diff --git a/analytics-tests/src/test/java/com/segment/analytics/BatchPayloadWriterTest.java b/analytics-tests/src/test/java/com/segment/analytics/BatchPayloadWriterTest.java
index 9c192fc58..46affff94 100644
--- a/analytics-tests/src/test/java/com/segment/analytics/BatchPayloadWriterTest.java
+++ b/analytics-tests/src/test/java/com/segment/analytics/BatchPayloadWriterTest.java
@@ -51,9 +51,12 @@ public class BatchPayloadWriterTest {
         .endObject()
         .close();
 
+    // todo: inject a fake clock. for now we'll compare a lower precision.
+    String date = toISO8601Date(new Date());
+    String expectedDate = date.substring(0, date.length() - 8);
+
     assertThat(byteArrayOutputStream.toString()) //
-        .isEqualTo("{\"batch\":[qaz],\"sentAt\":\"" + toISO8601Date(new Date()) + "\"}")
-        .overridingErrorMessage("its ok if this failed close to midnight!");
+        .contains("{\"batch\":[qaz],\"sentAt\":\"" + expectedDate);
   }
 
   @Test public void batchPayloadWriterFailsForNoItem() throws IOException {
diff --git a/analytics/src/main/java/com/segment/analytics/internal/Utils.java b/analytics/src/main/java/com/segment/analytics/internal/Utils.java
index bee72fc86..ae2513e37 100644
--- a/analytics/src/main/java/com/segment/analytics/internal/Utils.java
+++ b/analytics/src/main/java/com/segment/analytics/internal/Utils.java
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ public final class Utils {
   private static final ThreadLocal<DateFormat> ISO_8601_DATE_FORMAT =
       new ThreadLocal<DateFormat>() {
         @Override protected DateFormat initialValue() {
-          return new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssZ", Locale.US);
+          return new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSSZ", Locale.US);
         }
       };