diff --git a/src/Phaseolies/Database/Entity/Builder.php b/src/Phaseolies/Database/Entity/Builder.php
index 3b6efe3e..1e9af78b 100644
--- a/src/Phaseolies/Database/Entity/Builder.php
+++ b/src/Phaseolies/Database/Entity/Builder.php
@@ -1507,9 +1507,13 @@ protected function updatePivot($id, array $pivotData, string $pivotTable, string
 
         foreach ($pivotData as $key => $value) {
             $sets[] = "{$key} = ?";
-            $params[] = $value instanceof \DateTimeInterface
-                ? $value->format('Y-m-d H:i:s')
-                : $value;
+            if ($value instanceof \DateTimeInterface) {
+                $params[] = $value->format('Y-m-d H:i:s') . ($value->format('u') !== '000000'
+                    ? '.' . $value->format('u')
+                    : '');
+            } else {
+                $params[] = $value;
+            }
         }
 
         $params[] = $parentKey;
diff --git a/src/Phaseolies/Database/Entity/Query/InteractsWithTimeframe.php b/src/Phaseolies/Database/Entity/Query/InteractsWithTimeframe.php
index 61dd0267..4781f998 100644
--- a/src/Phaseolies/Database/Entity/Query/InteractsWithTimeframe.php
+++ b/src/Phaseolies/Database/Entity/Query/InteractsWithTimeframe.php
@@ -384,7 +384,9 @@ public function formatDate($date): string
     public function formatDateTime($date, string $type = 'start'): string
     {
         if ($date instanceof \DateTimeInterface) {
-            return $date->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');
+            return $date->format('Y-m-d H:i:s') . ($date->format('u') !== '000000'
+                ? '.' . $date->format('u')
+                : '');
         }
 
         if (is_string($date)) {
diff --git a/src/Phaseolies/Helpers/helpers.php b/src/Phaseolies/Helpers/helpers.php
index 7976bcf0..671b2bc5 100644
--- a/src/Phaseolies/Helpers/helpers.php
+++ b/src/Phaseolies/Helpers/helpers.php
@@ -927,11 +927,12 @@ function abort_if($condition, $code, $message = '', array $headers = []): void
     /**
      * Get the current timestamp with optional timezone
      *
+     * @param \DateTimeZone|string|null $timezone
      * @return \Carbon\Carbon
      */
-    function now()
+    function now(\DateTimeZone|string|null $timezone = null): Carbon
     {
-        return Carbon::now();
+        return Carbon::now($timezone);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Phaseolies/Support/TimezoneHandler.php b/src/Phaseolies/Support/TimezoneHandler.php
index 7b2e7072..1a10f28e 100644
--- a/src/Phaseolies/Support/TimezoneHandler.php
+++ b/src/Phaseolies/Support/TimezoneHandler.php
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@ public function setTimezone(): void
             throw new \InvalidArgumentException("Invalid timezone: {$this->currentTimezone}");
         }
 
-        $dt = Carbon::now();
-        $dt->setTimezone($this->currentTimezone);
+        date_default_timezone_set($this->currentTimezone);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -68,6 +67,6 @@ public function getTimezone(): string
      */
     public function now(): Carbon
     {
-        return Carbon::now();
+        return Carbon::now($this->currentTimezone);
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Application/TimezoneHandlerTest.php b/tests/Application/TimezoneHandlerTest.php
index 8660b19c..59f43d5e 100644
--- a/tests/Application/TimezoneHandlerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Application/TimezoneHandlerTest.php
@@ -64,6 +64,23 @@ public function testConstructorWithCustomTimezone()
         $this->assertEquals($timezone, date_default_timezone_get());
     }
 
+    public function testHandlerNowUsesConfiguredTimezoneWithoutPriorGlobalSetup(): void
+    {
+        date_default_timezone_set('UTC');
+
+        $handler = new TimezoneHandler('Asia/Tokyo');
+
+        $this->assertSame('Asia/Tokyo', $handler->now()->timezoneName);
+        $this->assertSame('Asia/Tokyo', date_default_timezone_get());
+    }
+
+    public function testNowHelperAcceptsAnExplicitTimezone(): void
+    {
+        date_default_timezone_set('UTC');
+
+        $this->assertSame('Asia/Dhaka', now('Asia/Dhaka')->timezoneName);
+    }
+
     public function testTimezoneAffectsDateFunctions()
     {
         $timezone = 'Australia/Sydney';
diff --git a/tests/Builder/TimeframeOrConditionsTest.php b/tests/Builder/TimeframeOrConditionsTest.php
index 3c13e70c..57ba4dfc 100644
--- a/tests/Builder/TimeframeOrConditionsTest.php
+++ b/tests/Builder/TimeframeOrConditionsTest.php
@@ -306,6 +306,17 @@ public function testFormatDateTimeWithDateTimeInterface()
         $this->assertEquals('2024-03-20 15:45:00', $b->formatDateTime($dt));
     }
 
+    public function testFormatDateTimePreservesMicroseconds(): void
+    {
+        $b = $this->builder();
+        $dt = \DateTimeImmutable::createFromFormat(
+            'Y-m-d H:i:s.u',
+            '2024-03-20 15:45:00.123456'
+        );
+
+        $this->assertSame('2024-03-20 15:45:00.123456', $b->formatDateTime($dt));
+    }
+
     public function testFormatDateTimeThrowsOnInvalidInput()
     {
         $this->expectException(\InvalidArgumentException::class);