diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go
index 0f1c4fcaf2c..d53e9fc1896 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func (m *mySqlMacroEngine) evaluateMacro(name string, args []string) (string, er
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("missing time column argument for macro %v", name)
 		}
 
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%s BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", args[0], m.timeRange.GetFromAsTimeUTC().Format(time.RFC3339), m.timeRange.GetToAsTimeUTC().Format(time.RFC3339)), nil
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s BETWEEN FROM_UNIXTIME(%d) AND FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", args[0], m.timeRange.GetFromAsSecondsEpoch(), m.timeRange.GetToAsSecondsEpoch()), nil
 	case "__timeFrom":
 		return fmt.Sprintf("'%s'", m.timeRange.GetFromAsTimeUTC().Format(time.RFC3339)), nil
 	case "__timeTo":
diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go
index fe153ca3e2d..de6ceabec50 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ 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 BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", from.Format(time.RFC3339), to.Format(time.RFC3339)))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column BETWEEN FROM_UNIXTIME(%d) AND FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", from.Unix(), to.Unix()))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeFrom function", func() {
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ 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 BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", from.Format(time.RFC3339), to.Format(time.RFC3339)))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column BETWEEN FROM_UNIXTIME(%d) AND FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", from.Unix(), to.Unix()))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeFrom function", func() {
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ 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 BETWEEN '%s' AND '%s'", from.Format(time.RFC3339), to.Format(time.RFC3339)))
+				So(sql, ShouldEqual, fmt.Sprintf("WHERE time_column BETWEEN FROM_UNIXTIME(%d) AND FROM_UNIXTIME(%d)", from.Unix(), to.Unix()))
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeFrom function", func() {