diff --git a/graph/src/components/store/traits.rs b/graph/src/components/store/traits.rs
index a3fa34e0d87..158e75aa87d 100644
--- a/graph/src/components/store/traits.rs
+++ b/graph/src/components/store/traits.rs
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ pub trait ChainStore: Send + Sync + 'static {
     async fn block_number(
         &self,
         hash: &BlockHash,
-    ) -> Result<Option<(String, BlockNumber, Option<String>)>, StoreError>;
+    ) -> Result<Option<(String, BlockNumber, Option<u64>)>, StoreError>;
 
     /// Tries to retrieve all transactions receipts for a given block.
     async fn transaction_receipts_in_block(
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ pub trait QueryStore: Send + Sync {
     async fn block_number_with_timestamp(
         &self,
         block_hash: &BlockHash,
-    ) -> Result<Option<(BlockNumber, Option<String>)>, StoreError>;
+    ) -> Result<Option<(BlockNumber, Option<u64>)>, StoreError>;
 
     fn wait_stats(&self) -> Result<PoolWaitStats, StoreError>;
 
diff --git a/graphql/src/schema/meta.graphql b/graphql/src/schema/meta.graphql
index 1a1faf68878..84c2540e9ec 100644
--- a/graphql/src/schema/meta.graphql
+++ b/graphql/src/schema/meta.graphql
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ type _Block_ {
   hash: Bytes
   "The block number"
   number: Int!
-  "Timestamp of the block if available, format depends on the chain" 
-  timestamp: String
+  "Integer representation of the timestamp store in blocks for the chain" 
+  timestamp: Int
 }
 
 enum _SubgraphErrorPolicy_ {
diff --git a/graphql/src/store/resolver.rs b/graphql/src/store/resolver.rs
index 89a635c826e..0dfbe93377d 100644
--- a/graphql/src/store/resolver.rs
+++ b/graphql/src/store/resolver.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ pub struct StoreResolver {
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub(crate) struct BlockPtrTs {
     pub ptr: BlockPtr,
-    pub timestamp: Option<String>,
+    pub timestamp: Option<u64>,
 }
 
 impl From<BlockPtr> for BlockPtrTs {
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ impl StoreResolver {
         async fn get_block_ts(
             store: &dyn QueryStore,
             ptr: &BlockPtr,
-        ) -> Result<Option<String>, QueryExecutionError> {
+        ) -> Result<Option<u64>, QueryExecutionError> {
             match store
                 .block_number_with_timestamp(&ptr.hash)
                 .await
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ impl StoreResolver {
             let timestamp = self.block_ptr.as_ref().map(|ptr| {
                 ptr.timestamp
                     .clone()
-                    .map(|ts| r::Value::String(ts))
+                    .map(|ts| r::Value::Int(ts as i64))
                     .unwrap_or(r::Value::Null)
             });
 
diff --git a/store/postgres/src/chain_store.rs b/store/postgres/src/chain_store.rs
index 0b2fea9a295..74a9101bed8 100644
--- a/store/postgres/src/chain_store.rs
+++ b/store/postgres/src/chain_store.rs
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ mod data {
             &self,
             conn: &PgConnection,
             hash: &BlockHash,
-        ) -> Result<Option<(BlockNumber, Option<String>)>, StoreError> {
+        ) -> Result<Option<(BlockNumber, Option<u64>)>, StoreError> {
             const TIMESTAMP_QUERY: &str =
                 "coalesce(data->'block'->>'timestamp', data->>'timestamp')";
 
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ mod data {
                 Some((number, ts)) => {
                     let number = BlockNumber::try_from(number)
                         .map_err(|e| StoreError::QueryExecutionError(e.to_string()))?;
-                    Ok(Some((number, ts)))
+                    Ok(Some((number, crate::chain_store::try_parse_timestamp(ts)?)))
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -1701,7 +1701,7 @@ impl ChainStoreTrait for ChainStore {
     async fn block_number(
         &self,
         hash: &BlockHash,
-    ) -> Result<Option<(String, BlockNumber, Option<String>)>, StoreError> {
+    ) -> Result<Option<(String, BlockNumber, Option<u64>)>, StoreError> {
         let hash = hash.clone();
         let storage = self.storage.clone();
         let chain = self.chain.clone();
@@ -1731,6 +1731,28 @@ impl ChainStoreTrait for ChainStore {
     }
 }
 
+fn try_parse_timestamp(ts: Option<String>) -> Result<Option<u64>, StoreError> {
+    let ts = match ts {
+        Some(str) => str,
+        None => return Ok(None),
+    };
+
+    let (radix, idx) = if ts.starts_with("0x") {
+        (16, 2)
+    } else {
+        (10, 0)
+    };
+
+    u64::from_str_radix(&ts[idx..], radix)
+        .map_err(|err| {
+            StoreError::QueryExecutionError(format!(
+                "unexpected timestamp format {}, err: {}",
+                ts, err
+            ))
+        })
+        .map(Some)
+}
+
 impl EthereumCallCache for ChainStore {
     fn get_call(
         &self,
diff --git a/store/postgres/src/query_store.rs b/store/postgres/src/query_store.rs
index 7218394b118..ccc5142d77d 100644
--- a/store/postgres/src/query_store.rs
+++ b/store/postgres/src/query_store.rs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ impl QueryStoreTrait for QueryStore {
     async fn block_number_with_timestamp(
         &self,
         block_hash: &BlockHash,
-    ) -> Result<Option<(BlockNumber, Option<String>)>, StoreError> {
+    ) -> Result<Option<(BlockNumber, Option<u64>)>, StoreError> {
         // We should also really check that the block with the given hash is
         // on the chain starting at the subgraph's current head. That check is
         // very expensive though with the data structures we have currently
diff --git a/store/postgres/tests/store.rs b/store/postgres/tests/store.rs
index 19e3f1ec9b2..156c826ac90 100644
--- a/store/postgres/tests/store.rs
+++ b/store/postgres/tests/store.rs
@@ -1996,7 +1996,7 @@ fn cleanup_cached_blocks() {
 /// checks if retrieving the timestamp from the data blob works.
 /// on ethereum, the block has timestamp as U256 so it will always have a value
 fn parse_timestamp() {
-    const EXPECTED_TS: &str = "0x62ceae26";
+    const EXPECTED_TS: u64 = 1657712166;
 
     run_test(|store, _, _| async move {
         use block_store::*;