diff --git a/cursor_test.go b/cursor_test.go
index e438c715..e854d3a2 100644
--- a/cursor_test.go
+++ b/cursor_test.go
@@ -145,10 +145,12 @@ func (s *RethinkSuite) TestCursorStruct(c *test.C) {
 }
 
 func (s *RethinkSuite) TestCursorStructPseudoTypes(c *test.C) {
+	var zeroTime time.Time
 	t := time.Now()
 
 	res, err := Expr(map[string]interface{}{
 		"T": time.Unix(t.Unix(), 0).In(time.UTC),
+		"Z": zeroTime,
 		"B": []byte("hello"),
 	}).Run(sess)
 	c.Assert(err, test.IsNil)
@@ -159,6 +161,7 @@ func (s *RethinkSuite) TestCursorStructPseudoTypes(c *test.C) {
 	c.Assert(res.Type(), test.Equals, "Cursor")
 
 	c.Assert(response.T.Equal(time.Unix(t.Unix(), 0)), test.Equals, true)
+	c.Assert(response.Z.Equal(zeroTime), test.Equals, true)
 	c.Assert(response.B, jsonEquals, []byte("hello"))
 }
 
diff --git a/encoding/encoder_types.go b/encoding/encoder_types.go
index 9f893ed3..83cefe8e 100644
--- a/encoding/encoder_types.go
+++ b/encoding/encoder_types.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package encoding
 
 import (
 	"encoding/base64"
+	"math"
 	"reflect"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -262,9 +263,17 @@ func newCondAddrEncoder(canAddrEnc, elseEnc encoderFunc) encoderFunc {
 func timePseudoTypeEncoder(v reflect.Value) interface{} {
 	t := v.Interface().(time.Time)
 
+	timeVal := float64(t.UnixNano()) / float64(time.Second)
+
+	// use seconds-since-epoch precision if time.Time `t`
+	// is before the oldest nanosecond time
+	if t.Before(time.Unix(0, math.MinInt64)) {
+		timeVal = float64(t.Unix())
+	}
+
 	return map[string]interface{}{
 		"$reql_type$": "TIME",
-		"epoch_time":  float64(t.UnixNano()) / 1000 / 1000 / 1000, //milliseconds
+		"epoch_time":  timeVal,
 		"timezone":    "+00:00",
 	}
 }
diff --git a/gorethink_test.go b/gorethink_test.go
index 1f128ded..a63ad4f4 100644
--- a/gorethink_test.go
+++ b/gorethink_test.go
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ type Y struct {
 
 type PseudoTypes struct {
 	T time.Time
+	Z time.Time
 	B []byte
 }