diff --git a/database/build/build_test.go b/database/build/build_test.go
index 6304cd167..070744260 100644
--- a/database/build/build_test.go
+++ b/database/build/build_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"database/sql/driver"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock"
 	"github.com/go-vela/types/library"
@@ -266,3 +267,17 @@ type AnyArgument struct{}
 func (a AnyArgument) Match(v driver.Value) bool {
 	return true
 }
+
+// NowTimestamp is used to test whether timestamps get updated correctly to the current time with lenience.
+type NowTimestamp struct{}
+
+// Match satisfies sqlmock.Argument interface.
+func (t NowTimestamp) Match(v driver.Value) bool {
+	ts, ok := v.(int64)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	now := time.Now().Unix()
+
+	return now-ts < 10
+}
diff --git a/database/build/clean_test.go b/database/build/clean_test.go
index 05b606b3f..ff6e36556 100644
--- a/database/build/clean_test.go
+++ b/database/build/clean_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package build
 import (
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock"
 )
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ func TestBuild_Engine_CleanBuilds(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// ensure the mock expects the name query
 	_mock.ExpectExec(`UPDATE "builds" SET "status"=$1,"error"=$2,"finished"=$3,"deploy_payload"=$4 WHERE created < $5 AND (status = 'running' OR status = 'pending')`).
-		WithArgs("error", "msg", time.Now().UTC().Unix(), AnyArgument{}, 3).
+		WithArgs("error", "msg", NowTimestamp{}, AnyArgument{}, 3).
 		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(1, 2))
 
 	_sqlite := testSqlite(t)
diff --git a/database/schedule/schedule_test.go b/database/schedule/schedule_test.go
index c86f1f353..fc4b4c6e1 100644
--- a/database/schedule/schedule_test.go
+++ b/database/schedule/schedule_test.go
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 package schedule
 
 import (
+	"database/sql/driver"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock"
 	"github.com/go-vela/types/library"
@@ -210,3 +212,21 @@ func testRepo() *library.Repo {
 		AllowComment: new(bool),
 	}
 }
+
+// This will be used with the github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock library to compare values
+// that are otherwise not easily compared. These typically would be values generated
+// before adding or updating them in the database.
+//
+// https://github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock#matching-arguments-like-timetime
+type NowTimestamp struct{}
+
+// Match satisfies sqlmock.Argument interface.
+func (t NowTimestamp) Match(v driver.Value) bool {
+	ts, ok := v.(int64)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	now := time.Now().Unix()
+
+	return now-ts < 10
+}
diff --git a/database/schedule/update_test.go b/database/schedule/update_test.go
index 2554cefdc..07cbfbc58 100644
--- a/database/schedule/update_test.go
+++ b/database/schedule/update_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ package schedule
 
 import (
 	"testing"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock"
 )
@@ -35,7 +34,7 @@ func TestSchedule_Engine_UpdateSchedule_Config(t *testing.T) {
 	_mock.ExpectExec(`UPDATE "schedules"
 SET "repo_id"=$1,"active"=$2,"name"=$3,"entry"=$4,"created_at"=$5,"created_by"=$6,"updated_at"=$7,"updated_by"=$8,"scheduled_at"=$9
 WHERE "id" = $10`).
-		WithArgs(1, false, "nightly", "0 0 * * *", 1, "user1", time.Now().UTC().Unix(), "user2", nil, 1).
+		WithArgs(1, false, "nightly", "0 0 * * *", 1, "user1", NowTimestamp{}, "user2", nil, 1).
 		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(1, 1))
 
 	_sqlite := testSqlite(t)
diff --git a/database/secret/secret_test.go b/database/secret/secret_test.go
index 228567344..0d6a61c25 100644
--- a/database/secret/secret_test.go
+++ b/database/secret/secret_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"database/sql/driver"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock"
 	"github.com/go-vela/types/library"
@@ -238,3 +239,17 @@ type AnyArgument struct{}
 func (a AnyArgument) Match(_ driver.Value) bool {
 	return true
 }
+
+// NowTimestamp is used to test whether timestamps get updated correctly to the current time with lenience.
+type NowTimestamp struct{}
+
+// Match satisfies sqlmock.Argument interface.
+func (t NowTimestamp) Match(v driver.Value) bool {
+	ts, ok := v.(int64)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	now := time.Now().Unix()
+
+	return now-ts < 10
+}
diff --git a/database/secret/update_test.go b/database/secret/update_test.go
index e719e220e..fd9a24ff6 100644
--- a/database/secret/update_test.go
+++ b/database/secret/update_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ package secret
 
 import (
 	"testing"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock"
 	"github.com/go-vela/types/library"
@@ -57,21 +56,21 @@ func TestSecret_Engine_UpdateSecret(t *testing.T) {
 	_mock.ExpectExec(`UPDATE "secrets"
 SET "org"=$1,"repo"=$2,"team"=$3,"name"=$4,"value"=$5,"type"=$6,"images"=$7,"events"=$8,"allow_command"=$9,"created_at"=$10,"created_by"=$11,"updated_at"=$12,"updated_by"=$13
 WHERE "id" = $14`).
-		WithArgs("foo", "bar", nil, "baz", AnyArgument{}, "repo", nil, nil, false, 1, "user", time.Now().UTC().Unix(), "user2", 1).
+		WithArgs("foo", "bar", nil, "baz", AnyArgument{}, "repo", nil, nil, false, 1, "user", AnyArgument{}, "user2", 1).
 		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(1, 1))
 
 	// ensure the mock expects the org query
 	_mock.ExpectExec(`UPDATE "secrets"
 SET "org"=$1,"repo"=$2,"team"=$3,"name"=$4,"value"=$5,"type"=$6,"images"=$7,"events"=$8,"allow_command"=$9,"created_at"=$10,"created_by"=$11,"updated_at"=$12,"updated_by"=$13
 WHERE "id" = $14`).
-		WithArgs("foo", "*", nil, "bar", AnyArgument{}, "org", nil, nil, false, 1, "user", time.Now().UTC().Unix(), "user2", 2).
+		WithArgs("foo", "*", nil, "bar", AnyArgument{}, "org", nil, nil, false, 1, "user", AnyArgument{}, "user2", 2).
 		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(1, 1))
 
 	// ensure the mock expects the shared query
 	_mock.ExpectExec(`UPDATE "secrets"
 SET "org"=$1,"repo"=$2,"team"=$3,"name"=$4,"value"=$5,"type"=$6,"images"=$7,"events"=$8,"allow_command"=$9,"created_at"=$10,"created_by"=$11,"updated_at"=$12,"updated_by"=$13
 WHERE "id" = $14`).
-		WithArgs("foo", nil, "bar", "baz", AnyArgument{}, "shared", nil, nil, false, 1, "user", time.Now().UTC().Unix(), "user2", 3).
+		WithArgs("foo", nil, "bar", "baz", AnyArgument{}, "shared", nil, nil, false, 1, "user", NowTimestamp{}, "user2", 3).
 		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(1, 1))
 
 	_sqlite := testSqlite(t)
diff --git a/database/service/clean_test.go b/database/service/clean_test.go
index f30939880..3bd9baf15 100644
--- a/database/service/clean_test.go
+++ b/database/service/clean_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package service
 import (
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock"
 )
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ func TestService_Engine_CleanService(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// ensure the mock expects the name query
 	_mock.ExpectExec(`UPDATE "services" SET "status"=$1,"error"=$2,"finished"=$3 WHERE created < $4 AND (status = 'running' OR status = 'pending')`).
-		WithArgs("error", "msg", time.Now().UTC().Unix(), 3).
+		WithArgs("error", "msg", NowTimestamp{}, 3).
 		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(1, 2))
 
 	_sqlite := testSqlite(t)
diff --git a/database/service/service_test.go b/database/service/service_test.go
index 7749f43d3..c9d658769 100644
--- a/database/service/service_test.go
+++ b/database/service/service_test.go
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 package service
 
 import (
+	"database/sql/driver"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock"
 	"github.com/go-vela/types/library"
@@ -222,3 +224,23 @@ func testService() *library.Service {
 		Distribution: new(string),
 	}
 }
+
+// This will be used with the github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock library to compare values
+// that are otherwise not easily compared. These typically would be values generated
+// before adding or updating them in the database.
+//
+// https://github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock#matching-arguments-like-timetime
+
+// NowTimestamp is used to test whether timestamps get updated correctly to the current time with lenience.
+type NowTimestamp struct{}
+
+// Match satisfies sqlmock.Argument interface.
+func (t NowTimestamp) Match(v driver.Value) bool {
+	ts, ok := v.(int64)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	now := time.Now().Unix()
+
+	return now-ts < 10
+}
diff --git a/database/step/clean_test.go b/database/step/clean_test.go
index 22709749a..4d0c68e07 100644
--- a/database/step/clean_test.go
+++ b/database/step/clean_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package step
 import (
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock"
 )
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ func TestStep_Engine_CleanStep(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// ensure the mock expects the name query
 	_mock.ExpectExec(`UPDATE "steps" SET "status"=$1,"error"=$2,"finished"=$3 WHERE created < $4 AND (status = 'running' OR status = 'pending')`).
-		WithArgs("error", "msg", time.Now().UTC().Unix(), 3).
+		WithArgs("error", "msg", NowTimestamp{}, 3).
 		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(1, 2))
 
 	_sqlite := testSqlite(t)
diff --git a/database/step/step_test.go b/database/step/step_test.go
index 26edfa5e1..136d5ca40 100644
--- a/database/step/step_test.go
+++ b/database/step/step_test.go
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 package step
 
 import (
+	"database/sql/driver"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock"
 	"github.com/go-vela/types/library"
@@ -223,3 +225,23 @@ func testStep() *library.Step {
 		Distribution: new(string),
 	}
 }
+
+// This will be used with the github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock library to compare values
+// that are otherwise not easily compared. These typically would be values generated
+// before adding or updating them in the database.
+//
+// https://github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock#matching-arguments-like-timetime
+
+// NowTimestamp is used to test whether timestamps get updated correctly to the current time with lenience.
+type NowTimestamp struct{}
+
+// Match satisfies sqlmock.Argument interface.
+func (t NowTimestamp) Match(v driver.Value) bool {
+	ts, ok := v.(int64)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	now := time.Now().Unix()
+
+	return now-ts < 10
+}