diff --git a/replication/changes.go b/replication/changes.go
index 32c3131..f7cefed 100644
--- a/replication/changes.go
+++ b/replication/changes.go
@@ -17,15 +17,33 @@ func NewChangesetDownloader(dest, url string, seq int, interval time.Duration) *
 }
 
 type changesetState struct {
-	Time     time.Time `yaml:"last_run"`
-	Sequence int       `yaml:"sequence"`
+	Time     yamlStateTime `yaml:"last_run"`
+	Sequence int           `yaml:"sequence"`
 }
 
-func parseYamlState(filename string) (changesetState, error) {
+type yamlStateTime struct {
+	time.Time
+}
+
+func (y *yamlStateTime) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
+	var ts string
+	if err := unmarshal(&ts); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	t, err := time.Parse("2006-01-02 15:04:05.999999999 -07:00", ts)
+	y.Time = t
+	return err
+}
+
+func parseYamlStateFile(filename string) (changesetState, error) {
 	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filename)
 	if err != nil {
 		return changesetState{}, err
 	}
+	return parseYamlState(b)
+}
+
+func parseYamlState(b []byte) (changesetState, error) {
 	state := changesetState{}
 	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(b, &state); err != nil {
 		return changesetState{}, err
@@ -34,9 +52,9 @@ func parseYamlState(filename string) (changesetState, error) {
 }
 
 func parseYamlTime(filename string) (time.Time, error) {
-	state, err := parseYamlState(filename)
+	state, err := parseYamlStateFile(filename)
 	if err != nil {
 		return time.Time{}, err
 	}
-	return state.Time, nil
+	return state.Time.Time, nil
 }
diff --git a/replication/changes_test.go b/replication/changes_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..53b8dd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/replication/changes_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package replication
+
+import (
+	"time"
+
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestParseYamlState(t *testing.T) {
+	state, err := parseYamlState([]byte(`---
+last_run: 2016-12-07 19:16:01.500000000 +00:00
+sequence: 2139110
+`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if state.Sequence != 2139110 {
+		t.Error("unexpected sequence", state)
+	}
+
+	expected := time.Date(2016, 12, 07, 19, 16, 01, 500000000, time.UTC)
+	if !state.Time.Time.Equal(expected) {
+		t.Error("unexpected time", state)
+	}
+
+}