diff --git a/handlers/feed_me.go b/handlers/feed_me.go
index c66358e..788fa2c 100644
--- a/handlers/feed_me.go
+++ b/handlers/feed_me.go
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ import (
 func candidateLinks(age time.Duration) ([]notes.Note, error) {
 	notes := []notes.Note{}
 
-	query := `select id, created_at, nick, text, kind from notes where created_at <= ? and nick = target order by random() limit 69`
+	query := `select id, created_at, nick, text, kind from notes where created_at <= datetime(?) and nick = target order by random() limit 69`
 
-	t := time.Now().Add(-age).UTC().Format("2006-01-02T15:04:05Z")
+	t := time.Now().UTC().Add(-age).Format(time.RFC3339)
 	err := model.DB.Select(&notes, query, t)
 	if err != nil {
 		if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
diff --git a/handlers/feed_me_test.go b/handlers/feed_me_test.go
index 80ae3b8..b3c4620 100644
--- a/handlers/feed_me_test.go
+++ b/handlers/feed_me_test.go
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func TestFeedMe(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			for _, x := range tc.messages {
-				query := `insert into notes(target, nick, text, kind, created_at) values(?, ?, ?, ?, ?)`
+				query := `insert into notes(target, nick, text, kind, created_at) values(?, ?, ?, ?, datetime(?))`
 				createdAt := x.createdAt.UTC().Format("2006-01-02T15:04:05Z")
 				_, err := model.DB.Exec(query, "nick", "nick", "link", x.text, createdAt)
 				if err != nil {
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ func TestPipeHealth(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			for _, x := range tc.messages {
-				query := `insert into notes(target, nick, text, kind, created_at) values(?, ?, ?, ?, ?)`
+				query := `insert into notes(target, nick, text, kind, created_at) values(?, ?, ?, ?, datetime(?))`
 				createdAt := x.createdAt.UTC().Format("2006-01-02T15:04:05Z")
 				_, err := model.DB.Exec(query, "nick", "nick", "link", x.text, createdAt)
 				if err != nil {
@@ -241,6 +241,41 @@ func TestPipeHealth(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCandidateLinks(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := model.DB.Exec(`delete from notes`)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error deleting notes %s", err)
+	}
+
+	err = Link(bot.HandlerParams{
+		Privmsgf: dummyPrivmsgf,
+		Matches:  []string{"", "http://www.example.com"},
+		Target:   "theguy",
+		Nick:     "theguy",
+	})
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	var notes []notes.Note
+	notes, err = candidateLinks(0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(notes) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("candidateLinks 0: want 1 got %d", len(notes))
+	}
+
+	notes, err = candidateLinks(time.Hour)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(notes) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("candidate links 1 hour: want 0 got %d", len(notes))
+	}
+}
+
 func dummyPrivmsgf(x string, y string, z ...interface{}) {
 	return
 }