diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java
index 4b8fbbfc8..eaf40eb50 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java
@@ -169,12 +169,12 @@ public class ServerConfig {
   /**
    * The JSON format used for DateTime types. Default to millis.
    */
-  private JsonConfig.DateTime jsonDateTime = JsonConfig.DateTime.MILLIS;
+  private JsonConfig.DateTime jsonDateTime = JsonConfig.DateTime.ISO8601;
 
   /**
    * The JSON format used for Date types. Default to millis.
    */
-  private JsonConfig.Date jsonDate = JsonConfig.Date.MILLIS;
+  private JsonConfig.Date jsonDate = JsonConfig.Date.ISO8601;
 
   /**
    * For writing JSON specify if null values or empty collections should be exluded.
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfigTest.java b/src/test/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfigTest.java
index ef62979ea..7a5097190 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfigTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfigTest.java
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ public class ServerConfigTest {
     props.setProperty("backgroundExecutorShutdownSecs", "98");
     props.setProperty("backgroundExecutorSchedulePoolSize", "4");
     props.setProperty("dbOffline", "true");
-    props.setProperty("jsonDateTime", "ISO8601");
-    props.setProperty("jsonDate", "ISO8601");
+    props.setProperty("jsonDateTime", "MILLIS");
+    props.setProperty("jsonDate", "MILLIS");
     props.setProperty("autoReadOnlyDataSource", "true");
     props.setProperty("disableL2Cache", "true");
     props.setProperty("notifyL2CacheInForeground", "true");
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ public class ServerConfigTest {
     assertEquals(PersistBatch.ALL, serverConfig.getPersistBatch());
     assertEquals(PersistBatch.ALL, serverConfig.getPersistBatchOnCascade());
     assertEquals(PlatformConfig.DbUuid.BINARY, serverConfig.getPlatformConfig().getDbUuid());
-    assertEquals(JsonConfig.DateTime.ISO8601, serverConfig.getJsonDateTime());
-    assertEquals(JsonConfig.Date.ISO8601, serverConfig.getJsonDate());
+    assertEquals(JsonConfig.DateTime.MILLIS, serverConfig.getJsonDateTime());
+    assertEquals(JsonConfig.Date.MILLIS, serverConfig.getJsonDate());
 
     assertEquals("r0,users,orgs", serverConfig.getEnabledL2Regions());
 
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@ public class ServerConfigTest {
 
     serverConfig.setIdGeneratorAutomatic(false);
     assertFalse(serverConfig.isIdGeneratorAutomatic());
-    assertEquals(JsonConfig.DateTime.MILLIS, serverConfig.getJsonDateTime());
-    assertEquals(JsonConfig.Date.MILLIS, serverConfig.getJsonDate());
+    assertEquals(JsonConfig.DateTime.ISO8601, serverConfig.getJsonDateTime());
+    assertEquals(JsonConfig.Date.ISO8601, serverConfig.getJsonDate());
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/TestDiffHelpInsertSimple.java b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/TestDiffHelpInsertSimple.java
index cd48d4247..4e7704a02 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/TestDiffHelpInsertSimple.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/TestDiffHelpInsertSimple.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class TestDiffHelpInsertSimple extends BaseTestCase {
 
     String asJson = buffer.toString();
 
-    assertThat(asJson).startsWith("{\"status\":\"NEW\",\"orderDate\":9466");
+    assertThat(asJson).startsWith("{\"status\":\"NEW\",\"orderDate\":\"2000-01-01\"");
     assertThat(asJson).endsWith(",\"customer\":{\"id\":1234}}");
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/type/ScalarTypeLocalDateTest.java b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/type/ScalarTypeLocalDateTest.java
index d17deb98e..f4621e79c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/type/ScalarTypeLocalDateTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/type/ScalarTypeLocalDateTest.java
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 public class ScalarTypeLocalDateTest {
 
-  ScalarTypeLocalDate type = new ScalarTypeLocalDate(JsonConfig.Date.MILLIS);
+  ScalarTypeLocalDate type = new ScalarTypeLocalDate(JsonConfig.Date.ISO8601);
 
   @Test
   public void testConvertToMillis() {
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public class ScalarTypeLocalDateTest {
 
     LocalDate val = LocalDate.of(2019, 5, 9);
 
-    JsonTester<LocalDate> jsonMillis = new JsonTester<>(type);
+    JsonTester<LocalDate> jsonMillis = new JsonTester<>(new ScalarTypeLocalDate(JsonConfig.Date.MILLIS));
     assertThat(jsonMillis.test(val)).isEqualTo("{\"key\":1557360000000}");
 
     JsonTester<LocalDate> jsonIso = new JsonTester<>(new ScalarTypeLocalDate(JsonConfig.Date.ISO8601) );