diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index cbc756d39..19e355744 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 
+	clientmodel "github.com/prometheus/client_golang/model"
 	registry "github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/config"
@@ -167,6 +168,7 @@ func NewPrometheus() *prometheus {
 	}
 
 	metricsService := &api.MetricsService{
+		Now:     clientmodel.Now,
 		Storage: memStorage,
 	}
 
diff --git a/web/api/api.go b/web/api/api.go
index 32c3c375a..0ab6576c9 100644
--- a/web/api/api.go
+++ b/web/api/api.go
@@ -18,14 +18,15 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 
+	clientmodel "github.com/prometheus/client_golang/model"
+
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/storage/local"
-	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/utility"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/web/httputils"
 )
 
 // MetricsService manages the /api HTTP endpoint.
 type MetricsService struct {
-	nower   utility.Time
+	Now     func() clientmodel.Timestamp
 	Storage local.Storage
 }
 
diff --git a/web/api/api_test.go b/web/api/api_test.go
index bfcf598cf..d76f9f7f1 100644
--- a/web/api/api_test.go
+++ b/web/api/api_test.go
@@ -24,17 +24,8 @@ import (
 	clientmodel "github.com/prometheus/client_golang/model"
 
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/storage/local"
-	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/utility"
 )
 
-type testInstantProvider struct {
-	now time.Time
-}
-
-func (p testInstantProvider) Now() time.Time {
-	return p.now
-}
-
 // This is a bit annoying. On one hand, we have to choose a current timestamp
 // because the storage doesn't have a mocked-out time yet and would otherwise
 // immediately throw away "old" samples. On the other hand, we have to make
@@ -44,10 +35,8 @@ func (p testInstantProvider) Now() time.Time {
 // parsing/re-formatting.
 var testTimestamp = clientmodel.TimestampFromTime(time.Now().Round(time.Second)).Add(124 * time.Millisecond)
 
-var testNower = utility.Time{
-	Provider: testInstantProvider{
-		now: testTimestamp.Time(),
-	},
+func testNow() clientmodel.Timestamp {
+	return testTimestamp
 }
 
 func TestQuery(t *testing.T) {
@@ -103,6 +92,7 @@ func TestQuery(t *testing.T) {
 	storage.WaitForIndexing()
 
 	api := MetricsService{
+		Now:     testNow,
 		Storage: storage,
 	}
 	api.RegisterHandler()
diff --git a/web/api/query.go b/web/api/query.go
index 8cae6884c..c4e8f4c81 100644
--- a/web/api/query.go
+++ b/web/api/query.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/rules"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/rules/ast"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/stats"
-	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/utility"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/web/httputils"
 )
 
@@ -47,9 +46,9 @@ func httpJSONError(w http.ResponseWriter, err error, code int) {
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, ast.ErrorToJSON(err))
 }
 
-func parseTimestampOrNow(t string, nower utility.Time) (clientmodel.Timestamp, error) {
+func parseTimestampOrNow(t string, now clientmodel.Timestamp) (clientmodel.Timestamp, error) {
 	if t == "" {
-		return clientmodel.TimestampFromTime(nower.Now()), nil
+		return now, nil
 	}
 
 	tFloat, err := strconv.ParseFloat(t, 64)
@@ -75,7 +74,7 @@ func (serv MetricsService) Query(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	params := httputils.GetQueryParams(r)
 	expr := params.Get("expr")
 
-	timestamp, err := parseTimestampOrNow(params.Get("timestamp"), serv.nower)
+	timestamp, err := parseTimestampOrNow(params.Get("timestamp"), serv.Now())
 	if err != nil {
 		httpJSONError(w, fmt.Errorf("invalid query timestamp %s", err), http.StatusBadRequest)
 		return
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ func (serv MetricsService) QueryRange(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	end, err := parseTimestampOrNow(params.Get("end"), serv.nower)
+	end, err := parseTimestampOrNow(params.Get("end"), serv.Now())
 	if err != nil {
 		httpJSONError(w, fmt.Errorf("invalid query timestamp: %s", err), http.StatusBadRequest)
 		return
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@ func (serv MetricsService) QueryRange(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	// the current time as the end time. Instead, the "end" parameter should
 	// simply be omitted or set to an empty string for that case.
 	if end == 0 {
-		end = clientmodel.TimestampFromTime(serv.nower.Now())
+		end = serv.Now()
 	}
 
 	exprNode, err := rules.LoadExprFromString(expr)
diff --git a/web/api/query_test.go b/web/api/query_test.go
index ce691eda0..8ee334e58 100644
--- a/web/api/query_test.go
+++ b/web/api/query_test.go
@@ -21,16 +21,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestParseTimestampOrNow(t *testing.T) {
-	ts, err := parseTimestampOrNow("", testNower)
+	ts, err := parseTimestampOrNow("", testNow())
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err = %s; want nil", err)
 	}
-	now := clientmodel.TimestampFromTime(testNower.Now())
-	if !now.Equal(ts) {
-		t.Fatalf("ts = %v; want ts = %v", ts, now)
+	if !testNow().Equal(ts) {
+		t.Fatalf("ts = %v; want ts = %v", ts, testNow)
 	}
 
-	ts, err = parseTimestampOrNow("1426956073.12345", testNower)
+	ts, err = parseTimestampOrNow("1426956073.12345", testNow())
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err = %s; want nil", err)
 	}
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@ func TestParseTimestampOrNow(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("ts = %v; want %v", ts, expTS)
 	}
 
-	_, err = parseTimestampOrNow("123.45foo", testNower)
+	_, err = parseTimestampOrNow("123.45foo", testNow())
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err = nil; want %s", err)
 	}