} because of #{attempts} consequetive failures."
-        destroy_failed_jobs ? destroy : update_attribute(:failed_at, Time.now)
+        destroy_failed_jobs ? destroy : update_attribute(:failed_at, Delayed::Job.db_time_now)
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/database.rb b/spec/database.rb
index 505b06fa9..d25578d42 100644
--- a/spec/database.rb
+++ b/spec/database.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 ActiveRecord::Base.logger = Logger.new('/tmp/dj.log')
 ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection(:adapter => 'sqlite3', :database => '/tmp/jobs.sqlite')
 ActiveRecord::Migration.verbose = false
+ActiveRecord::Base.default_timezone = :utc if Time.zone.nil?
 
 ActiveRecord::Schema.define do
 
diff --git a/spec/job_spec.rb b/spec/job_spec.rb
index b88e73895..9d3bc303f 100644
--- a/spec/job_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/job_spec.rb
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def perform; @@runs += 1; end
   end
 
   it "should be able to set run_at when enqueuing items" do
-    later = 5.minutes.from_now
+    later = (Delayed::Job.db_time_now+5.minutes)
     Delayed::Job.enqueue SimpleJob.new, 5, later
 
     # use be close rather than equal to because millisecond values cn be lost in DB round trip
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def perform; @@runs += 1; end
   end
 
   it "should never find failed jobs" do
-    @job = Delayed::Job.create :payload_object => SimpleJob.new, :attempts => 50, :failed_at => Time.now
+    @job = Delayed::Job.create :payload_object => SimpleJob.new, :attempts => 50, :failed_at => Delayed::Job.db_time_now
     Delayed::Job.find_available(1).length.should == 0
   end