diff --git a/services/comm-services-lib/src/database.rs b/services/comm-services-lib/src/database.rs
--- a/services/comm-services-lib/src/database.rs
+++ b/services/comm-services-lib/src/database.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::fmt::{Display, Formatter};
 use std::num::ParseIntError;
+use std::str::FromStr;
 
 #[derive(
   Debug, derive_more::Display, derive_more::From, derive_more::Error,
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@
   #[display(...)]
   IncorrectType,
   #[display(...)]
+  TimestampOutOfRange,
+  #[display(...)]
   InvalidTimestamp(chrono::ParseError),
   #[display(...)]
   InvalidNumberFormat(ParseIntError),
@@ -98,6 +101,30 @@
   }
 }
 
+pub fn parse_int_attribute<T>(
+  attribute_name: &'static str,
+  attribute_value: Option<AttributeValue>,
+) -> Result<T, DBItemError>
+where
+  T: FromStr<Err = ParseIntError>,
+{
+  match &attribute_value {
+    Some(AttributeValue::N(numeric_str)) => {
+      parse_integer(attribute_name, &numeric_str)
+    }
+    Some(_) => Err(DBItemError::new(
+      attribute_name,
+      Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
+      DBItemAttributeError::IncorrectType,
+    )),
+    None => Err(DBItemError::new(
+      attribute_name,
+      Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
+      DBItemAttributeError::Missing,
+    )),
+  }
+}
+
 pub fn parse_datetime_attribute(
   attribute_name: &'static str,
   attribute_value: Option<AttributeValue>,
@@ -120,6 +147,24 @@
   }
 }
 
+/// Parses the UTC timestamp in milliseconds from a DynamoDB numeric attribute
+pub fn parse_timestamp_attribute(
+  attribute_name: &'static str,
+  attribute_value: Option<AttributeValue>,
+) -> Result<DateTime<Utc>, DBItemError> {
+  let timestamp =
+    parse_int_attribute::<i64>(attribute_name, attribute_value.clone())?;
+  let naive_datetime = chrono::NaiveDateTime::from_timestamp_millis(timestamp)
+    .ok_or_else(|| {
+      DBItemError::new(
+        attribute_name,
+        Value::AttributeValue(attribute_value),
+        DBItemAttributeError::TimestampOutOfRange,
+      )
+    })?;
+  Ok(DateTime::from_utc(naive_datetime, Utc))
+}
+
 pub fn parse_map_attribute(
   attribute_name: &'static str,
   attribute_value: Option<AttributeValue>,
@@ -139,11 +184,14 @@
   }
 }
 
-pub fn parse_number(
+pub fn parse_integer<T>(
   attribute_name: &'static str,
   attribute_value: &str,
-) -> Result<i32, DBItemError> {
-  attribute_value.parse::<i32>().map_err(|e| {
+) -> Result<T, DBItemError>
+where
+  T: FromStr<Err = ParseIntError>,
+{
+  attribute_value.parse::<T>().map_err(|e| {
     DBItemError::new(
       attribute_name,
       Value::String(attribute_value.to_string()),
@@ -151,3 +199,50 @@
     )
   })
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+
+mod tests {
+  use super::*;
+
+  #[test]
+  fn test_parse_integer() {
+    assert!(parse_integer::<i32>("some_attr", "123").is_ok());
+    assert!(parse_integer::<i32>("negative", "-123").is_ok());
+
+    assert!(parse_integer::<i32>("float", "3.14").is_err());
+    assert!(parse_integer::<i32>("NaN", "foo").is_err());
+
+    assert!(parse_integer::<u32>("negative_uint", "-123").is_err());
+    assert!(parse_integer::<u8>("too_large", "65536").is_err());
+  }
+
+  #[test]
+  fn test_parse_timestamp() {
+    let timestamp = Utc::now().timestamp_millis();
+    let attr = AttributeValue::N(timestamp.to_string());
+
+    let parsed_timestamp = parse_timestamp_attribute("some_attr", Some(attr));
+
+    assert!(parsed_timestamp.is_ok());
+    assert_eq!(parsed_timestamp.unwrap().timestamp_millis(), timestamp);
+  }
+
+  #[test]
+  fn test_parse_invalid_timestamp() {
+    let attr = AttributeValue::N("foo".to_string());
+    let parsed_timestamp = parse_timestamp_attribute("some_attr", Some(attr));
+    assert!(parsed_timestamp.is_err());
+  }
+
+  #[test]
+  fn test_parse_timestamp_out_of_range() {
+    let attr = AttributeValue::N(i64::MAX.to_string());
+    let parsed_timestamp = parse_timestamp_attribute("some_attr", Some(attr));
+    assert!(parsed_timestamp.is_err());
+    assert!(matches!(
+      parsed_timestamp.unwrap_err().attribute_error,
+      DBItemAttributeError::TimestampOutOfRange
+    ));
+  }
+}
diff --git a/services/feature-flags/src/database.rs b/services/feature-flags/src/database.rs
--- a/services/feature-flags/src/database.rs
+++ b/services/feature-flags/src/database.rs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
   let mut config = HashMap::new();
   for (code_version_string, code_version_config) in config_map {
     let code_version: i32 =
-      database::parse_number("code_version", code_version_string.as_str())?;
+      database::parse_integer("code_version", code_version_string.as_str())?;
     let version_config =
       parse_code_version_specific_feature_config(Some(code_version_config))?;
     config.insert(code_version, version_config);