diff --git a/ceilometer/api/controllers/v2.py b/ceilometer/api/controllers/v2.py
index aba336bf..1eb17b3b 100644
--- a/ceilometer/api/controllers/v2.py
+++ b/ceilometer/api/controllers/v2.py
@@ -324,12 +324,8 @@ class Statistics(Base):
         if (self.duration_start and
                 self.duration_end and
                 self.duration_start <= self.duration_end):
-            # Can't use timedelta.total_seconds() because
-            # it is not available in Python 2.6.
-            diff = self.duration_end - self.duration_start
-            self.duration = (diff.seconds + (diff.days * 24 * 60 ** 2)) / 60
-            # FIXME(dhellmann): Shouldn't this value be returned in
-            # seconds, or something even smaller?
+            self.duration = timeutils.delta_seconds(self.duration_start,
+                                                    self.duration_end)
         else:
             self.duration_start = self.duration_end = self.duration = None
 
diff --git a/ceilometer/api/v1/blueprint.py b/ceilometer/api/v1/blueprint.py
index 2d424b4e..a4c20d28 100644
--- a/ceilometer/api/v1/blueprint.py
+++ b/ceilometer/api/v1/blueprint.py
@@ -570,10 +570,7 @@ def compute_duration_by_resource(resource, meter):
     # sentinal indicating that there is something "funny"
     # about the range.
     if min_ts and max_ts and (min_ts <= max_ts):
-        # Can't use timedelta.total_seconds() because
-        # it is not available in Python 2.6.
-        diff = max_ts - min_ts
-        duration = (diff.seconds + (diff.days * 24 * 60 ** 2)) / 60
+        duration = timeutils.delta_seconds(min_ts, max_ts)
     else:
         min_ts = max_ts = duration = None
 
diff --git a/tests/api/v1/test_compute_duration_by_resource.py b/tests/api/v1/test_compute_duration_by_resource.py
index 020bb338..3dd1826c 100644
--- a/tests/api/v1/test_compute_duration_by_resource.py
+++ b/tests/api/v1/test_compute_duration_by_resource.py
@@ -80,14 +80,14 @@ class TestComputeDurationByResource(tests_api.TestBase):
         data = self._invoke_api()
         self._assert_times_match(data['start_timestamp'], self.start)
         self._assert_times_match(data['end_timestamp'], self.middle1)
-        assert data['duration'] == 8 * 60
+        self.assertEqual(data['duration'], 8 * 60 * 60)
 
     def test_within_range(self):
         self._set_interval(self.middle1, self.middle2)
         data = self._invoke_api()
         self._assert_times_match(data['start_timestamp'], self.middle1)
         self._assert_times_match(data['end_timestamp'], self.middle2)
-        assert data['duration'] == 10 * 60
+        self.assertEqual(data['duration'], 10 * 60 * 60)
 
     def test_within_range_zero_duration(self):
         self._set_interval(self.middle1, self.middle1)
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class TestComputeDurationByResource(tests_api.TestBase):
         data = self._invoke_api()
         self._assert_times_match(data['start_timestamp'], self.middle2)
         self._assert_times_match(data['end_timestamp'], self.end)
-        assert data['duration'] == (6 * 60) - 1
+        self.assertEqual(data['duration'], ((6 * 60) - 1) * 60)
 
     def test_after_range(self):
         self._set_interval(self.late1, self.late2)
diff --git a/tests/api/v2/test_compute_duration_by_resource.py b/tests/api/v2/test_compute_duration_by_resource.py
index d8125779..f9b8eb25 100644
--- a/tests/api/v2/test_compute_duration_by_resource.py
+++ b/tests/api/v2/test_compute_duration_by_resource.py
@@ -99,14 +99,14 @@ class TestComputeDurationByResource(FunctionalTest):
         data = self._invoke_api()
         self._assert_times_match(data['duration_start'], self.start)
         self._assert_times_match(data['duration_end'], self.middle1)
-        assert data['duration'] == 8 * 60
+        self.assertEqual(data['duration'], 8 * 60 * 60)
 
     def test_within_range(self):
         self._set_interval(self.middle1, self.middle2)
         data = self._invoke_api()
         self._assert_times_match(data['duration_start'], self.middle1)
         self._assert_times_match(data['duration_end'], self.middle2)
-        assert data['duration'] == 10 * 60
+        self.assertEqual(data['duration'], 10 * 60 * 60)
 
     def test_within_range_zero_duration(self):
         self._set_interval(self.middle1, self.middle1)
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ class TestComputeDurationByResource(FunctionalTest):
         data = self._invoke_api()
         self._assert_times_match(data['duration_start'], self.middle2)
         self._assert_times_match(data['duration_end'], self.end)
-        assert data['duration'] == (6 * 60) - 1
+        self.assertEqual(data['duration'], ((6 * 60) - 1) * 60)
 
     def test_after_range(self):
         self._set_interval(self.late1, self.late2)
diff --git a/tests/api/v2/test_statistics.py b/tests/api/v2/test_statistics.py
index 2be17091..9ac8ec43 100644
--- a/tests/api/v2/test_statistics.py
+++ b/tests/api/v2/test_statistics.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class TestStatisticsDuration(unittest.TestCase):
                           )
         assert s.duration_start == self.start
         assert s.duration_end == self.middle1
-        assert s.duration == 8 * 60
+        self.assertEqual(s.duration, 8 * 60 * 60)
 
     def test_within_range(self):
         s = v2.Statistics(duration_start=self.middle1,
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class TestStatisticsDuration(unittest.TestCase):
                           )
         assert s.duration_start == self.middle1
         assert s.duration_end == self.middle2
-        assert s.duration == 10 * 60
+        self.assertEqual(s.duration, 10 * 60 * 60)
 
     def test_within_range_zero_duration(self):
         s = v2.Statistics(duration_start=self.middle1,
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ class TestStatisticsDuration(unittest.TestCase):
                           )
         assert s.duration_start == self.middle2
         assert s.duration_end == self.end
-        assert s.duration == (6 * 60) - 1
+        self.assertEqual(s.duration, ((6 * 60) - 1) * 60)
 
     def test_after_range(self):
         s = v2.Statistics(duration_start=self.late1,