diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 16fdd7c2e..7ac1ca201 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   capistrano-rails
   capybara
   childprocess
-  chrono_model (<= 0.12.1)
+  chrono_model
   cucumber
   database_cleaner
   factory_bot_rails
diff --git a/backend/Gemfile b/backend/Gemfile
index 9f9f2483b..bee7c6049 100644
--- a/backend/Gemfile
+++ b/backend/Gemfile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ source 'https://rubygems.org'
 gem 'active_model_serializers'
 gem 'arel'
 gem 'cancancan'
-gem 'chrono_model', '<= 0.12.1'
+gem 'chrono_model'
 gem 'geocoder'
 gem 'globalize', git: 'https://github.com/globalize/globalize'
 gem 'globalize-accessors'
diff --git a/backend/Gemfile.lock b/backend/Gemfile.lock
index 9a80cf893..a6f84ddb1 100644
--- a/backend/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/backend/Gemfile.lock
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ GEM
     case_transform (0.2)
       activesupport
     choice (0.2.0)
-    chrono_model (0.12.1)
-      activerecord (>= 4.2.0, < 5.2.0)
+    chrono_model (1.2.2)
+      activerecord (>= 5.0.0)
       multi_json
       pg
     coderay (1.1.2)
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   capistrano
   capistrano-db-tasks!
   capistrano-rails
-  chrono_model (<= 0.12.1)
+  chrono_model
   factory_bot_rails
   geocoder
   globalize!
diff --git a/backend/db/seeds.rb b/backend/db/seeds.rb
index b4a3737e0..3b23a1289 100644
--- a/backend/db/seeds.rb
+++ b/backend/db/seeds.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@
 #   Character.create(name: 'Luke', movie: movies.first)
 
 # avoid after_commit error when creating broadcasts
+
+# to make amend_period! available
+require 'chrono_model/utilities'
+ActiveRecord::Base.instance_eval do
+  extend ChronoModel::Utilities
+end
+
 Scenic.database.refresh_materialized_view(:statistic_broadcasts, cascade: false)
 
 tv    = Medium.create!(id: 0, name_de: 'TV', name_en: 'TV')
diff --git a/backend/spec/rails_helper.rb b/backend/spec/rails_helper.rb
index c4a9d0d52..8cc89d0b7 100644
--- a/backend/spec/rails_helper.rb
+++ b/backend/spec/rails_helper.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@
 require 'rspec/rails'
 require 'vcr'
 require 'json_matchers/rspec'
+# to make amend_period! available
+require 'chrono_model/utilities'
+ActiveRecord::Base.instance_eval do
+  extend ChronoModel::Utilities
+end
+
 # Add additional requires below this line. Rails is not loaded until this point!
 
 # Requires supporting ruby files with custom matchers and macros, etc, in