diff --git a/chronograf.go b/chronograf.go
index ec6dbd49ad..0a0beeeddb 100644
--- a/chronograf.go
+++ b/chronograf.go
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ type Query struct {
 	Command      string        `json:"query"`                // Command is the query itself
 	DB           string        `json:"db,omitempty"`         // DB is optional and if empty will not be used.
 	RP           string        `json:"rp,omitempty"`         // RP is a retention policy and optional; if empty will not be used.
+	Epoch        string        `json:"epoch,omitempty"`      // Epoch is the time format for the return results
 	TemplateVars []TemplateVar `json:"tempVars,omitempty"`   // TemplateVars are template variables to replace within an InfluxQL query
 	Wheres       []string      `json:"wheres,omitempty"`     // Wheres restricts the query to certain attributes
 	GroupBys     []string      `json:"groupbys,omitempty"`   // GroupBys collate the query by these tags
diff --git a/influx/annotations.go b/influx/annotations.go
index be7f41ddfe..6f22f0f45e 100644
--- a/influx/annotations.go
+++ b/influx/annotations.go
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ func (r *annotationResults) Annotations() (res []chronograf.Annotation, err erro
 func (c *Client) queryAnnotations(ctx context.Context, query string) ([]chronograf.Annotation, error) {
 	res, err := c.Query(ctx, chronograf.Query{
 		Command: query,
-		DB:      `chronograf`,
+		DB:      DefaultDB,
+		Epoch:   "ns",
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/influx/influx.go b/influx/influx.go
index ecf67b94e9..391e55e3c1 100644
--- a/influx/influx.go
+++ b/influx/influx.go
@@ -74,7 +74,10 @@ func (c *Client) query(u *url.URL, q chronograf.Query) (chronograf.Response, err
 	params.Set("q", command)
 	params.Set("db", q.DB)
 	params.Set("rp", q.RP)
-	params.Set("epoch", "ms") // TODO(timraymond): set this based on analysis
+	params.Set("epoch", "ms")
+	if q.Epoch != "" {
+		params.Set("epoch", q.Epoch)
+	}
 	req.URL.RawQuery = params.Encode()
 
 	if c.Authorizer != nil {
diff --git a/influx/lineprotocol.go b/influx/lineprotocol.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..352791d7eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/influx/lineprotocol.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package influx
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"sort"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/influxdata/chronograf"
+)
+
+var (
+	escapeMeasurement = strings.NewReplacer(
+		`,` /* to */, `\,`,
+		` ` /* to */, `\ `,
+	)
+	escapeKeys = strings.NewReplacer(
+		`,` /* to */, `\,`,
+		`"` /* to */, `\"`,
+		` ` /* to */, `\ `,
+		`=` /* to */, `\=`,
+	)
+	escapeTagValues = strings.NewReplacer(
+		`,` /* to */, `\,`,
+		`"` /* to */, `\"`,
+		` ` /* to */, `\ `,
+		`=` /* to */, `\=`,
+	)
+	escapeFieldStrings = strings.NewReplacer(
+		`"` /* to */, `\"`,
+		`\` /* to */, `\\`,
+	)
+)
+
+func toLineProtocol(point *chronograf.Point) string {
+	measurement := escapeMeasurement.Replace(point.Measurement)
+	tags := []string{}
+	for tag, value := range point.Tags {
+		t := fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", escapeKeys.Replace(tag), escapeTagValues.Replace(value))
+		tags = append(tags, t)
+	}
+	// it is faster to insert data into influx db if the tags are sorted
+	sort.Strings(tags)
+
+	fields := []string{}
+	for field, value := range point.Fields {
+		var format string
+		switch v := value.(type) {
+		case int64, int32, int16, int8, int:
+			format = fmt.Sprintf("%s=%di", escapeKeys.Replace(field), v)
+		case uint64, uint32, uint16, uint8, uint:
+			format = fmt.Sprintf("%s=%du", escapeKeys.Replace(field), v)
+		case float64, float32:
+			format = fmt.Sprintf("%s=%f", escapeKeys.Replace(field), v)
+		case string:
+			format = fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", escapeKeys.Replace(field), escapeFieldStrings.Replace(v))
+		case bool:
+			format = fmt.Sprintf("%s=%t", escapeKeys.Replace(field), v)
+		}
+		fields = append(fields, format)
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s,%s %s %d\n",
+		measurement,
+		strings.Join(tags, ","),
+		strings.Join(fields, ","),
+		point.Time)
+}
diff --git a/server/swagger.json b/server/swagger.json
index 0dc228c956..109ad32f7a 100644
--- a/server/swagger.json
+++ b/server/swagger.json
@@ -550,7 +550,8 @@
       "patch": {
         "tags": ["sources", "users"],
         "summary": "Update user configuration",
-        "description": "Update one parameter at a time (one of password, permissions or roles)",
+        "description":
+          "Update one parameter at a time (one of password, permissions or roles)",
         "parameters": [
           {
             "name": "id",
@@ -3139,7 +3140,7 @@
         "rp": "autogen",
         "tempVars": [
           {
-            "tempVar": "$myfield",
+            "tempVar": ":myfield:",
             "values": [
               {
                 "type": "fieldKey",
@@ -3160,6 +3161,11 @@
         "rp": {
           "type": "string"
         },
+        "epoch": {
+          "description": "timestamp return format",
+          "type": "string",
+          "enum": ["h", "m", "s", "ms", "u", "ns"]
+        },
         "tempVars": {
           "type": "array",
           "description":