diff --git a/common/djangoapps/track/backends/logger.py b/common/djangoapps/track/backends/logger.py
index 511d3019bf..fdb7f504ba 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/track/backends/logger.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/track/backends/logger.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class LoggerBackend(BaseBackend):
         self.event_logger = logging.getLogger(name)
 
     def send(self, event):
-        event_str = json.dumps(event, default=DateTimeJSONEncoder)
+        event_str = json.dumps(event, cls=DateTimeJSONEncoder)
 
         # TODO: remove trucation of the serialized event, either at a
         # higher level during the emittion of the event, or by
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/track/backends/tests/test_logger.py b/common/djangoapps/track/backends/tests/test_logger.py
index 2091d81ba3..48ff146516 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/track/backends/tests/test_logger.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/track/backends/tests/test_logger.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 import json
 import logging
+import datetime
 
 from django.test import TestCase
 
@@ -26,16 +27,25 @@ class TestLoggerBackend(TestCase):
         # Send a couple of events and check if they were recorded
         # by the logger. The events are serialized to JSON.
 
-        event = {'test': True}
-        event_as_json = json.dumps(event)
+        event = {
+            'test': True,
+            'time': datetime.datetime(2012, 05, 01, 07, 27, 01, 200),
+            'date': datetime.date(2012, 05, 07),
+        }
 
         self.backend.send(event)
         self.backend.send(event)
 
-        self.assertEqual(
-            self.handler.messages['info'],
-            [event_as_json, event_as_json]
-        )
+        saved_events = [json.loads(e) for e in self.handler.messages['info']]
+
+        unpacked_event = {
+            'test': True,
+            'time': '2012-05-01T07:27:01.000200+00:00',
+            'date': '2012-05-07'
+        }
+
+        self.assertEqual(saved_events[0], unpacked_event)
+        self.assertEqual(saved_events[1], unpacked_event)
 
 
 class MockLoggingHandler(logging.Handler):