diff --git a/vitrage/datasources/cinder/volume/transformer.py b/vitrage/datasources/cinder/volume/transformer.py
index d8e8d1d92..cb8223473 100644
--- a/vitrage/datasources/cinder/volume/transformer.py
+++ b/vitrage/datasources/cinder/volume/transformer.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ from vitrage.datasources import transformer_base as tbase
 from vitrage.datasources.transformer_base import build_key
 from vitrage.datasources.transformer_base import extract_field_value
 import vitrage.graph.utils as graph_utils
+from vitrage.utils.datetime import format_timestamp
 
 
 class CinderVolumeTransformer(ResourceTransformerBase):
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ class CinderVolumeTransformer(ResourceTransformerBase):
             vitrage_sample_timestamp=vitrage_sample_timestamp,
             entity_id=volume_id,
             entity_state=volume_state,
-            update_timestamp=update_timestamp,
+            update_timestamp=format_timestamp(update_timestamp),
             metadata=metadata)
 
     def _create_snapshot_neighbors(self, entity_event):
diff --git a/vitrage/datasources/driver_base.py b/vitrage/datasources/driver_base.py
index df4a70f39..cccd70962 100644
--- a/vitrage/datasources/driver_base.py
+++ b/vitrage/datasources/driver_base.py
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ class DriverBase(object):
 
     @staticmethod
     def _add_sampling_time(entity):
-        entity[DSProps.SAMPLE_DATE] = str(datetime_utils.utcnow())
+        entity[DSProps.SAMPLE_DATE] = datetime_utils.format_utcnow()
 
     @staticmethod
     def _add_datasource_action(entity, datasource_action):
diff --git a/vitrage/datasources/transformer_base.py b/vitrage/datasources/transformer_base.py
index ac4337ca1..127b47e5d 100644
--- a/vitrage/datasources/transformer_base.py
+++ b/vitrage/datasources/transformer_base.py
@@ -359,7 +359,9 @@ class TransformerBase(object):
 
     @staticmethod
     def _format_update_timestamp(update_timestamp, sample_timestamp):
-        return update_timestamp if update_timestamp else sample_timestamp
+        update_timestamp = update_timestamp if update_timestamp \
+            else sample_timestamp
+        return datetime_utils.format_timestamp(update_timestamp)
 
     @staticmethod
     def get_enrich_query(event):
diff --git a/vitrage/tests/mocks/mock_driver.py b/vitrage/tests/mocks/mock_driver.py
index f81d86f9d..275ce4096 100644
--- a/vitrage/tests/mocks/mock_driver.py
+++ b/vitrage/tests/mocks/mock_driver.py
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ def simple_static_generators(switch_num=2, host_num=10,
             snap_vals = {}
         snap_vals.update({
             DSProps.DATASOURCE_ACTION: DatasourceAction.SNAPSHOT,
-            DSProps.SAMPLE_DATE: utcnow()})
+            DSProps.SAMPLE_DATE: str(utcnow())})
         test_entity_spec_list.append(
             {tg.DYNAMIC_INFO_FKEY: tg.DRIVER_STATIC_SNAPSHOT_D,
              tg.STATIC_INFO_FKEY: tg.DRIVER_STATIC_SNAPSHOT_S,
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ def simple_static_generators(switch_num=2, host_num=10,
             update_vals = {}
         update_vals.update({
             DSProps.DATASOURCE_ACTION: DatasourceAction.UPDATE,
-            DSProps.SAMPLE_DATE: utcnow()})
+            DSProps.SAMPLE_DATE: str(utcnow())})
         test_entity_spec_list.append(
             {tg.DYNAMIC_INFO_FKEY: tg.DRIVER_STATIC_SNAPSHOT_D,
              tg.STATIC_INFO_FKEY: None,
diff --git a/vitrage/utils/datetime.py b/vitrage/utils/datetime.py
index 1af364b3f..65b560b2b 100644
--- a/vitrage/utils/datetime.py
+++ b/vitrage/utils/datetime.py
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ def utcnow(with_timezone=True):
     return timeutils.utcnow(with_timezone)
 
 
+def format_utcnow(with_timezone=True, date_format=TIMESTAMP_FORMAT):
+    return utcnow(with_timezone).strftime(date_format)
+
+
 def change_time_str_format(timestamp_str, old_format, new_format):
     utc = datetime.strptime(timestamp_str, old_format)
     return utc.strftime(new_format)
@@ -43,3 +47,8 @@ def change_to_utc_time_and_format(timestamp_str, new_format):
 def format_unix_timestamp(timestamp, date_format=TIMESTAMP_FORMAT):
     return datetime.fromtimestamp(float(timestamp)) \
         .strftime(date_format)
+
+
+def format_timestamp(timestamp_str, new_format=TIMESTAMP_FORMAT):
+    return parser.parse(timestamp_str).strftime(new_format) if timestamp_str \
+        else None