diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros.go b/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros.go
index bb9489cd654..2621110ee99 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros.go
@@ -82,11 +82,12 @@ func (m *MsSqlMacroEngine) evaluateMacro(name string, args []string) (string, er
 		if len(args) == 0 {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("missing time column argument for macro %v", name)
 		}
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%s >= DATEADD(s, %d, '1970-01-01') AND %s <= DATEADD(s, %d, '1970-01-01')", args[0], m.TimeRange.GetFromAsSecondsEpoch(), args[0], m.TimeRange.GetToAsSecondsEpoch()), nil
+
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", args[0], time.Unix(m.TimeRange.GetFromAsSecondsEpoch(), 0), time.Unix(m.TimeRange.GetToAsSecondsEpoch(), 0)), nil
 	case "__timeFrom":
-		return fmt.Sprintf("DATEADD(second, %d, '1970-01-01')", m.TimeRange.GetFromAsSecondsEpoch()), nil
+		return fmt.Sprintf("'%s'", time.Unix(m.TimeRange.GetFromAsSecondsEpoch(), 0)), nil
 	case "__timeTo":
-		return fmt.Sprintf("DATEADD(second, %d, '1970-01-01')", m.TimeRange.GetToAsSecondsEpoch()), nil
+		return fmt.Sprintf("'%s'", time.Unix(m.TimeRange.GetToAsSecondsEpoch(), 0)), nil
 	case "__timeGroup":
 		if len(args) < 2 {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("macro %v needs time column and interval", name)
diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros_test.go b/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros_test.go
index ae0d4f67d2b..46f67e7d169 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros_test.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func TestMacroEngine(t *testing.T) {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "WHERE $__timeFilter(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column >= DATEADD(s, %d, '1970-01-01') AND time_column <= DATEADD(s, %d, '1970-01-01')", from.Unix(), to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0), time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeGroup function", func() {
@@ -96,14 +96,14 @@ func TestMacroEngine(t *testing.T) {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeFrom(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select DATEADD(second, %d, '1970-01-01')", from.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeTo function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeTo(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select DATEADD(second, %d, '1970-01-01')", to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __unixEpochFilter function", func() {
@@ -137,21 +137,21 @@ func TestMacroEngine(t *testing.T) {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "WHERE $__timeFilter(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column >= DATEADD(s, %d, '1970-01-01') AND time_column <= DATEADD(s, %d, '1970-01-01')", from.Unix(), to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0), time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeFrom function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeFrom(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select DATEADD(second, %d, '1970-01-01')", from.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeTo function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeTo(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select DATEADD(second, %d, '1970-01-01')", to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __unixEpochFilter function", func() {
@@ -185,21 +185,21 @@ func TestMacroEngine(t *testing.T) {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "WHERE $__timeFilter(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column >= DATEADD(s, %d, '1970-01-01') AND time_column <= DATEADD(s, %d, '1970-01-01')", from.Unix(), to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0), time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeFrom function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeFrom(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select DATEADD(second, %d, '1970-01-01')", from.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeTo function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeTo(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select DATEADD(second, %d, '1970-01-01')", to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __unixEpochFilter function", func() {
diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go
index fadcbe4edbc..6dfe6ad952f 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go
@@ -77,11 +77,12 @@ func (m *MySqlMacroEngine) evaluateMacro(name string, args []string) (string, er
 		if len(args) == 0 {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("missing time column argument for macro %v", name)
 		}
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%s >= FROM_UNIXTIME(%d) AND %s <= FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", args[0], m.TimeRange.GetFromAsSecondsEpoch(), args[0], m.TimeRange.GetToAsSecondsEpoch()), nil
+
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", args[0], time.Unix(m.TimeRange.GetFromAsSecondsEpoch(), 0), time.Unix(m.TimeRange.GetToAsSecondsEpoch(), 0)), nil
 	case "__timeFrom":
-		return fmt.Sprintf("FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", m.TimeRange.GetFromAsSecondsEpoch()), nil
+		return fmt.Sprintf("'%s'", time.Unix(m.TimeRange.GetFromAsSecondsEpoch(), 0)), nil
 	case "__timeTo":
-		return fmt.Sprintf("FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", m.TimeRange.GetToAsSecondsEpoch()), nil
+		return fmt.Sprintf("'%s'", time.Unix(m.TimeRange.GetToAsSecondsEpoch(), 0)), nil
 	case "__timeGroup":
 		if len(args) < 2 {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("macro %v needs time column and interval", name)
diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go
index 66ec143eac8..11ac6d8b2f3 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go
@@ -54,21 +54,21 @@ func TestMacroEngine(t *testing.T) {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "WHERE $__timeFilter(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column >= FROM_UNIXTIME(%d) AND time_column <= FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", from.Unix(), to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0), time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeFrom function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeFrom(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", from.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeTo function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeTo(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __unixEpochFilter function", func() {
@@ -102,21 +102,21 @@ func TestMacroEngine(t *testing.T) {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "WHERE $__timeFilter(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column >= FROM_UNIXTIME(%d) AND time_column <= FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", from.Unix(), to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0), time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeFrom function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeFrom(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", from.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeTo function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeTo(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __unixEpochFilter function", func() {
@@ -150,21 +150,21 @@ func TestMacroEngine(t *testing.T) {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "WHERE $__timeFilter(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column >= FROM_UNIXTIME(%d) AND time_column <= FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", from.Unix(), to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0), time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeFrom function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeFrom(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", from.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(from.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeTo function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "select $__timeTo(time_column)")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
-				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", to.Unix()))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("select '%s'", time.Unix(to.Unix(), 0)))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __unixEpochFilter function", func() {