diff --git a/zephyr/lib/time.py b/zephyr/lib/time.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7d17be7b28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zephyr/lib/time.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import datetime
+from django.utils.timezone import utc
+
+def timestamp_to_datetime(timestamp):
+    return datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(float(timestamp)).replace(tzinfo=utc)
diff --git a/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py b/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py
index b11f7b46a4..dc8c12aece 100644
--- a/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py
+++ b/zephyr/management/commands/populate_db.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ from django.db import transaction, connection
 from django.conf import settings
 from api.bots import mit_subs_list
 from zephyr.lib.bulk_create import batch_bulk_create
+from zephyr.lib.time import timestamp_to_datetime
 
 import simplejson
 import datetime
@@ -463,8 +464,7 @@ def restore_saved_messages():
         message.type = type_hash[old_message["type"]]
         message.content = old_message["content"]
         message.subject = old_message["subject"]
-        ts = float(old_message["timestamp"])
-        message.pub_date = datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(ts).replace(tzinfo=utc)
+        message.pub_date = timestamp_to_datetime(old_message["timestamp"])
 
         if message.type == Recipient.PERSONAL:
             message.recipient = user_recipients[old_message["recipient"][0]["email"]]
@@ -524,8 +524,8 @@ def restore_saved_messages():
         elif old_message["type"] == "user_activated" or old_message["type"] == "user_created":
             # These are rare, so just handle them the slow way
             user = User.objects.get(email=old_message["user"])
-            timestamp=datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(float(old_message['timestamp'])).replace(tzinfo=utc)
-            do_activate_user(user, log=False, timestamp=timestamp)
+            join_date = timestamp_to_datetime(old_message['timestamp'])
+            do_activate_user(user, log=False, join_date=join_date)
             # Update the cache of users to show this user as activated
             users_by_id[user.userprofile.id] = UserProfile.objects.get(user=user)
             users[user.email] = user.userprofile
diff --git a/zephyr/models.py b/zephyr/models.py
index 144e6b5104..3d6f9a60ee 100644
--- a/zephyr/models.py
+++ b/zephyr/models.py
@@ -601,10 +601,10 @@ def log_subscription_property_change(user_email, property, property_dict):
     event.update(property_dict)
     log_event(event)
 
-def do_activate_user(user, log=True, timestamp=time.time()):
+def do_activate_user(user, log=True, join_date=time.time()):
     user.is_active = True
     user.set_password(initial_password(user.email))
-    user.date_joined = timestamp
+    user.date_joined = join_date
     user.save()
     if log:
         log_event({'type': 'user_activated',
diff --git a/zephyr/views.py b/zephyr/views.py
index 8e0f2264b6..597e1ac280 100644
--- a/zephyr/views.py
+++ b/zephyr/views.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ from zephyr.decorator import asynchronous, require_post, \
 from zephyr.lib.query import last_n
 from zephyr.lib.avatar import gravatar_hash
 from zephyr.lib.response import json_success, json_error
+from zephyr.lib.time import timestamp_to_datetime
 
 from confirmation.models import Confirmation
 
@@ -690,7 +691,7 @@ def send_message_backend(request, user_profile, client,
         message.subject = subject_name
     if forged:
         # Forged messages come with a timestamp
-        message.pub_date = datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(float(request.POST['time'])).replace(tzinfo=utc)
+        message.pub_date = timestamp_to_datetime(request.POST['time'])
     else:
         message.pub_date = now()
     message.sending_client = client