diff --git a/zephyr/management/commands/dump_pointers.py b/zephyr/management/commands/dump_pointers.py
index 4127ea8289..c3fa090b42 100755
--- a/zephyr/management/commands/dump_pointers.py
+++ b/zephyr/management/commands/dump_pointers.py
@@ -1,17 +1,28 @@
 from optparse import make_option
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
-from zephyr.models import Realm, UserProfile
+from zephyr.models import Realm, UserProfile, Message
+from zephyr.lib.time import datetime_to_timestamp, timestamp_to_datetime
 import simplejson
 
 def dump():
     pointers = []
     for u in UserProfile.objects.select_related("user__email").all():
-        pointers.append((u.user.email, u.pointer))
+        pointer = u.pointer
+        if pointer != -1:
+            pub_date = Message.objects.get(id=pointer).pub_date
+            pointers.append((u.user.email, datetime_to_timestamp(pub_date)))
+        else:
+            pointers.append((u.user.email, -1))
     file("dumped-pointers", "w").write(simplejson.dumps(pointers) + "\n")
 
 def restore(change):
-    for (email, pointer) in simplejson.loads(file("dumped-pointers").read()):
+    for (email, timestamp) in simplejson.loads(file("dumped-pointers").read()):
         u = UserProfile.objects.get(user__email__iexact=email)
+        if timestamp == -1:
+            pointer = -1
+        else:
+            pointer = Message.objects.filter(
+                pub_date__gte=timestamp_to_datetime(timestamp)).order_by("id")[0].id
         print "%s: pointer %s => %s" % (email, u.pointer, pointer)
         if change:
             u.pointer = pointer