diff --git a/src/server/manager.py b/src/server/manager.py
index c0a2d866e5..cdd3821433 100644
--- a/src/server/manager.py
+++ b/src/server/manager.py
@@ -39,3 +39,13 @@ class ServerConfigManager(models.Manager):
             if not conf:
                 return default
             return conf[0].value
+
+    def get_mysql_db_version(self):
+        """
+        This is a helper method for getting the version string of a mysql database.
+        """
+        from django.db import connection
+        conn = connection.cursor()
+        conn.execute("SELECT VERSION()")
+        version = conn.fetchone()
+        return version and str(version[0]) or ""
diff --git a/src/utils/dbserialize.py b/src/utils/dbserialize.py
index ab4e093619..b1d7682bf1 100644
--- a/src/utils/dbserialize.py
+++ b/src/utils/dbserialize.py
@@ -28,9 +28,13 @@ except ImportError:
 from django.db import transaction
 from django.core.exceptions import ObjectDoesNotExist
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
-from src.utils.utils import to_str
+from src.utils.utils import to_str, uses_database
 from src.utils import logger
 
+
+
+
+
 __all__ = ("to_pickle", "from_pickle", "do_pickle", "do_unpickle")
 
 PICKLE_PROTOCOL = 2
@@ -44,6 +48,12 @@ _TO_MODEL_MAP = None
 _TO_TYPECLASS = lambda o: hasattr(o, 'typeclass') and o.typeclass or o
 _IS_PACKED_DBOBJ = lambda o: type(o) == tuple and len(o) == 4 and o[0] == '__packed_dbobj__'
 _TO_DATESTRING = lambda o: _GA(o, "db_date_created").strftime("%Y:%m:%d-%H:%M:%S:%f")
+if uses_database("mysql"):
+    from src.server.models import ServerConfig
+    mysql_version = ServerConfig.objects.get_mysql_db_version()
+    if mysql_version < '5.6.4':
+        # mysql <5.6.4 don't support millisecond precision
+        _TO_DATESTRING = lambda o: _GA(o, "db_date_created").strftime("%Y:%m:%d-%H:%M:%S:000000")
 
 def _init_globals():
     "Lazy importing to avoid circular import issues"