diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp b/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp
index c539a5f7a8..130011d87e 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp
@@ -2359,7 +2359,13 @@ void TRI_SanitizeObjectWithEdges(VPackSlice const slice, VPackBuilder& builder)
 /// @brief Convert a revision ID to a string
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+constexpr static TRI_voc_rid_t tickLimit 
+  = static_cast<TRI_voc_rid_t>(2016-1970) * 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 365;
+
 std::string TRI_RidToString(TRI_voc_rid_t rid) {
+  if (rid <= tickLimit) {
+    return arangodb::basics::StringUtils::itoa(rid);
+  }
   return HybridLogicalClock::encodeTimeStamp(rid);
 }
 
@@ -2368,7 +2374,7 @@ std::string TRI_RidToString(TRI_voc_rid_t rid) {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 TRI_voc_rid_t TRI_StringToRid(std::string const& ridStr) {
-  return HybridLogicalClock::decodeTimeStamp(ridStr);
+  return TRI_StringToRid(ridStr.c_str(), ridStr.size());
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -2376,6 +2382,17 @@ TRI_voc_rid_t TRI_StringToRid(std::string const& ridStr) {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 TRI_voc_rid_t TRI_StringToRid(char const* p, size_t len) {
+  if (len > 0 && *p >= '1' && *p <= '9') {
+    // Remove this case before the year 3887 AD because then it will
+    // start to clash with encoded timestamps:
+    TRI_voc_rid_t r = arangodb::basics::StringUtils::uint64(p, len);
+    if (r > tickLimit) {
+      // An old tick value that could be confused with a time stamp
+      LOG(WARN)
+        << "Saw old _rev value that could be confused with a time stamp!";
+    }
+    return r;
+  }
   return HybridLogicalClock::decodeTimeStamp(p, len);
 }
 
@@ -2384,7 +2401,7 @@ TRI_voc_rid_t TRI_StringToRid(char const* p, size_t len) {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 TRI_voc_rid_t TRI_StringToRidWithCheck(std::string const& ridStr) {
-  return HybridLogicalClock::decodeTimeStampWithCheck(ridStr);
+  return TRI_StringToRidWithCheck(ridStr.c_str(), ridStr.size());
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -2392,6 +2409,17 @@ TRI_voc_rid_t TRI_StringToRidWithCheck(std::string const& ridStr) {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 TRI_voc_rid_t TRI_StringToRidWithCheck(char const* p, size_t len) {
+  if (len > 0 && *p >= '1' && *p <= '9') {
+    // Remove this case before the year 3887 AD because then it will
+    // start to clash with encoded timestamps:
+    TRI_voc_rid_t r = arangodb::basics::StringUtils::uint64_check(p, len);
+    if (r > tickLimit) {
+      // An old tick value that could be confused with a time stamp
+      LOG(WARN)
+        << "Saw old _rev value that could be confused with a time stamp!";
+    }
+    return r;
+  }
   return HybridLogicalClock::decodeTimeStampWithCheck(p, len);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/Basics/HybridLogicalClock.cpp b/lib/Basics/HybridLogicalClock.cpp
index a3acd6de89..bf055a5026 100644
--- a/lib/Basics/HybridLogicalClock.cpp
+++ b/lib/Basics/HybridLogicalClock.cpp
@@ -24,17 +24,17 @@
 #include "Basics/HybridLogicalClock.h"
 
 char arangodb::basics::HybridLogicalClock::encodeTable[65] 
-    = "-0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz";
+    = "-_ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789";
 
 char arangodb::basics::HybridLogicalClock::decodeTable[256]
     = {-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,        //   0 - 15
        -1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,        //  16 - 31
        -1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1, 0,-1,-1,        //  32 - 47
-        1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,        //  48 - 63
-       -1,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,        //  64 - 79
-       26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,-1,-1,-1,-1,37,        //  80 - 95
-       -1,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,        //  96 - 111
-       53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,        // 112 - 127
+       54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,        //  48 - 63
+       -1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,        //  64 - 79
+       17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,-1,-1,-1,-1, 1,        //  80 - 95
+       -1,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,        //  96 - 111
+       43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,        // 112 - 127
        -1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,        // 128 - 143
        -1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,        // 144 - 159
        -1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,        // 160 - 175