diff --git a/wire/blockheader.go b/wire/blockheader.go
index 941d40a54..e017fc96f 100644
--- a/wire/blockheader.go
+++ b/wire/blockheader.go
@@ -115,13 +115,11 @@ func NewBlockHeader(prevHash *ShaHash, merkleRootHash *ShaHash, bits uint32,
 // decoding block headers stored to disk, such as in a database, as opposed to
 // decoding from the wire.
 func readBlockHeader(r io.Reader, pver uint32, bh *BlockHeader) error {
-	var sec uint32
-	err := readElements(r, &bh.Version, &bh.PrevBlock, &bh.MerkleRoot, &sec,
-		&bh.Bits, &bh.Nonce)
+	err := readElements(r, &bh.Version, &bh.PrevBlock, &bh.MerkleRoot,
+		(*uint32Time)(&bh.Timestamp), &bh.Bits, &bh.Nonce)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	bh.Timestamp = time.Unix(int64(sec), 0)
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/wire/common.go b/wire/common.go
index 033d3dad4..ca8aa280c 100644
--- a/wire/common.go
+++ b/wire/common.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"math"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/btcsuite/fastsha256"
 )
@@ -175,6 +176,16 @@ var binarySerializer binaryFreeList = make(chan []byte, binaryFreeListMaxItems)
 var errNonCanonicalVarInt = "non-canonical varint %x - discriminant %x must " +
 	"encode a value greater than %x"
 
+// uint32Time represents a unix timestamp encoded with a uint32.  It is used as
+// a way to signal the readElement function how to decode a timestamp into a Go
+// time.Time since it is otherwise ambiguous.
+type uint32Time time.Time
+
+// int64Time represents a unix timestamp encoded with an int64.  It is used as
+// a way to signal the readElement function how to decode a timestamp into a Go
+// time.Time since it is otherwise ambiguous.
+type int64Time time.Time
+
 // readElement reads the next sequence of bytes from r using little endian
 // depending on the concrete type of element pointed to.
 func readElement(r io.Reader, element interface{}) error {
@@ -225,6 +236,24 @@ func readElement(r io.Reader, element interface{}) error {
 		}
 		return nil
 
+	// Unix timestamp encoded as a uint32.
+	case *uint32Time:
+		rv, err := binarySerializer.Uint32(r, binary.LittleEndian)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		*e = uint32Time(time.Unix(int64(rv), 0))
+		return nil
+
+	// Unix timestamp encoded as an int64.
+	case *int64Time:
+		rv, err := binarySerializer.Uint64(r, binary.LittleEndian)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		*e = int64Time(time.Unix(int64(rv), 0))
+		return nil
+
 	// Message header checksum.
 	case *[4]byte:
 		_, err := io.ReadFull(r, e[:])
diff --git a/wire/msgversion.go b/wire/msgversion.go
index 6fd3fc6b0..b8e96d253 100644
--- a/wire/msgversion.go
+++ b/wire/msgversion.go
@@ -84,12 +84,11 @@ func (msg *MsgVersion) BtcDecode(r io.Reader, pver uint32) error {
 			"*bytes.Buffer")
 	}
 
-	var sec int64
-	err := readElements(buf, &msg.ProtocolVersion, &msg.Services, &sec)
+	err := readElements(buf, &msg.ProtocolVersion, &msg.Services,
+		(*int64Time)(&msg.Timestamp))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	msg.Timestamp = time.Unix(sec, 0)
 
 	err = readNetAddress(buf, pver, &msg.AddrYou, false)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/wire/netaddress.go b/wire/netaddress.go
index bd58a9c12..6c3e65a1a 100644
--- a/wire/netaddress.go
+++ b/wire/netaddress.go
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ func NewNetAddress(addr net.Addr, services ServiceFlag) (*NetAddress, error) {
 // version and whether or not the timestamp is included per ts.  Some messages
 // like version do not include the timestamp.
 func readNetAddress(r io.Reader, pver uint32, na *NetAddress, ts bool) error {
-	var timestamp time.Time
 	var services ServiceFlag
 	var ip [16]byte
 
@@ -113,12 +112,10 @@ func readNetAddress(r io.Reader, pver uint32, na *NetAddress, ts bool) error {
 	// stop working somewhere around 2106.  Also timestamp wasn't added until
 	// protocol version >= NetAddressTimeVersion
 	if ts && pver >= NetAddressTimeVersion {
-		var stamp uint32
-		err := readElement(r, &stamp)
+		err := readElement(r, (*uint32Time)(&na.Timestamp))
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		timestamp = time.Unix(int64(stamp), 0)
 	}
 
 	err := readElements(r, &services, &ip)
@@ -131,7 +128,6 @@ func readNetAddress(r io.Reader, pver uint32, na *NetAddress, ts bool) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	na.Timestamp = timestamp
 	na.Services = services
 	na.SetAddress(net.IP(ip[:]), port)
 	return nil