diff --git a/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py b/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py
index 604f9f0bfd..37df4ab81e 100644
--- a/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py
+++ b/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
-from django.utils.timezone import utc
+from django.utils.timezone import utc, now
 
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.contrib.sites.models import Site
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ def send_messages(data):
             message.subject = stream.name + str(random.randint(1, 3))
             saved_data = message.subject
 
-        message.pub_date = datetime.datetime.utcnow().replace(tzinfo=utc)
+        message.pub_date = now()
         do_send_message(message)
 
         recipients[num_messages] = [message_type, message.recipient.id, saved_data]
diff --git a/zephyr/tests.py b/zephyr/tests.py
index b19d8a5116..f04e226626 100644
--- a/zephyr/tests.py
+++ b/zephyr/tests.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.test import TestCase
-from django.utils.timezone import utc
+from django.utils.timezone import now
 from django.db.models import Q
 
 from zephyr.models import Message, UserProfile, Stream, Recipient, Subscription, \
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ from zephyr.views import json_get_updates
 from zephyr.decorator import TornadoAsyncException
 from zephyr.lib.initial_password import initial_password
 
-import datetime
 import simplejson
 import subprocess
 subprocess.check_call("zephyr/tests/generate-fixtures");
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ class AuthedTestCase(TestCase):
         else:
             recipient = Stream.objects.get(name=recipient_name, realm=sender.realm)
         recipient = Recipient.objects.get(type_id=recipient.id, type=message_type)
-        pub_date = datetime.datetime.utcnow().replace(tzinfo=utc)
+        pub_date = now()
         (sending_client, _) = Client.objects.get_or_create(name="test suite")
         do_send_message(Message(sender=sender, recipient=recipient, subject="test",
                                 pub_date=pub_date, sending_client=sending_client))
diff --git a/zephyr/views.py b/zephyr/views.py
index a7f9cbdf27..7f81ff998e 100644
--- a/zephyr/views.py
+++ b/zephyr/views.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from django.http import HttpResponse, HttpResponseRedirect
 from django.shortcuts import render_to_response
 from django.template import RequestContext
-from django.utils.timezone import utc
+from django.utils.timezone import utc, now
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.contrib.auth.views import login as django_login_page
 from zephyr.models import Message, UserProfile, Stream, Subscription, \
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ def send_message_backend(request, user_profile, sender, client_name=None):
         # Forged messages come with a timestamp
         message.pub_date = datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(float(request.POST['time'])).replace(tzinfo=utc)
     else:
-        message.pub_date = datetime.datetime.utcnow().replace(tzinfo=utc)
+        message.pub_date = now()
     message.sending_client = get_client(client_name)
     do_send_message(message)