diff --git a/docs/source/users-guide.rst b/docs/source/users-guide.rst
index 6fb45aa08..2f8be5d4f 100644
--- a/docs/source/users-guide.rst
+++ b/docs/source/users-guide.rst
@@ -981,6 +981,19 @@ The following sample may be added to the Fabric CA server configuration file in
 order to connect to a MySQL database. Be sure to customize the various
 values appropriately.
 
+On MySQL 5.7.X, certain modes affect whether the server permits '0000-00-00' as a valid date.
+It might be necessary to relax the modes that MySQL server uses. We want to allow
+the server to be able to accept zero date values.
+
+In my.cnf, find the configuration option *sql_mode* and remove *NO_ZERO_DATE* if present.
+Restart MySQL server after making this change.
+
+Please refer to the following MySQL documentation on different modes available
+and select the appropriate settings for the specific version of MySQL that is
+being used.
+
+https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/sql-mode.html
+
 ::
 
     db:
@@ -1546,16 +1559,6 @@ https://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.4/static/libpq-ssl.html
 MySQL SSL Configuration
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-On MySQL 5.7.X, certain modes affect whether the server permits '0000-00-00' as a valid date.
-It might be necessary to relax the modes that MySQL server uses. We want to allow
-the server to be able to accept zero date values.
-
-Please refer to the following MySQL documentation on different modes available
-and select the appropriate settings for the specific version of MySQL that is
-being used.
-
-https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/sql-mode.html
-
 **Basic instructions for configuring SSL on MySQL server:**
 
 1. Open or create my.cnf file for the server. Add or uncomment the
diff --git a/lib/dbutil/dbutil.go b/lib/dbutil/dbutil.go
index b4e509ee4..6bd907fde 100644
--- a/lib/dbutil/dbutil.go
+++ b/lib/dbutil/dbutil.go
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ func createMySQLTables(datasource string, dbName string, db *sqlx.DB) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Error creating affiliations table: %s", err)
 	}
 	log.Debug("Created affiliations table")
-	if _, err := database.Exec("CREATE TABLE certificates (id VARCHAR(64), serial_number varbinary(128) NOT NULL, authority_key_identifier varbinary(128) NOT NULL, ca_label varbinary(128), status varbinary(128) NOT NULL, reason int, expiry timestamp DEFAULT '1970-01-01 00:00:01', revoked_at timestamp DEFAULT '1970-01-01 00:00:01', pem varbinary(4096) NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY(serial_number, authority_key_identifier)) DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 COLLATE utf8_bin"); err != nil {
+	if _, err := database.Exec("CREATE TABLE certificates (id VARCHAR(64), serial_number varbinary(128) NOT NULL, authority_key_identifier varbinary(128) NOT NULL, ca_label varbinary(128), status varbinary(128) NOT NULL, reason int, expiry timestamp DEFAULT 0, revoked_at timestamp DEFAULT 0, pem varbinary(4096) NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY(serial_number, authority_key_identifier)) DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 COLLATE utf8_bin"); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Error creating certificates table: %s", err)
 	}
 	log.Debug("Created certificates table")