diff --git a/backend.py b/backend.py
index 06c4d1a..b95abb9 100644
--- a/backend.py
+++ b/backend.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # backend.py
 # openeventdatabase
 
+from datetime import datetime
 import json
 import os
 
@@ -17,6 +18,20 @@ def db_connect():
         user=os.getenv("DB_USER", None))
 
 
+class EventEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):
+    def default(self, o):
+        if isinstance(o, datetime):
+            return o.isoformat()
+        try:
+            return super().default(o)
+        except TypeError:
+            return str(o)
+
+
+def dumps(data):
+    return json.dumps(data, cls=EventEncoder)
+
+
 class HeaderMiddleware:
 
     def process_response(self, req, resp, resource):
@@ -34,7 +49,7 @@ class StatsResource(object):
         cur.close()
         db.close()
 
-        resp.body = json.dumps(dict(stat))
+        resp.body = dumps(dict(stat))
         resp.status = falcon.HTTP_200
 
 
@@ -43,8 +58,8 @@ class BaseEvent:
     def row_to_feature(self, row):
         properties = dict(row['events_tags'])
         properties.update({
-            'createdate': str(row['createdate']),
-            'last_updated': str(row['lastupdate'])
+            'createdate': row['createdate'],
+            'last_updated': row['lastupdate']
         })
         if "distance" in row:
             properties['distance'] = row['distance']
@@ -68,7 +83,7 @@ class EventsResource(BaseEvent):
         db = db_connect()
         cur = db.cursor(cursor_factory=psycopg2.extras.DictCursor)
         cur.execute("SELECT events_id, events_tags, createdate, lastupdate, st_asgeojson(geom) as geometry FROM events JOIN geo ON (hash=events_geo)")
-        resp.body = json.dumps(self.rows_to_collection(cur.fetchall()))
+        resp.body = dumps(self.rows_to_collection(cur.fetchall()))
         resp.status = falcon.HTTP_200
 
 
@@ -145,7 +160,7 @@ class EventResource(BaseEvent):
                              event_bbox=event_bbox, event_what=event_what,
                              event_when=event_when, event_type=event_type)
             cur.execute(sql)
-            resp.body = json.dumps(self.rows_to_collection(cur.fetchall()))
+            resp.body = dumps(self.rows_to_collection(cur.fetchall()))
             resp.status = falcon.HTTP_200
         else:
             # Get single event geojson Feature by id.
@@ -153,7 +168,7 @@ class EventResource(BaseEvent):
 
             e = cur.fetchone()
             if e is not None:
-                resp.body = json.dumps(self.row_to_feature(e))
+                resp.body = dumps(self.row_to_feature(e))
                 resp.status = falcon.HTTP_200
             else:
                 resp.status = falcon.HTTP_404
@@ -183,9 +198,9 @@ class EventResource(BaseEvent):
         db = db_connect()
         cur = db.cursor()
         # get the geometry part
-        geometry=json.dumps(j['geometry'])
+        geometry=dumps(j['geometry'])
         h = self.maybe_insert_geometry(geometry,cur)
-        params = (j['properties']['type'], j['properties']['what'], event_start, event_stop, bounds, json.dumps(j['properties']), h[0])
+        params = (j['properties']['type'], j['properties']['what'], event_start, event_stop, bounds, dumps(j['properties']), h[0])
         if id:
             params = params + (id,)
         cur.execute(query, params)