diff --git a/snaplet-postgresql-simple.cabal b/snaplet-postgresql-simple.cabal
--- a/snaplet-postgresql-simple.cabal
+++ b/snaplet-postgresql-simple.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:           snaplet-postgresql-simple
-version:        0.1.1
+version:        0.2
 synopsis:       postgresql-simple snaplet for the Snap Framework
 description:    This snaplet contains support for using the Postgresql
                 database with a Snap Framework application via the
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
     configurator               >= 0.2     && < 0.3,
     MonadCatchIO-transformers  >= 0.3     && < 0.4,
     mtl                        >= 2       && < 3,
-    postgresql-simple          >= 0.1     && < 0.3,
+    postgresql-simple          >= 0.2     && < 0.3,
     resource-pool-catchio      >= 0.2     && < 0.3,
     snap                       >= 0.9     && < 0.10,
     text                       >= 0.11    && < 0.12,
diff --git a/src/Snap/Snaplet/Auth/Backends/PostgresqlSimple.hs b/src/Snap/Snaplet/Auth/Backends/PostgresqlSimple.hs
--- a/src/Snap/Snaplet/Auth/Backends/PostgresqlSimple.hs
+++ b/src/Snap/Snaplet/Auth/Backends/PostgresqlSimple.hs
@@ -210,18 +210,18 @@
   ,  colId               = ("uid", "SERIAL PRIMARY KEY")
   ,  colLogin            = ("login", "text UNIQUE NOT NULL")
   ,  colPassword         = ("password", "text")
-  ,  colActivatedAt      = ("activated_at", "timestamp")
-  ,  colSuspendedAt      = ("suspended_at", "timestamp")
+  ,  colActivatedAt      = ("activated_at", "timestamptz")
+  ,  colSuspendedAt      = ("suspended_at", "timestamptz")
   ,  colRememberToken    = ("remember_token", "text")
   ,  colLoginCount       = ("login_count", "integer NOT NULL")
   ,  colFailedLoginCount = ("failed_login_count", "integer NOT NULL")
-  ,  colLockedOutUntil   = ("locked_out_until", "timestamp")
-  ,  colCurrentLoginAt   = ("current_login_at", "timestamp")
-  ,  colLastLoginAt      = ("last_login_at", "timestamp")
+  ,  colLockedOutUntil   = ("locked_out_until", "timestamptz")
+  ,  colCurrentLoginAt   = ("current_login_at", "timestamptz")
+  ,  colLastLoginAt      = ("last_login_at", "timestamptz")
   ,  colCurrentLoginIp   = ("current_login_ip", "text")
   ,  colLastLoginIp      = ("last_login_ip", "text")
-  ,  colCreatedAt        = ("created_at", "timestamp")
-  ,  colUpdatedAt        = ("updated_at", "timestamp")
+  ,  colCreatedAt        = ("created_at", "timestamptz")
+  ,  colUpdatedAt        = ("updated_at", "timestamptz")
   ,  rolesTable          = "user_roles"
   }
 
diff --git a/src/Snap/Snaplet/PostgresqlSimple.hs b/src/Snap/Snaplet/PostgresqlSimple.hs
--- a/src/Snap/Snaplet/PostgresqlSimple.hs
+++ b/src/Snap/Snaplet/PostgresqlSimple.hs
@@ -157,14 +157,20 @@
 
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- | A convenience instance to make it easier to use this snaplet in monads
--- other than Handler.  It allows you to get database access in initializers
--- like this:
+-- | A convenience instance to make it easier to use this snaplet in the
+-- Initializer monad like this:
 --
 -- > d <- nestSnaplet "db" db pgsInit
 -- > count <- liftIO $ runReaderT (execute "INSERT ..." params) d
 instance (MonadCatchIO m) => HasPostgres (ReaderT (Snaplet Postgres) m) where
     getPostgresState = asks (getL snapletValue)
+
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- | A convenience instance to make it easier to use functions written for
+-- this snaplet in non-snaplet contexts.
+instance (MonadCatchIO m) => HasPostgres (ReaderT Postgres m) where
+    getPostgresState = ask
 
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------