diff --git a/migrations/20181203122115-ensure-default-timestamps.js b/migrations/20181203122115-ensure-default-timestamps.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f3e8b78db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/20181203122115-ensure-default-timestamps.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var async = require('async');
+
+exports.up = function(db, callback) {
+    async.series([
+        db.runSql.bind(db, 'ALTER TABLE apps MODIFY creationTime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP'),
+        db.runSql.bind(db, 'ALTER TABLE apps MODIFY updateTime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP'),
+        db.runSql.bind(db, 'ALTER TABLE eventlog MODIFY creationTime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP'),
+        db.runSql.bind(db, 'ALTER TABLE backups MODIFY creationTime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP'),
+        db.runSql.bind(db, 'ALTER TABLE mailboxes MODIFY creationTime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP'),
+    ], callback);
+};
+
+exports.down = function(db, callback) {
+    callback();
+};
diff --git a/migrations/schema.sql b/migrations/schema.sql
index da0279887..6797212bf 100644
--- a/migrations/schema.sql
+++ b/migrations/schema.sql
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS apps(
     location VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL,
     domain VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL,
     accessRestrictionJson TEXT, // { users: [ ], groups: [ ] }
-    creationTime TIMESTAMP(2) NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, // when the app was installed
-    updateTime TIMESTAMP(2) NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,   // when the last app update was done
+    creationTime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, // when the app was installed
+    updateTime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,   // when the last app update was done
     ts TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, // when this db record was updated (useful for UI caching)
     memoryLimit BIGINT DEFAULT 0,
     xFrameOptions VARCHAR(512),
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS appEnvVars(
 
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS backups(
     id VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL,
-    creationTime TIMESTAMP,
+    creationTime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
     version VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL, /* app version or box version */
     type VARCHAR(16) NOT NULL, /* 'box' or 'app' */
     dependsOn TEXT, /* comma separate list of objects this backup depends on */
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS eventlog(
     action VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL,
     source TEXT, /* { userId, username, ip }. userId can be null for cron,sysadmin */
     data TEXT, /* free flowing json based on action */
-    createdAt TIMESTAMP(2) NOT NULL,
+    creationTime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
 
     PRIMARY KEY (id));
 
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS mailboxes(
     ownerType VARCHAR(16) NOT NULL, /* 'app' or 'user' or 'group' */
     aliasTarget VARCHAR(128), /* the target name type is an alias */
     membersJson TEXT, /* members of a group */
-    creationTime TIMESTAMP,
+    creationTime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
     domain VARCHAR(128),
 
     FOREIGN KEY(domain) REFERENCES mail(domain),