diff --git a/ext/mysql2/result.c b/ext/mysql2/result.c
index 9df4131..e237b1b 100644
--- a/ext/mysql2/result.c
+++ b/ext/mysql2/result.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ VALUE opt_decimal_zero, opt_float_zero, opt_time_year, opt_time_month;
 extern VALUE mMysql2, cMysql2Client, cMysql2Error;
 static VALUE intern_encoding_from_charset;
 static ID intern_new, intern_utc, intern_local, intern_encoding_from_charset_code,
-          intern_localtime;
+          intern_localtime, intern_local_offset, intern_civil;
 static ID sym_symbolize_keys, sym_as, sym_array, sym_database_timezone, sym_application_timezone,
           sym_local, sym_utc, sym_cast_booleans;
 static ID intern_merge;
@@ -190,12 +190,20 @@ static VALUE rb_mysql_result_fetch_row(VALUE self, ID db_timezone, ID app_timezo
               rb_raise(cMysql2Error, "Invalid date: %s", row[i]);
               val = Qnil;
             } else {
-              val = rb_funcall(rb_cTime, db_timezone, 6, INT2NUM(year), INT2NUM(month), INT2NUM(day), INT2NUM(hour), INT2NUM(min), INT2NUM(sec));
-              if (!NIL_P(app_timezone)) {
-                if (app_timezone == intern_local) {
-                  val = rb_funcall(val, intern_localtime, 0);
-                } else { // utc
-                  val = rb_funcall(val, intern_utc, 0);
+              if (year < 1902 || year+month+day > 2058) { // use DateTime instead
+                VALUE offset = INT2NUM(0);
+                if (db_timezone == intern_local) {
+                  offset = rb_funcall(cMysql2Client, rb_intern("local_offset"), 0);
+                }
+                val = rb_funcall(cDateTime, intern_civil, 7, INT2NUM(year), INT2NUM(month), INT2NUM(day), INT2NUM(hour), INT2NUM(min), INT2NUM(sec), offset);
+              } else {
+                val = rb_funcall(rb_cTime, db_timezone, 6, INT2NUM(year), INT2NUM(month), INT2NUM(day), INT2NUM(hour), INT2NUM(min), INT2NUM(sec));
+                if (!NIL_P(app_timezone)) {
+                  if (app_timezone == intern_local) {
+                    val = rb_funcall(val, intern_localtime, 0);
+                  } else { // utc
+                    val = rb_funcall(val, intern_utc, 0);
+                  }
                 }
               }
             }
@@ -420,11 +428,13 @@ void init_mysql2_result() {
   intern_encoding_from_charset = rb_intern("encoding_from_charset");
   intern_encoding_from_charset_code = rb_intern("encoding_from_charset_code");
 
-  intern_new        = rb_intern("new");
-  intern_utc        = rb_intern("utc");
-  intern_local      = rb_intern("local");
-  intern_merge      = rb_intern("merge");
-  intern_localtime  = rb_intern("localtime");
+  intern_new          = rb_intern("new");
+  intern_utc          = rb_intern("utc");
+  intern_local        = rb_intern("local");
+  intern_merge        = rb_intern("merge");
+  intern_localtime    = rb_intern("localtime");
+  intern_local_offset = rb_intern("local_offset");
+  intern_civil        = rb_intern("civil");
 
   sym_symbolize_keys  = ID2SYM(rb_intern("symbolize_keys"));
   sym_as              = ID2SYM(rb_intern("as"));
diff --git a/lib/mysql2.rb b/lib/mysql2.rb
index 5446d2f..12bc28f 100644
--- a/lib/mysql2.rb
+++ b/lib/mysql2.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # encoding: UTF-8
 require 'date'
 require 'bigdecimal'
+require 'rational' unless RUBY_VERSION >= '1.9.2'
 
 require 'mysql2/error'
 require 'mysql2/mysql2'
diff --git a/lib/mysql2/client.rb b/lib/mysql2/client.rb
index cbb6a60..732508d 100644
--- a/lib/mysql2/client.rb
+++ b/lib/mysql2/client.rb
@@ -224,5 +224,10 @@ module Mysql2
         end
       end
     end
+
+    private
+      def self.local_offset
+        ::Time.local(2010).utc_offset.to_r / 86400
+      end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/mysql2/result_spec.rb b/spec/mysql2/result_spec.rb
index fd230cb..ee3820d 100644
--- a/spec/mysql2/result_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/mysql2/result_spec.rb
@@ -143,12 +143,17 @@ describe Mysql2::Result do
       @test_result['double_test'].should eql(10.3)
     end
 
-    it "should return Time for a DATETIME value" do
+    it "should return Time for a DATETIME value when within the supported range" do
       @test_result['date_time_test'].class.should eql(Time)
       @test_result['date_time_test'].strftime("%F %T").should eql('2010-04-04 11:44:00')
     end
 
-    it "should return Time for a TIMESTAMP value" do
+    it "should return DateTime for a DATETIME value when outside the supported range" do
+      r = @client.query("SELECT CAST('1901-1-1 01:01:01' AS DATETIME) as test")
+      r.first['test'].class.should eql(DateTime)
+    end
+
+    it "should return Time for a TIMESTAMP value when within the supported range" do
       @test_result['timestamp_test'].class.should eql(Time)
       @test_result['timestamp_test'].strftime("%F %T").should eql('2010-04-04 11:44:00')
     end