diff --git a/schema/mysql-migrations/upgrade_163.sql b/schema/mysql-migrations/upgrade_163.sql
index df5d2b70..610c0f6e 100644
--- a/schema/mysql-migrations/upgrade_163.sql
+++ b/schema/mysql-migrations/upgrade_163.sql
@@ -3,16 +3,18 @@
 
 -- SET time_zone = '+02:00';
 
+SET sql_mode = 'STRICT_ALL_TABLES,NO_ZERO_IN_DATE,NO_ZERO_DATE,NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION,PIPES_AS_CONCAT,ANSI_QUOTES,ERROR_FOR_DIVISION_BY_ZERO';
+
 ALTER TABLE director_activity_log
-  MODIFY change_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL;
+  MODIFY change_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP;
 
 ALTER TABLE director_deployment_log
-  MODIFY start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL,
+  MODIFY start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   MODIFY end_time TIMESTAMP NULL DEFAULT NULL,
   MODIFY abort_time TIMESTAMP NULL DEFAULT NULL;
 
 ALTER TABLE director_schema_migration
-  MODIFY migration_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL;
+  MODIFY migration_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP;
 
 ALTER TABLE director_job
   MODIFY ts_last_attempt TIMESTAMP NULL DEFAULT NULL,
@@ -22,14 +24,14 @@ ALTER TABLE import_source
   MODIFY last_attempt TIMESTAMP NULL DEFAULT NULL;
 
 ALTER TABLE import_run
-  MODIFY start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL,
+  MODIFY start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   MODIFY end_time TIMESTAMP NULL DEFAULT NULL;
 
 ALTER TABLE sync_rule
   MODIFY last_attempt TIMESTAMP NULL DEFAULT NULL;
 
 ALTER TABLE sync_run
-  MODIFY start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL;
+  MODIFY start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP;
 
 INSERT INTO director_schema_migration
   (schema_version, migration_time)
diff --git a/schema/mysql.sql b/schema/mysql.sql
index cabe15b7..0ea7e575 100644
--- a/schema/mysql.sql
+++ b/schema/mysql.sql
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ CREATE TABLE director_deployment_log (
   config_checksum VARBINARY(20) DEFAULT NULL,
   last_activity_checksum VARBINARY(20) NOT NULL,
   peer_identity VARCHAR(64) NOT NULL,
-  start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL,
+  start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   end_time TIMESTAMP NULL DEFAULT NULL,
   abort_time TIMESTAMP NULL DEFAULT NULL,
   duration_connection INT(10) UNSIGNED DEFAULT NULL
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ CREATE TABLE director_datafield_setting (
 
 CREATE TABLE director_schema_migration (
   schema_version SMALLINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
-  migration_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL,
+  migration_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   PRIMARY KEY(schema_version)
 ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
 
@@ -1406,7 +1406,7 @@ CREATE TABLE import_run (
   id INT(10) UNSIGNED AUTO_INCREMENT NOT NULL,
   source_id INT(10) UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
   rowset_checksum VARBINARY(20) DEFAULT NULL,
-  start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL,
+  start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   end_time TIMESTAMP NULL DEFAULT NULL,
   succeeded ENUM('y', 'n') DEFAULT NULL,
   PRIMARY KEY (id),
@@ -1528,7 +1528,7 @@ CREATE TABLE sync_run (
   id BIGINT(10) UNSIGNED AUTO_INCREMENT NOT NULL,
   rule_id INT(10) UNSIGNED DEFAULT NULL,
   rule_name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
-  start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL,
+  start_time TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   duration_ms INT(10) UNSIGNED DEFAULT NULL,
   objects_deleted INT(10) UNSIGNED DEFAULT 0,
   objects_created INT(10) UNSIGNED DEFAULT 0,