diff --git a/ext/cbson/cbson.c b/ext/cbson/cbson.c
index 57f1c63fc8..2999752e70 100644
--- a/ext/cbson/cbson.c
+++ b/ext/cbson/cbson.c
@@ -436,9 +436,9 @@ static int write_element(VALUE key, VALUE value, VALUE extra, int allow_id) {
             }
             if (strcmp(cls, "BSON::Timestamp") == 0) {
                 write_name_and_type(buffer, key, 0x11);
-                int seconds = FIX2INT(
+                unsigned int seconds = NUM2UINT(
                     rb_funcall(value, rb_intern("seconds"), 0));
-                int increment = FIX2INT(
+                unsigned int increment = NUM2UINT(
                     rb_funcall(value, rb_intern("increment"), 0));
 
                 SAFE_WRITE(buffer, (const char*)&increment, 4);
@@ -830,12 +830,12 @@ static VALUE get_value(const char* buffer, int* position, int type) {
         }
     case 17:
         {
-            int sec, inc;
+            unsigned int sec, inc;
             VALUE argv[2];
             memcpy(&inc, buffer + *position, 4);
             memcpy(&sec, buffer + *position + 4, 4);
-            argv[0] = INT2FIX(sec);
-            argv[1] = INT2FIX(inc);
+            argv[0] = UINT2NUM(sec);
+            argv[1] = UINT2NUM(inc);
             value = rb_class_new_instance(2, argv, Timestamp);
             *position += 8;
             break;
diff --git a/test/bson/timestamp_test.rb b/test/bson/timestamp_test.rb
index f12b24ff5c..b023f7701e 100644
--- a/test/bson/timestamp_test.rb
+++ b/test/bson/timestamp_test.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,16 @@ def test_timestamp_range
     end
   end
 
+  def test_timestamp_32bit_compatibility
+    max_32bit_fixnum = (1 << 30) - 1
+    test_val = max_32bit_fixnum + 10
+
+    ts = Timestamp.new(test_val, test_val)
+    doc = {:ts => ts}
+    bson = BSON::BSON_CODER.serialize(doc)
+    assert_equal doc[:ts], BSON::BSON_CODER.deserialize(bson)['ts']
+  end
+
   def test_implements_array_for_backward_compatibility
     silently do
       ts = Timestamp.new(5000, 200)