diff --git a/packages/actions/src/types/index.ts b/packages/actions/src/types/index.ts
index cdb13a35..816217d7 100644
--- a/packages/actions/src/types/index.ts
+++ b/packages/actions/src/types/index.ts
@@ -88,16 +88,16 @@ export type UserDocument = {
  * @typedef {Object} CeremonyInputData
  * @property {string} title - the title/name of the ceremony.
  * @property {string} description - a brief description of the ceremony.
- * @property {Date} startDate - the start (opening to contributions) date for the ceremony.
- * @property {Date} endDate - the end (closing to contributions) date for the ceremony.
+ * @property {number} startDate - the start (opening to contributions) date for the ceremony (in ms).
+ * @property {number} endDate - the end (closing to contributions) date for the ceremony (in ms).
  * @property {CeremonyTimeoutType} timeoutMechanismType - the timeout mechanism type used for avoiding blocking contribution behaviours.
  * @property {number} penalty - the amount of time expressed in minutes that the blocking contributor has to wait before joining the waiting queue again.
  */
 export type CeremonyInputData = {
     title: string
     description: string
-    startDate: Date
-    endDate: Date
+    startDate: number
+    endDate: number
     timeoutMechanismType: CeremonyTimeoutType
     penalty: number
 }
diff --git a/packages/actions/test/data/samples.ts b/packages/actions/test/data/samples.ts
index 730de073..e5b5adbe 100644
--- a/packages/actions/test/data/samples.ts
+++ b/packages/actions/test/data/samples.ts
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ const fakeCeremonyScheduledFixed = generateFakeCeremony({
         description: "Short description for Ceremony Scheduled Fixed",
         prefix: "ceremony-scheduled-fixed",
         penalty: 10, // Penalty in days (amount of time a contributor should wait after timeout).
-        startDate: new Date(Date.now() + 86400000), // Starts in a day.
-        endDate: new Date(Date.now() + 86400000 * 2), // Ends in two days.
+        startDate: Date.now() + 86400000, // Starts in a day.
+        endDate: Date.now() + 86400000 * 2, // Ends in two days.
         state: CeremonyState.SCHEDULED,
         type: CeremonyType.PHASE2,
         timeoutMechanismType: CeremonyTimeoutType.FIXED,
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ const fakeCeremonyScheduledDynamic = generateFakeCeremony({
         description: "Short description for Ceremony Scheduled Dynamic",
         prefix: "ceremony-scheduled-dynamic",
         penalty: 10, // Penalty in days (amount of time a contributor should wait after timeout).
-        startDate: new Date(Date.now() + 86400000), // Starts in a day.
-        endDate: new Date(Date.now() + 86400000 * 2), // Ends in two days.
+        startDate: Date.now() + 86400000, // Starts in a day.
+        endDate: Date.now() + 86400000 * 2, // Ends in two days.
         state: CeremonyState.SCHEDULED,
         type: CeremonyType.PHASE2,
         timeoutMechanismType: CeremonyTimeoutType.DYNAMIC,
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ const fakeCeremonyOpenedFixed = generateFakeCeremony({
         description: "Short description for Ceremony Opened Fixed",
         prefix: "ceremony-opened-fixed",
         penalty: 10, // Penalty in days (amount of time a contributor should wait after timeout).
-        startDate: new Date(Date.now() - 86400000), // Starts in a day.
-        endDate: new Date(Date.now() + 86400000), // Ends in one day.
+        startDate: Date.now() - 86400000, // Started a day ago.
+        endDate: Date.now() + 86400000, // Ends in one day.
         state: CeremonyState.OPENED,
         type: CeremonyType.PHASE2,
         timeoutMechanismType: CeremonyTimeoutType.FIXED,
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ const fakeCeremonyOpenedDynamic = generateFakeCeremony({
         description: "Short description for Ceremony Opened Dynamic",
         prefix: "ceremony-opened-dynamic",
         penalty: 10, // Penalty in days (amount of time a contributor should wait after timeout).
-        startDate: new Date(Date.now() - 86400000), // Starts in a day.
-        endDate: new Date(Date.now() + 86400000), // Ends in one day.
+        startDate: Date.now() - 86400000, // Started a day ago.
+        endDate: Date.now() + 86400000, // Ends in one day.
         state: CeremonyState.OPENED,
         type: CeremonyType.PHASE2,
         timeoutMechanismType: CeremonyTimeoutType.DYNAMIC,
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/functions/contribute.ts b/packages/backend/src/functions/contribute.ts
index 2a757af4..761094e0 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/functions/contribute.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/functions/contribute.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import * as functions from "firebase-functions"
 import admin from "firebase-admin"
 import dotenv from "dotenv"
-import { MsgType } from "types/enums"
 import {
     commonTerms,
     getCircuitsCollectionPath,
@@ -15,6 +14,7 @@ import {
     CeremonyTimeoutType,
     TimeoutType
 } from "@zkmpc/actions/src/types/enums"
+import { MsgType } from "../../types/enums"
 import { GENERIC_ERRORS, GENERIC_LOGS, logMsg } from "../lib/logs"
 import {
     getCeremonyCircuits,
diff --git a/packages/phase2cli/src/commands/setup.ts b/packages/phase2cli/src/commands/setup.ts
index 2884dfcf..2743c219 100644
--- a/packages/phase2cli/src/commands/setup.ts
+++ b/packages/phase2cli/src/commands/setup.ts
@@ -221,9 +221,9 @@ const setup = async () => {
     // Display ceremony summary.
     let summary = `${`${theme.text.bold(ceremonyInputData.title)}\n${theme.text.italic(ceremonyInputData.description)}`}
     \n${`Opening: ${theme.text.bold(
-        theme.text.underlined(ceremonyInputData.startDate.toUTCString().replace("GMT", "UTC"))
+        theme.text.underlined(new Date(ceremonyInputData.startDate).toUTCString().replace("GMT", "UTC"))
     )}\nEnding: ${theme.text.bold(
-        theme.text.underlined(ceremonyInputData.endDate.toUTCString().replace("GMT", "UTC"))
+        theme.text.underlined(new Date(ceremonyInputData.endDate).toUTCString().replace("GMT", "UTC"))
     )}`}
     \n${theme.text.bold(
         ceremonyInputData.timeoutMechanismType === CeremonyTimeoutType.DYNAMIC ? `Dynamic` : `Fixed`