diff --git a/lib/modules/database/index.js b/lib/modules/database/index.js
index 2bb60c99..ece50bff 100644
--- a/lib/modules/database/index.js
+++ b/lib/modules/database/index.js
@@ -23,8 +23,15 @@ export default class Database extends ModuleBase {
       this._native.setPersistence(this._options.persistence);
     }
 
-    // todo serverTimeOffset event/listener - make ref natively and switch to events
-    this._serverTimeOffset = 0; // TODO ----^
+    // server time listener
+    // setTimeout used to avoid setPersistence race conditions
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      this._serverTimeOffset = 0;
+      this._offsetRef = this.ref('.info/serverTimeOffset');
+      this._offsetRef.on('value', (snapshot) => {
+        this._serverTimeOffset = snapshot.val() || this._serverTimeOffset;
+      });
+    }, 1);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -32,7 +39,7 @@ export default class Database extends ModuleBase {
    * @return {number}
    */
   getServerTime() {
-    return new Date().getTime() + this._serverTimeOffset;
+    return new Date(Date.now() + this._serverTimeOffset);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/lib/modules/database/reference.js b/lib/modules/database/reference.js
index d2268d45..735eca99 100644
--- a/lib/modules/database/reference.js
+++ b/lib/modules/database/reference.js
@@ -250,10 +250,10 @@ export default class Reference extends ReferenceBase {
    */
   push(value: any, onComplete?: Function): Reference | Promise {
     if (value === null || value === undefined) {
-      return new Reference(this._database, `${this.path}/${generatePushID(this._database.serverTimeOffset)}`);
+      return new Reference(this._database, `${this.path}/${generatePushID(this._database._serverTimeOffset)}`);
     }
 
-    const newRef = new Reference(this._database, `${this.path}/${generatePushID(this._database.serverTimeOffset)}`);
+    const newRef = new Reference(this._database, `${this.path}/${generatePushID(this._database._serverTimeOffset)}`);
     const promise = newRef.set(value);
 
     // if callback provided then internally call the set promise with value