diff --git a/ext/mysql2/result.c b/ext/mysql2/result.c
index 4f46baf26..a1dea9a01 100644
--- a/ext/mysql2/result.c
+++ b/ext/mysql2/result.c
@@ -4,13 +4,26 @@
 static rb_encoding *binaryEncoding;
 #endif
 
-#define MYSQL2_MAX_YEAR 2038
+#if SIZEOF_INT < SIZEOF_LONG
+/**
+ * on 64bit platforms we can handle dates way outside 2038-01-19T03:14:07
+ * because of how I'm performing the math below, this will allow a maximum
+ * timestamp of 9846-12-12T11:5999:59
+*/
+#define MYSQL2_MAX_YEAR 9999
+#else
+/**
+ * on 32bit platforms the maximum date the Time class can handle is 2038-01-19T03:14:07
+ * 2082 = 2038+1+19+3+14+7
+ */
+#define MYSQL2_MAX_YEAR 2082
+#endif
 
 #ifdef NEGATIVE_TIME_T
-  /* 1901-12-13 20:45:52 UTC : The oldest time in 32-bit signed time_t. */
+/* 1901-12-13 20:45:52 UTC : The oldest time in 32-bit signed time_t. */
 #define MYSQL2_MIN_YEAR 1902
 #else
- /* 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC : The Unix epoch - the oldest time in portable time_t. */
+/* 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC : The Unix epoch - the oldest time in portable time_t. */
 #define MYSQL2_MIN_YEAR 1970
 #endif
 
@@ -240,7 +253,7 @@ static VALUE rb_mysql_result_fetch_row(VALUE self, ID db_timezone, ID app_timezo
               rb_raise(cMysql2Error, "Invalid date: %s", row[i]);
               val = Qnil;
             } else {
-              if (year < MYSQL2_MIN_YEAR || year+month+day > MYSQL2_MAX_YEAR) { // use DateTime instead
+              if (year < MYSQL2_MIN_YEAR || year+month+day+hour+min+sec > MYSQL2_MAX_YEAR) { // use DateTime instead
                 VALUE offset = INT2NUM(0);
                 if (db_timezone == intern_local) {
                   offset = rb_funcall(cMysql2Client, intern_local_offset, 0);
diff --git a/spec/mysql2/result_spec.rb b/spec/mysql2/result_spec.rb
index 11f180b28..cae9035c5 100644
--- a/spec/mysql2/result_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/mysql2/result_spec.rb
@@ -189,9 +189,18 @@
       r.first['test'].class.should eql(DateTime)
     end
 
-    it "should return DateTime when time > year 2038" do
-      r = @client.query("SELECT CAST('2039-01-01 01:01:01' AS DATETIME) as test")
-      r.first['test'].class.should eql(DateTime)
+    if 1.size == 4 # 32bit
+      it "should return DateTime when timestamp is > 2038-01-19T03:14:07" do
+                                      # 2038-01-19T03:14:07 is the max for 32bit Ruby 1.8
+        r = @client.query("SELECT CAST('2038-01-19 03:14:08' AS DATETIME) as test")
+        r.first['test'].class.should eql(DateTime)
+      end
+    elsif 1.size == 8 # 64bit
+      it "should return Time when timestamp is > 2038-01-19T03:14:07" do
+                                      # 2038-01-19 03:14:07 is the max for 32bit Ruby 1.8
+        r = @client.query("SELECT CAST('2038-01-19 03:14:08' AS DATETIME) as test")
+        r.first['test'].class.should eql(Time)
+      end
     end
 
     it "should return Time for a TIMESTAMP value when within the supported range" do