diff --git a/light-client/src/supervisor.rs b/light-client/src/supervisor.rs
index 14a1358c1..0084464f0 100644
--- a/light-client/src/supervisor.rs
+++ b/light-client/src/supervisor.rs
@@ -585,7 +585,10 @@ mod tests {
 
         let peer_id = provider.unwrap_or("0BEFEEDC0C0ADEADBEBADFADADEFC0FFEEFACADE");
 
-        let header = Header::new(&vals).height(1).chain_id(chain).time(1);
+        let header = Header::new(&vals)
+            .height(1)
+            .chain_id(chain)
+            .time(Time::from_unix_timestamp(1, 0).unwrap());
         let commit = Commit::new(header.clone(), 1);
         let mut lb = TestgenLightBlock::new(header, commit).provider(peer_id);
 
@@ -722,8 +725,7 @@ mod tests {
             .collect::<Vec<LightBlock>>();
 
         let mut header = chain.light_blocks[4].header.clone().unwrap();
-        let mut time = header.time.unwrap();
-        time += 3;
+        let time = (header.time.unwrap() + Duration::from_secs(3)).unwrap();
         header.time = Some(time);
         chain.light_blocks[4].header = Some(header.clone());
         chain.light_blocks[4].commit = Some(Commit::new(header, 1));
diff --git a/light-client/tests/backward.rs b/light-client/tests/backward.rs
index e7b3bd324..c372ff4d7 100644
--- a/light-client/tests/backward.rs
+++ b/light-client/tests/backward.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 use std::{collections::HashMap, time::Duration};
 
-use tendermint::{hash::Algorithm, Hash};
+use tendermint::{hash::Algorithm, Hash, Time};
 
 use tendermint_light_client::{
     components::{
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ fn corrupt_hash(mut tc: TestCase, mut rng: TestRng) -> TestCase {
     let block = tc.chain.block_mut(height).unwrap();
 
     if let Some(header) = block.header.as_mut() {
-        header.time = Some(1610105021);
+        header.time = Some(Time::from_unix_timestamp(1610105021, 0).unwrap());
     }
 
     tc
diff --git a/testgen/Cargo.toml b/testgen/Cargo.toml
index 5504b031b..64795152f 100644
--- a/testgen/Cargo.toml
+++ b/testgen/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ description = """
     """
 
 [dependencies]
-tendermint = { version = "0.23.0", path = "../tendermint" }
+tendermint = { version = "0.23.0", path = "../tendermint", features = ["clock"] }
 serde = { version = "1", default-features = false, features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = { version = "1", default-features = false, features = ["std"] }
 ed25519-consensus = { version = "1.2", default-features = false }
diff --git a/testgen/src/commit.rs b/testgen/src/commit.rs
index a0cd86a50..ba1f428f3 100644
--- a/testgen/src/commit.rs
+++ b/testgen/src/commit.rs
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ impl Generator<block::Commit> for Commit {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use tendermint::Time;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_commit() {
@@ -186,7 +187,7 @@ mod tests {
         let header = Header::new(&valset1)
             .next_validators(&valset2)
             .height(10)
-            .time(11);
+            .time(Time::from_unix_timestamp(11, 0).unwrap());
 
         let commit = Commit::new(header.clone(), 3);
 
diff --git a/testgen/src/header.rs b/testgen/src/header.rs
index 0891fea58..2233b86b3 100644
--- a/testgen/src/header.rs
+++ b/testgen/src/header.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use crate::{helpers::*, validator::generate_validators, Generator, Validator};
+use core::time::Duration;
 use gumdrop::Options;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+use serde::{Deserializer, Serializer};
 use simple_error::*;
 use std::convert::{TryFrom, TryInto};
 use std::str::FromStr;
@@ -24,13 +26,41 @@ pub struct Header {
     #[options(help = "block height (default: 1)")]
     pub height: Option<u64>,
     #[options(help = "time (default: now)")]
-    pub time: Option<u64>,
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_time")]
+    #[serde(serialize_with = "serialize_time")]
+    pub time: Option<Time>,
     #[options(help = "proposer index (default: 0)")]
     pub proposer: Option<usize>,
     #[options(help = "last block id hash (default: Hash::None)")]
     pub last_block_id_hash: Option<Hash>,
 }
 
+// Serialize and deserialize time only up to second precision for integration with MBT.
+// This is ok as long as the serialized form is only used exclusively for MBT.
+// Otherwise we will have to find other ways to serialize time at least down to
+// millisecond precision, at the same time still being able to support that in MBT.
+fn deserialize_time<'de, D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Option<Time>, D::Error>
+where
+    D: Deserializer<'de>,
+{
+    let m_secs = <Option<i64>>::deserialize(deserializer)?;
+    let m_time = m_secs.map(|secs| Time::from_unix_timestamp(secs, 0).unwrap());
+
+    Ok(m_time)
+}
+
+fn serialize_time<S>(m_time: &Option<Time>, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error>
+where
+    S: Serializer,
+{
+    let m_secs = m_time.map(|time| {
+        let datetime: OffsetDateTime = time.into();
+        datetime.unix_timestamp()
+    });
+
+    m_secs.serialize(serializer)
+}
+
 impl Header {
     pub fn new(validators: &[Validator]) -> Self {
         Header {
@@ -51,13 +81,16 @@ impl Header {
     );
     set_option!(chain_id, &str, Some(chain_id.to_string()));
     set_option!(height, u64);
-    set_option!(time, u64);
+    set_option!(time, Time);
     set_option!(proposer, usize);
     set_option!(last_block_id_hash, Hash);
 
     pub fn next(&self) -> Self {
         let height = self.height.expect("Missing previous header's height");
-        let time = self.time.unwrap_or(height); // if no time is found, then we simple correspond it to the header height
+        // if no time is found, then we simple correspond it to the header height
+        let time = self
+            .time
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| Time::from_unix_timestamp(height.try_into().unwrap(), 0).unwrap());
         let validators = self.validators.clone().expect("Missing validators");
         let next_validators = self.next_validators.clone().unwrap_or(validators);
 
@@ -69,7 +102,7 @@ impl Header {
             next_validators: Some(next_validators),
             chain_id: self.chain_id.clone(),
             height: Some(height + 1),
-            time: Some(time + 1),
+            time: Some((time + Duration::from_secs(1)).unwrap()),
             proposer: self.proposer, // TODO: proposer must be incremented
             last_block_id_hash: Some(last_block_id_hash),
         }
@@ -127,11 +160,7 @@ impl Generator<block::Header> for Header {
             Err(_) => bail!("failed to construct header's chain_id"),
         };
 
-        let time: Time = if let Some(t) = self.time {
-            get_time(t)?
-        } else {
-            OffsetDateTime::now_utc().try_into().unwrap()
-        };
+        let time: Time = self.time.unwrap_or_else(Time::now);
 
         let last_block_id = self.last_block_id_hash.map(|hash| block::Id {
             hash,
@@ -164,6 +193,8 @@ impl Generator<block::Header> for Header {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use core::time::Duration;
+    use tendermint::Time;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_header() {
@@ -178,13 +209,13 @@ mod tests {
             Validator::new("d"),
         ];
 
-        let now1: u64 = 100;
+        let now1 = Time::now();
         let header1 = Header::new(&valset1)
             .next_validators(&valset2)
             .height(10)
             .time(now1);
 
-        let now2 = now1 + 1;
+        let now2 = (now1 + Duration::from_secs(1)).unwrap();
         let header2 = Header::new(&valset1)
             .next_validators(&valset2)
             .height(10)
diff --git a/testgen/src/light_block.rs b/testgen/src/light_block.rs
index 5edc2195a..cf001d9c0 100644
--- a/testgen/src/light_block.rs
+++ b/testgen/src/light_block.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ use crate::{Commit, Generator, Header, Validator};
 use tendermint::node::Id as PeerId;
 use tendermint::validator;
 use tendermint::validator::Set as ValidatorSet;
+use tendermint::Time;
 use tendermint::{block::signed_header::SignedHeader, Hash};
+
 /// A light block is the core data structure used by the light client.
 /// It records everything the light client needs to know about a block.
 /// NOTE: This struct & associated `impl` below are a copy of light-client's `LightBlock`.
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ impl LightBlock {
             .height(height)
             .chain_id("test-chain")
             .next_validators(&validators)
-            .time(height); // just wanted to initialize time with some value
+            .time(Time::from_unix_timestamp(height as i64, 0).unwrap()); // just wanted to initialize time with some value
 
         let commit = Commit::new(header.clone(), 1);
 
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@ impl LightBlock {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn new_default_with_time_and_chain_id(chain_id: String, time: u64, height: u64) -> Self {
+    pub fn new_default_with_time_and_chain_id(chain_id: String, time: Time, height: u64) -> Self {
         let validators = [
             Validator::new("1").voting_power(50),
             Validator::new("2").voting_power(50),
@@ -295,7 +297,7 @@ mod tests {
         let header_6 = Header::new(&validators)
             .next_validators(&validators)
             .height(10)
-            .time(10)
+            .time(Time::from_unix_timestamp(10, 0).unwrap())
             .chain_id("test-chain");
         let commit_6 = Commit::new(header_6.clone(), 1);
         let light_block_6 = LightBlock::new(header_6.clone(), commit_6);
diff --git a/testgen/src/vote.rs b/testgen/src/vote.rs
index 3d188e711..7566196d6 100644
--- a/testgen/src/vote.rs
+++ b/testgen/src/vote.rs
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ mod tests {
         let header = Header::new(&valset1)
             .next_validators(&valset2)
             .height(10)
-            .time(10);
+            .time(tendermint::Time::from_unix_timestamp(10, 0).unwrap());
 
         let val = &valset1[1];
         let vote = Vote::new(val.clone(), header.clone()).round(2);