diff --git a/aana/alembic/versions/5ad873484aa3_init.py b/aana/alembic/versions/5ad873484aa3_init.py
index 89b77d13..0a200515 100644
--- a/aana/alembic/versions/5ad873484aa3_init.py
+++ b/aana/alembic/versions/5ad873484aa3_init.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 from sqlalchemy.schema import CreateSequence, Sequence
 
 from aana.storage.types import JSON
+from aana.storage.utcnow import utcnow
 
 # revision identifiers, used by Alembic.
 revision: str = "5ad873484aa3"
@@ -57,14 +58,14 @@ def upgrade() -> None:
         sa.Column(
             "created_at",
             sa.DateTime(timezone=True),
-            server_default=sa.text("(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)"),
+            server_default=utcnow(),
             nullable=False,
             comment="Timestamp when row is inserted",
         ),
         sa.Column(
             "updated_at",
             sa.DateTime(timezone=True),
-            server_default=sa.text("(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)"),
+            server_default=utcnow(),
             nullable=False,
             comment="Timestamp when row is updated",
         ),
@@ -84,14 +85,14 @@ def upgrade() -> None:
         sa.Column(
             "created_at",
             sa.DateTime(timezone=True),
-            server_default=sa.text("(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)"),
+            server_default=utcnow(),
             nullable=False,
             comment="Timestamp when row is inserted",
         ),
         sa.Column(
             "updated_at",
             sa.DateTime(timezone=True),
-            server_default=sa.text("(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)"),
+            server_default=utcnow(),
             nullable=False,
             comment="Timestamp when row is updated",
         ),
@@ -135,14 +136,14 @@ def upgrade() -> None:
         sa.Column(
             "assigned_at",
             sa.DateTime(timezone=True),
-            server_default=sa.text("(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)"),
+            server_default=utcnow(),
             nullable=True,
             comment="Timestamp when the task was assigned",
         ),
         sa.Column(
             "completed_at",
             sa.DateTime(timezone=True),
-            server_default=sa.text("(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)"),
+            server_default=utcnow(),
             nullable=True,
             comment="Timestamp when the task was completed",
         ),
@@ -161,14 +162,14 @@ def upgrade() -> None:
         sa.Column(
             "created_at",
             sa.DateTime(timezone=True),
-            server_default=sa.text("(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)"),
+            server_default=utcnow(),
             nullable=False,
             comment="Timestamp when row is inserted",
         ),
         sa.Column(
             "updated_at",
             sa.DateTime(timezone=True),
-            server_default=sa.text("(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)"),
+            server_default=utcnow(),
             nullable=False,
             comment="Timestamp when row is updated",
         ),
@@ -216,14 +217,14 @@ def upgrade() -> None:
         sa.Column(
             "created_at",
             sa.DateTime(timezone=True),
-            server_default=sa.text("(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)"),
+            server_default=utcnow(),
             nullable=False,
             comment="Timestamp when row is inserted",
         ),
         sa.Column(
             "updated_at",
             sa.DateTime(timezone=True),
-            server_default=sa.text("(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)"),
+            server_default=utcnow(),
             nullable=False,
             comment="Timestamp when row is updated",
         ),
diff --git a/aana/storage/models/base.py b/aana/storage/models/base.py
index 616066b1..390dd484 100644
--- a/aana/storage/models/base.py
+++ b/aana/storage/models/base.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import datetime
 from typing import Annotated, Any, TypeVar
 
-from sqlalchemy import DateTime, MetaData, String, func
+from sqlalchemy import DateTime, MetaData, String
 from sqlalchemy.orm import (
     DeclarativeBase,
     Mapped,
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 )
 
 from aana.core.models.media import MediaId
+from aana.storage.utcnow import utcnow
 
 timestamp = Annotated[
     datetime.datetime,
@@ -79,11 +80,11 @@ class TimeStampEntity:
     """Mixin for database entities that will have create/update timestamps."""
 
     created_at: Mapped[timestamp] = mapped_column(
-        server_default=func.now(),
+        server_default=utcnow(),
         comment="Timestamp when row is inserted",
     )
     updated_at: Mapped[timestamp] = mapped_column(
-        onupdate=func.now(),
-        server_default=func.now(),
+        onupdate=utcnow(),
+        server_default=utcnow(),
         comment="Timestamp when row is updated",
     )
diff --git a/aana/storage/utcnow.py b/aana/storage/utcnow.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6e87ec50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aana/storage/utcnow.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+from sqlalchemy import DateTime
+from sqlalchemy.ext.compiler import compiles
+from sqlalchemy.sql.functions import FunctionElement
+
+
+class utcnow(FunctionElement):
+    """UTCNOW() expression for multiple dialects."""
+
+    inherit_cache = True
+    type = DateTime()
+
+
+@compiles(utcnow)
+def default_sql_utcnow(element, compiler, **kw):
+    """Assume, by default, time zones work correctly.
+
+    Note:
+        This is a valid assumption for PostgreSQL and Oracle.
+    """
+    return "CURRENT_TIMESTAMP"
+
+
+@compiles(utcnow, "sqlite")
+def sqlite_sql_utcnow(element, compiler, **kw):
+    """SQLite DATETIME('NOW') returns a correct `datetime.datetime` but does not add milliseconds to it.
+
+    Directly call STRFTIME with the final %f modifier in order to get those.
+    """
+    return r"(STRFTIME('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%f', 'NOW'))"
+
+
+@compiles(utcnow, "snowflake")
+def snowflake_sql_utcnow(element, compiler, **kw):
+    """In Snowflake, SYSDATE() returns the current timestamp for the system in the UTC time zone."""
+    return "SYSDATE()"
diff --git a/aana/tests/db/test_utcnow.py b/aana/tests/db/test_utcnow.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ee1153d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aana/tests/db/test_utcnow.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# ruff: noqa: S101
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
+
+from aana.storage.utcnow import utcnow
+
+
+def test_utcnow(db_session):
+    """Tests the utcnow() function."""
+    current_time_utc = datetime.now(tz=timezone.utc)
+    result = db_session.execute(utcnow()).scalar()
+    result = result.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)  # Make result offset-aware
+    assert isinstance(result, datetime)
+    assert current_time_utc - result < timedelta(seconds=1)