diff --git a/.meta/sinks/clickhouse.toml b/.meta/sinks/clickhouse.toml
index 8ec3c2b0242b99..77107bec911f85 100644
--- a/.meta/sinks/clickhouse.toml
+++ b/.meta/sinks/clickhouse.toml
@@ -94,11 +94,19 @@ common = true
 examples = ["mydatabase"]
 description = "The database that contains the stable that data will be inserted into."
 
-[sinks.clickhouse.options.timestamp_format]
+[sinks.clickhouse.options.encoding]
+type = "table"
+common = true
+required = false
+description = "Customize how events are encoded."
+
+[sinks.clickhouse.options.encoding.children.timestamp_format]
 type = "string"
 common = true
 required = false
-description = "Optionally convert timestamps into a format that can be parsed as a Clickhouse DateTime. This loses precision as DateTimes are defined in seconds."
+default = "rfc3339"
+description = "How to format event timestamps. Formats such as unix can be parsed as a Clickhouse DateTime, however, this loses precision as DateTimes are defined in seconds."
 
-[sinks.clickhouse.options.timestamp_format.enum]
-unix = "Format as a unix timestamp"
+[sinks.clickhouse.options.encoding.children.timestamp_format.enum]
+rfc3339 = "Format as an RFC3339 string"
+unix = "Format as a unix timestamp, can be parsed as a Clickhouse DateTime"
diff --git a/config/vector.spec.toml b/config/vector.spec.toml
index 73799c87ab8339..37f8feefbf9cc6 100644
--- a/config/vector.spec.toml
+++ b/config/vector.spec.toml
@@ -2841,15 +2841,6 @@ end
   healthcheck = true
   healthcheck = false
 
-  # Optionally convert timestamps into a format that can be parsed as a
-  # Clickhouse DateTime. This loses precision as DateTimes are defined in seconds.
-  #
-  # * optional
-  # * no default
-  # * type: string
-  # * must be: "unix" (if supplied)
-  timestamp_format = "unix"
-
   #
   # requests
   #
@@ -2953,6 +2944,22 @@ end
     when_full = "block"
     when_full = "drop_newest"
 
+  #
+  # Encoding
+  #
+
+  [sinks.clickhouse.encoding]
+    # How to format event timestamps. Formats such as unix can be parsed as a
+    # Clickhouse DateTime, however, this loses precision as DateTimes are defined
+    # in seconds.
+    #
+    # * optional
+    # * default: "rfc3339"
+    # * type: string
+    # * enum: "rfc3339" or "unix"
+    timestamp_format = "rfc3339"
+    timestamp_format = "unix"
+
   #
   # Request
   #
diff --git a/src/sinks/clickhouse.rs b/src/sinks/clickhouse.rs
index 3b062cb5130aa9..84c9aa8e45f9e2 100644
--- a/src/sinks/clickhouse.rs
+++ b/src/sinks/clickhouse.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use crate::{
     dns::Resolver,
-    event::{Event, Value, TIMESTAMP},
+    event::{Event, Value},
     sinks::util::{
         http::{https_client, Auth, HttpRetryLogic, HttpService, Response},
         retries::{RetryAction, RetryLogic},
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@ use snafu::ResultExt;
 #[serde(rename_all = "lowercase")]
 pub enum TimestampFormat {
     Unix,
+    RFC3339,
+}
+
+#[derive(Deserialize, Serialize, Debug, Clone, Default)]
+#[serde(deny_unknown_fields)]
+pub struct EncodingConfig {
+    pub timestamp_format: Option<TimestampFormat>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Deserialize, Serialize, Debug, Clone, Default)]
@@ -30,7 +37,7 @@ pub struct ClickhouseConfig {
     pub table: String,
     pub database: Option<String>,
     pub compression: Option<Compression>,
-    pub timestamp_format: Option<TimestampFormat>,
+    pub encoding: EncodingConfig,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub batch: BatchBytesConfig,
     pub auth: Option<Auth>,
@@ -122,16 +129,20 @@ fn clickhouse(config: ClickhouseConfig, cx: SinkContext) -> crate::Result<super:
 }
 
 fn encode_event(config: &ClickhouseConfig, mut event: Event) -> Option<Vec<u8>> {
-    match config.timestamp_format {
+    match config.encoding.timestamp_format {
         Some(TimestampFormat::Unix) => {
-            if let Some(unix) = match event.as_log().get(&TIMESTAMP) {
-                Some(Value::Timestamp(ts)) => Some(ts.timestamp()),
-                _ => None,
-            } {
-                event.as_mut_log().insert(TIMESTAMP.clone(), unix);
+            let mut unix_timestamps = Vec::new();
+            for (k, v) in event.as_log().all_fields() {
+                if let Value::Timestamp(ts) = v {
+                    unix_timestamps.push((k.clone(), Value::Integer(ts.timestamp())));
+                }
+            }
+            for (k, v) in unix_timestamps.pop() {
+                event.as_mut_log().insert(k, v);
             }
         }
-        None => {}
+        // RFC3339 is the default serialization of a timestamp.
+        Some(TimestampFormat::RFC3339) | None => {}
     }
     let mut body =
         serde_json::to_vec(&event.as_log().all_fields()).expect("Events should be valid json!");
@@ -244,6 +255,7 @@ mod tests {
 mod integration_tests {
     use super::*;
     use crate::{
+        event,
         event::Event,
         test_util::{random_string, runtime},
         topology::config::{SinkConfig, SinkContext},
@@ -306,7 +318,9 @@ mod integration_tests {
             host: host.clone(),
             table: table.clone(),
             compression: Some(Compression::None),
-            timestamp_format: Some(TimestampFormat::Unix),
+            encoding: EncodingConfig {
+                timestamp_format: Some(TimestampFormat::Unix),
+            },
             batch: BatchBytesConfig {
                 max_size: Some(1),
                 timeout_secs: None,
@@ -337,11 +351,11 @@ mod integration_tests {
 
         let exp_event = input_event.as_mut_log();
         exp_event.insert(
-            TIMESTAMP.clone(),
+            event::log_schema().timestamp_key().clone(),
             format!(
                 "{}",
                 exp_event
-                    .get(&TIMESTAMP)
+                    .get(&event::log_schema().timestamp_key())
                     .unwrap()
                     .as_timestamp()
                     .unwrap()
diff --git a/website/docs/reference/sinks/clickhouse.md b/website/docs/reference/sinks/clickhouse.md
index add8974299a51d..74cf1e3d669eee 100644
--- a/website/docs/reference/sinks/clickhouse.md
+++ b/website/docs/reference/sinks/clickhouse.md
@@ -52,10 +52,13 @@ import CodeHeader from '@site/src/components/CodeHeader';
   # OPTIONAL - General
   database = "mydatabase" # example, no default
   healthcheck = true # default
-  timestamp_format = "unix" # no default, must be: "unix" (if supplied)
 
   # OPTIONAL - requests
   compression = "none" # default, enum
+
+  # OPTIONAL - Encoding
+  [sinks.my_sink_id.encoding]
+    timestamp_format = "rfc3339" # default, enum
 ```
 
 </TabItem>
@@ -74,7 +77,6 @@ import CodeHeader from '@site/src/components/CodeHeader';
   # OPTIONAL - General
   database = "mydatabase" # example, no default
   healthcheck = true # default
-  timestamp_format = "unix" # no default, must be: "unix" (if supplied)
 
   # OPTIONAL - requests
   compression = "none" # default, enum
@@ -100,6 +102,10 @@ import CodeHeader from '@site/src/components/CodeHeader';
     # REQUIRED
     max_size = 104900000 # example, bytes, relevant when type = "disk"
 
+  # OPTIONAL - Encoding
+  [sinks.my_sink_id.encoding]
+    timestamp_format = "rfc3339" # default, enum
+
   # OPTIONAL - Request
   [sinks.my_sink_id.request]
     in_flight_limit = 5 # default, requests
@@ -477,6 +483,56 @@ The database that contains the stable that data will be inserted into.
 </Field>
 
 
+<Field
+  common={true}
+  defaultValue={null}
+  enumValues={null}
+  examples={[]}
+  groups={[]}
+  name={"encoding"}
+  path={null}
+  relevantWhen={null}
+  required={false}
+  templateable={false}
+  type={"table"}
+  unit={null}
+  >
+
+### encoding
+
+Specify how events are encoded.
+
+<Fields filters={false}>
+
+
+<Field
+  common={true}
+  defaultValue={"rfc3339"}
+  enumValues={{"rfc3339":"Format as an RFC3339 string","unix":"Format as a unix timestamp, can be parsed as a Clickhouse DateTime"}}
+  examples={["rfc3339","unix"]}
+  groups={[]}
+  name={"timestamp_format"}
+  path={"encoding"}
+  relevantWhen={null}
+  required={false}
+  templateable={false}
+  type={"string"}
+  unit={null}
+  >
+
+#### timestamp_format
+
+How to format event timestamps. Formats such as unix can be parsed as a Clickhouse DateTime, however, this loses precision as DateTimes are defined in seconds.
+
+
+</Field>
+
+
+</Fields>
+
+</Field>
+
+
 <Field
   common={true}
   defaultValue={true}
@@ -734,29 +790,6 @@ The table that data will be inserted into.
 </Field>
 
 
-<Field
-  common={true}
-  defaultValue={null}
-  enumValues={{"unix":"Format as a unix timestamp"}}
-  examples={["unix"]}
-  groups={[]}
-  name={"timestamp_format"}
-  path={null}
-  relevantWhen={null}
-  required={false}
-  templateable={false}
-  type={"string"}
-  unit={null}
-  >
-
-### timestamp_format
-
-Optionally convert timestamps into a format that can be parsed as a Clickhouse DateTime. This loses precision as DateTimes are defined in seconds.
-
-
-</Field>
-
-
 <Field
   common={false}
   defaultValue={null}