diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/change-issues-closed-at-background-migration.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/change-issues-closed-at-background-migration.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1c81c6a889e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/change-issues-closed-at-background-migration.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Use a background migration for issues.closed_at
+merge_request:
+author:
+type: other
diff --git a/db/post_migrate/20171221140220_schedule_issues_closed_at_type_change.rb b/db/post_migrate/20171221140220_schedule_issues_closed_at_type_change.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..be18c5866ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/post_migrate/20171221140220_schedule_issues_closed_at_type_change.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# See http://doc.gitlab.com/ce/development/migration_style_guide.html
+# for more information on how to write migrations for GitLab.
+
+class ScheduleIssuesClosedAtTypeChange < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  include Gitlab::Database::MigrationHelpers
+
+  DOWNTIME = false
+
+  disable_ddl_transaction!
+
+  class Issue < ActiveRecord::Base
+    self.table_name = 'issues'
+    include EachBatch
+
+    def self.to_migrate
+      where('closed_at IS NOT NULL')
+    end
+  end
+
+  def up
+    return unless migrate_column_type?
+
+    change_column_type_using_background_migration(
+      Issue.to_migrate,
+      :closed_at,
+      :datetime_with_timezone
+    )
+  end
+
+  def down
+    return if migrate_column_type?
+
+    change_column_type_using_background_migration(
+      Issue.to_migrate,
+      :closed_at,
+      :datetime
+    )
+  end
+
+  def migrate_column_type?
+    # Some environments may have already executed the previous version of this
+    # migration, thus we don't need to migrate those environments again.
+    column_for('issues', 'closed_at').type == :datetime
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index 9d3b5db117e..925629f28fb 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 20171220191323) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 20171221140220) do
 
   # These are extensions that must be enabled in order to support this database
   enable_extension "plpgsql"
diff --git a/doc/development/what_requires_downtime.md b/doc/development/what_requires_downtime.md
index 05e0a64af18..9d0c62ecc35 100644
--- a/doc/development/what_requires_downtime.md
+++ b/doc/development/what_requires_downtime.md
@@ -195,6 +195,63 @@ end
 
 And that's it, we're done!
 
+## Changing Column Types For Large Tables
+
+While `change_column_type_concurrently` can be used for changing the type of a
+column without downtime it doesn't work very well for large tables. Because all
+of the work happens in sequence the migration can take a very long time to
+complete, preventing a deployment from proceeding.
+`change_column_type_concurrently` can also produce a lot of pressure on the
+database due to it rapidly updating many rows in sequence.
+
+To reduce database pressure you should instead use
+`change_column_type_using_background_migration` when migrating a column in a
+large table (e.g. `issues`). This method works similar to
+`change_column_type_concurrently` but uses background migration to spread the
+work / load over a longer time period, without slowing down deployments.
+
+Usage of this method is fairly simple:
+
+```ruby
+class ExampleMigration < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  include Gitlab::Database::MigrationHelpers
+
+  disable_ddl_transaction!
+
+  class Issue < ActiveRecord::Base
+    self.table_name = 'issues'
+
+    include EachBatch
+
+    def self.to_migrate
+      where('closed_at IS NOT NULL')
+    end
+  end
+
+  def up
+    change_column_type_using_background_migration(
+      Issue.to_migrate,
+      :closed_at,
+      :datetime_with_timezone
+    )
+  end
+
+  def down
+    change_column_type_using_background_migration(
+      Issue.to_migrate,
+      :closed_at,
+      :datetime
+    )
+  end
+end
+```
+
+This would change the type of `issues.closed_at` to `timestamp with time zone`.
+
+Keep in mind that the relation passed to
+`change_column_type_using_background_migration` _must_ include `EachBatch`,
+otherwise it will raise a `TypeError`.
+
 ## Adding Indexes
 
 Adding indexes is an expensive process that blocks INSERT and UPDATE queries for
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/background_migration/cleanup_concurrent_type_change.rb b/lib/gitlab/background_migration/cleanup_concurrent_type_change.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..de622f657b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/gitlab/background_migration/cleanup_concurrent_type_change.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module Gitlab
+  module BackgroundMigration
+    # Background migration for cleaning up a concurrent column rename.
+    class CleanupConcurrentTypeChange
+      include Database::MigrationHelpers
+
+      RESCHEDULE_DELAY = 10.minutes
+
+      # table - The name of the table the migration is performed for.
+      # old_column - The name of the old (to drop) column.
+      # new_column - The name of the new column.
+      def perform(table, old_column, new_column)
+        return unless column_exists?(:issues, new_column)
+
+        rows_to_migrate = define_model_for(table)
+          .where(new_column => nil)
+          .where
+          .not(old_column => nil)
+
+        if rows_to_migrate.any?
+          BackgroundMigrationWorker.perform_in(
+            RESCHEDULE_DELAY,
+            'CleanupConcurrentTypeChange',
+            [table, old_column, new_column]
+          )
+        else
+          cleanup_concurrent_column_type_change(table, old_column)
+        end
+      end
+
+      # These methods are necessary so we can re-use the migration helpers in
+      # this class.
+      def connection
+        ActiveRecord::Base.connection
+      end
+
+      def method_missing(name, *args, &block)
+        connection.__send__(name, *args, &block) # rubocop: disable GitlabSecurity/PublicSend
+      end
+
+      def respond_to_missing?(*args)
+        connection.respond_to?(*args) || super
+      end
+
+      def define_model_for(table)
+        Class.new(ActiveRecord::Base) do
+          self.table_name = table
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/background_migration/copy_column.rb b/lib/gitlab/background_migration/copy_column.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a2cb215c230
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/gitlab/background_migration/copy_column.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module Gitlab
+  module BackgroundMigration
+    # CopyColumn is a simple (reusable) background migration that can be used to
+    # update the value of a column based on the value of another column in the
+    # same table.
+    #
+    # For this background migration to work the table that is migrated _has_ to
+    # have an `id` column as the primary key.
+    class CopyColumn
+      # table - The name of the table that contains the columns.
+      # copy_from - The column containing the data to copy.
+      # copy_to - The column to copy the data to.
+      # start_id - The start ID of the range of rows to update.
+      # end_id - The end ID of the range of rows to update.
+      def perform(table, copy_from, copy_to, start_id, end_id)
+        return unless connection.column_exists?(table, copy_to)
+
+        quoted_table = connection.quote_table_name(table)
+        quoted_copy_from = connection.quote_column_name(copy_from)
+        quoted_copy_to = connection.quote_column_name(copy_to)
+
+        # We're using raw SQL here since this job may be frequently executed. As
+        # a result dynamically defining models would lead to many unnecessary
+        # schema information queries.
+        connection.execute <<-SQL.strip_heredoc
+        UPDATE #{quoted_table}
+        SET #{quoted_copy_to} = #{quoted_copy_from}
+        WHERE id BETWEEN #{start_id} AND #{end_id}
+        SQL
+      end
+
+      def connection
+        ActiveRecord::Base.connection
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers.rb b/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers.rb
index 3f65bc912de..33171f83692 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers.rb
@@ -385,10 +385,27 @@ module Gitlab
         # necessary since we copy over old values further down.
         change_column_default(table, new, old_col.default) if old_col.default
 
-        trigger_name = rename_trigger_name(table, old, new)
+        install_rename_triggers(table, old, new)
+
+        update_column_in_batches(table, new, Arel::Table.new(table)[old])
+
+        change_column_null(table, new, false) unless old_col.null
+
+        copy_indexes(table, old, new)
+        copy_foreign_keys(table, old, new)
+      end
+
+      # Installs triggers in a table that keep a new column in sync with an old
+      # one.
+      #
+      # table - The name of the table to install the trigger in.
+      # old_column - The name of the old column.
+      # new_column - The name of the new column.
+      def install_rename_triggers(table, old_column, new_column)
+        trigger_name = rename_trigger_name(table, old_column, new_column)
         quoted_table = quote_table_name(table)
-        quoted_old = quote_column_name(old)
-        quoted_new = quote_column_name(new)
+        quoted_old = quote_column_name(old_column)
+        quoted_new = quote_column_name(new_column)
 
         if Database.postgresql?
           install_rename_triggers_for_postgresql(trigger_name, quoted_table,
@@ -397,13 +414,6 @@ module Gitlab
           install_rename_triggers_for_mysql(trigger_name, quoted_table,
                                             quoted_old, quoted_new)
         end
-
-        update_column_in_batches(table, new, Arel::Table.new(table)[old])
-
-        change_column_null(table, new, false) unless old_col.null
-
-        copy_indexes(table, old, new)
-        copy_foreign_keys(table, old, new)
       end
 
       # Changes the type of a column concurrently.
@@ -455,6 +465,97 @@ module Gitlab
         remove_column(table, old)
       end
 
+      # Changes the column type of a table using a background migration.
+      #
+      # Because this method uses a background migration it's more suitable for
+      # large tables. For small tables it's better to use
+      # `change_column_type_concurrently` since it can complete its work in a
+      # much shorter amount of time and doesn't rely on Sidekiq.
+      #
+      # Example usage:
+      #
+      #     class Issue < ActiveRecord::Base
+      #       self.table_name = 'issues'
+      #
+      #       include EachBatch
+      #
+      #       def self.to_migrate
+      #         where('closed_at IS NOT NULL')
+      #       end
+      #     end
+      #
+      #     change_column_type_using_background_migration(
+      #       Issue.to_migrate,
+      #       :closed_at,
+      #       :datetime_with_timezone
+      #     )
+      #
+      # Reverting a migration like this is done exactly the same way, just with
+      # a different type to migrate to (e.g. `:datetime` in the above example).
+      #
+      # relation - An ActiveRecord relation to use for scheduling jobs and
+      #            figuring out what table we're modifying. This relation _must_
+      #            have the EachBatch module included.
+      #
+      # column - The name of the column for which the type will be changed.
+      #
+      # new_type - The new type of the column.
+      #
+      # batch_size - The number of rows to schedule in a single background
+      #              migration.
+      #
+      # interval - The time interval between every background migration.
+      def change_column_type_using_background_migration(
+        relation,
+        column,
+        new_type,
+        batch_size: 10_000,
+        interval: 10.minutes
+      )
+        unless relation.model < EachBatch
+          raise TypeError, 'The relation must include the EachBatch module'
+        end
+
+        temp_column = "#{column}_for_type_change"
+        table = relation.table_name
+        max_index = 0
+
+        add_column(table, temp_column, new_type)
+        install_rename_triggers(table, column, temp_column)
+
+        # Schedule the jobs that will copy the data from the old column to the
+        # new one.
+        relation.each_batch(of: batch_size) do |batch, index|
+          start_id, end_id = batch.pluck('MIN(id), MAX(id)').first
+          max_index = index
+
+          BackgroundMigrationWorker.perform_in(
+            index * interval,
+            'CopyColumn',
+            [table, column, temp_column, start_id, end_id]
+          )
+        end
+
+        # Schedule the renaming of the column to happen (initially) 1 hour after
+        # the last batch finished.
+        BackgroundMigrationWorker.perform_in(
+          (max_index * interval) + 1.hour,
+          'CleanupConcurrentTypeChange',
+          [table, column, temp_column]
+        )
+
+        if perform_background_migration_inline?
+          # To ensure the schema is up to date immediately we perform the
+          # migration inline in dev / test environments.
+          Gitlab::BackgroundMigration.steal('CopyColumn')
+          Gitlab::BackgroundMigration.steal('CleanupConcurrentTypeChange')
+        end
+      end
+
+      def perform_background_migration_inline?
+        Rails.env.test? || Rails.env.development?
+      end
+
       # Performs a concurrent column rename when using PostgreSQL.
       def install_rename_triggers_for_postgresql(trigger, table, old, new)
         execute <<-EOF.strip_heredoc
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers_spec.rb
index 664ba0f7234..7727a1d81b1 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers_spec.rb
@@ -902,7 +902,7 @@ describe Gitlab::Database::MigrationHelpers do
   describe '#check_trigger_permissions!' do
     it 'does nothing when the user has the correct permissions' do
       expect { model.check_trigger_permissions!('users') }
-        .not_to raise_error(RuntimeError)
+        .not_to raise_error
     end
 
     it 'raises RuntimeError when the user does not have the correct permissions' do
@@ -1036,4 +1036,93 @@ describe Gitlab::Database::MigrationHelpers do
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#change_column_type_using_background_migration' do
+    let!(:issue) { create(:issue) }
+
+    let(:issue_model) do
+      Class.new(ActiveRecord::Base) do
+        self.table_name = 'issues'
+        include EachBatch
+      end
+    end
+
+    it 'changes the type of a column using a background migration' do
+      expect(model)
+        .to receive(:add_column)
+        .with('issues', 'closed_at_for_type_change', :datetime_with_timezone)
+
+      expect(model)
+        .to receive(:install_rename_triggers)
+        .with('issues', :closed_at, 'closed_at_for_type_change')
+
+      expect(BackgroundMigrationWorker)
+        .to receive(:perform_in)
+        .ordered
+        .with(
+          10.minutes,
+          'CopyColumn',
+          ['issues', :closed_at, 'closed_at_for_type_change', issue.id, issue.id]
+        )
+
+      expect(BackgroundMigrationWorker)
+        .to receive(:perform_in)
+        .ordered
+        .with(
+          1.hour + 10.minutes,
+          'CleanupConcurrentTypeChange',
+          ['issues', :closed_at, 'closed_at_for_type_change']
+        )
+
+      expect(Gitlab::BackgroundMigration)
+        .to receive(:steal)
+        .ordered
+        .with('CopyColumn')
+
+      expect(Gitlab::BackgroundMigration)
+        .to receive(:steal)
+        .ordered
+        .with('CleanupConcurrentTypeChange')
+
+      model.change_column_type_using_background_migration(
+        issue_model.all,
+        :closed_at,
+        :datetime_with_timezone
+      )
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#perform_background_migration_inline?' do
+    it 'returns true in a test environment' do
+      allow(Rails.env)
+        .to receive(:test?)
+        .and_return(true)
+
+      expect(model.perform_background_migration_inline?).to eq(true)
+    end
+
+    it 'returns true in a development environment' do
+      allow(Rails.env)
+        .to receive(:test?)
+        .and_return(false)
+
+      allow(Rails.env)
+        .to receive(:development?)
+        .and_return(true)
+
+      expect(model.perform_background_migration_inline?).to eq(true)
+    end
+
+    it 'returns false in a production environment' do
+      allow(Rails.env)
+        .to receive(:test?)
+        .and_return(false)
+
+      allow(Rails.env)
+        .to receive(:development?)
+        .and_return(false)
+
+      expect(model.perform_background_migration_inline?).to eq(false)
+    end
+  end
 end