diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index 17c7494..dca2efb 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 "use strict";
+var time
+try { time = require('microtime') }
+catch (e) { time = Date }
+
 var LOG_LEVELS = ['emerg','alert','crit','error','warn','notice','info','debug']
 var LOG_LEVEL_PRIORITIES = Object.create(null)
 LOG_LEVELS.forEach(function (level, priority) { LOG_LEVEL_PRIORITIES[level] = priority })
@@ -79,10 +83,10 @@ GrayGelf.prototype._prepJson = function ( /*level, short, full*/ ) {
   this.emit('message', LOG_LEVELS[level], short, full)
 
   var gelf = {
-    version: '1.0',
+    version: '1.1',
     host: this.hostname,
     short_message: Buffer.isBuffer(short) ? short.toString() : short,
-    timestamp: Date.now() / 1000 >> 0,
+    timestamp: time.now() / 1000 >> 0,
     level: level,
     facility: this.facility
   }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b0a7dd1..73dc160 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -22,5 +22,8 @@
   "engines": {
     "node": ">= 0.10.0"
   },
-  "dependencies": {}
+  "dependencies": {},
+  "optionalDependencies": {
+    "microtime": "^1.0.1"
+  }
 }
diff --git a/test/client-test.js b/test/client-test.js
index 52e13e0..f46dc94 100644
--- a/test/client-test.js
+++ b/test/client-test.js
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ suite('gelf messages', function () {
   test('sets up proper gelf message', function () {
     var gelf = gg._prepJson(0, 'my message', { addn: 'data', _extra: 'field', _id: '2323232323' })
 
-    assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.0', 'should have version: 1.0')
+    assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.1', 'should have version: 1.1')
     assert.equal(gelf.host, os.hostname(), 'should use os.hostname for host')
     assert.equal(gelf.short_message, 'my message', 'should include short_message')
     assert.equal(gelf.full_message.addn, 'data', 'should include full_message')
diff --git a/test/server-test.js b/test/server-test.js
index 10b3653..18dc741 100644
--- a/test/server-test.js
+++ b/test/server-test.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ suite('deflate compress type', function () {
 
   test('handles gelf messages', function (done) {
     server.once('message', function (gelf) {
-      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.0', 'should have version: 1.0')
+      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.1', 'should have version: 1.1')
       assert.equal(gelf.host, os.hostname(), 'should use os.hostname for host')
       assert.equal(gelf.short_message, 'my message', 'should include short_message')
       assert.equal(gelf.full_message.addn, 'data', 'should include full_message')
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ suite('deflate compress type', function () {
   test('handles chunked messages', function (done) {
     client.chunkSize = 10
     server.once('message', function (gelf) {
-      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.0', 'should have version: 1.0')
+      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.1', 'should have version: 1.1')
       assert.equal(gelf.host, os.hostname(), 'should use os.hostname for host')
       assert.equal(gelf.short_message, 'my message', 'should include short_message')
       assert.equal(gelf.full_message.addn2, 'more data', 'should include full_message')
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ suite('deflate compress type', function () {
 
   test('handles out of order chunked messages', function (done) {
     server.once('message', function (gelf) {
-      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.0', 'should have version: 1.0')
+      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.1', 'should have version: 1.1')
       assert.equal(gelf.host, os.hostname(), 'should use os.hostname for host')
       assert.equal(gelf.short_message, 'my message', 'should include short_message')
       assert.equal(gelf.full_message.addn2, 'more data', 'should include full_message')
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ suite('gzip compress type', function () {
 
   test('handles gelf messages', function (done) {
     server.once('message', function (gelf) {
-      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.0', 'should have version: 1.0')
+      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.1', 'should have version: 1.1')
       assert.equal(gelf.host, os.hostname(), 'should use os.hostname for host')
       assert.equal(gelf.short_message, 'my message', 'should include short_message')
       assert.equal(gelf.full_message.addn2, 'more data', 'should include full_message')
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ suite('gzip compress type', function () {
   test('handles chunked messages', function (done) {
     client.chunkSize = 10
     server.once('message', function (gelf) {
-      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.0', 'should have version: 1.0')
+      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.1', 'should have version: 1.1')
       assert.equal(gelf.host, os.hostname(), 'should use os.hostname for host')
       assert.equal(gelf.short_message, 'my message', 'should include short_message')
       assert.equal(gelf.full_message.addn2, 'more data', 'should include full_message')
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ suite('gzip compress type', function () {
 
   test('handle out of order chunked messages', function (done) {
     server.once('message', function (gelf) {
-      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.0', 'should have version: 1.0')
+      assert.equal(gelf.version, '1.1', 'should have version: 1.1')
       assert.equal(gelf.host, os.hostname(), 'should use os.hostname for host')
       assert.equal(gelf.short_message, 'my message', 'should include short_message')
       assert.equal(gelf.full_message.addn2, 'more data', 'should include full_message')