diff --git a/dascore/utils/time.py b/dascore/utils/time.py
index 6d0dd0dc..7bae6fbe 100644
--- a/dascore/utils/time.py
+++ b/dascore/utils/time.py
@@ -126,6 +126,11 @@ def _float_to_datetime(num: float | int) -> np.datetime64:
 def _array_to_datetime64(array: np.ndarray) -> np.datetime64 | np.ndarray:
     """Convert an array of floating point timestamps to an array of np.datatime64."""
     array = np.asarray(array)
+    # 0-D arrays cannot be indexed or iterated, which the branches below do;
+    # use the length-one array it stands for and unpack the scalar at the end.
+    degenerate = array.ndim == 0
+    if degenerate:
+        array = array.reshape(1)
     nans = pd.isnull(array)
     # dealing with objects
     if np.issubdtype(array.dtype, np.dtype(object)):
@@ -136,8 +141,6 @@ def _array_to_datetime64(array: np.ndarray) -> np.datetime64 | np.ndarray:
     # dealing with an array of datetime64 or empty array
     if np.issubdtype(array.dtype, np.datetime64) or len(array) == 0:
         out = array.astype("datetime64[ns]")
-        if not array.shape:  # unpack degenerate (0-D) array to a scalar
-            out = out[()]
     # dealing with numerical data
     elif np.issubdtype(array.dtype, np.timedelta64) or np.isreal(array[0]):
         with np.errstate(divide="ignore", invalid="ignore"):
@@ -147,7 +150,7 @@ def _array_to_datetime64(array: np.ndarray) -> np.datetime64 | np.ndarray:
             out = _float_array_to_ns(array).astype("datetime64[ns]")
         # fill NaN Back in
         out[nans] = _NAT_DATETIME64
-    return out
+    return out[0] if degenerate else out
 
 
 @to_datetime64.register(pd.Series)
@@ -245,30 +248,33 @@ def _pass_time_delta(time_delta):
 def _array_to_timedelta64(array: np.ndarray) -> np.timedelta64 | np.ndarray:
     """Convert an array of floating point durations to np.timedelta64."""
     array = np.asarray(array)
+    # See the note in _array_to_datetime64.
+    degenerate = array.ndim == 0
+    if degenerate:
+        array = array.reshape(1)
     # convert pure object arrays into float so sign casting works.
     if np.issubdtype(array.dtype, np.dtype(object)):
         array = array.astype(np.float64)
     if np.issubdtype(array.dtype, np.timedelta64) or len(array) == 0:
         out = array.astype("timedelta64[ns]")
-        # unpack degenerate (0-D) array to a scalar
-        return out[()] if not array.shape else out
-    # Need to just get the ns form datetime64
+    # A datetime becomes its offset from the epoch. The unit has to be
+    # normalized first, or viewing e.g. datetime64[s] as int64 would label
+    # its second count as nanoseconds.
     elif np.issubdtype(array.dtype, np.datetime64):
-        int_array = array.view(np.int64)
-        return np.array(int_array).astype("timedelta64[ns]")
-
-    assert np.isreal(array[0])
-    invalid = pd.isnull(array) | ~np.isfinite(array)
-    # Need to make copy to 1) not change original array and 2) handle
-    # immutable arrays. See #575.
-    if np.any(invalid):
-        array = np.array(array)
-        array[invalid] = 0
-    # inf/NaN complain, salience these types of warnings for this block.
-    with np.errstate(divide="ignore", invalid="ignore"):
-        out = _float_array_to_ns(array).astype("timedelta64[ns]")
-        out[invalid] = _NAT_TIMEDELTA64
-    return out
+        out = array.astype("datetime64[ns]").view("timedelta64[ns]")
+    else:
+        assert np.isreal(array[0])
+        invalid = pd.isnull(array) | ~np.isfinite(array)
+        # Need to make copy to 1) not change original array and 2) handle
+        # immutable arrays. See #575.
+        if np.any(invalid):
+            array = np.array(array)
+            array[invalid] = 0
+        # inf/NaN complain, salience these types of warnings for this block.
+        with np.errstate(divide="ignore", invalid="ignore"):
+            out = _float_array_to_ns(array).astype("timedelta64[ns]")
+            out[invalid] = _NAT_TIMEDELTA64
+    return out[0] if degenerate else out
 
 
 @to_timedelta64.register(pd.Series)
diff --git a/tests/test_utils/test_time.py b/tests/test_utils/test_time.py
index 5bc147da..255c66fb 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils/test_time.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils/test_time.py
@@ -416,6 +416,40 @@ def test_immutable_inputs(self):
             time = to_timedelta64(array_no_nan)
             assert np.issubdtype(time.dtype, "m8")
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("unit", ("D", "s", "ms", "ns"))
+    def test_datetime_array_is_epoch_offset(self, unit):
+        """A datetime becomes its offset from the epoch, whatever its unit."""
+        value = np.datetime64("2020-01-01", unit)
+        expected = np.timedelta64(1577836800, "s")
+        assert to_timedelta64(np.array([value])) == expected
+        assert to_timedelta64(np.array(value)) == expected
+
+
+class TestDegenerateArrays:
+    """Tests for 0-D array inputs to the array converters."""
+
+    values = (
+        np.datetime64("2020-01-01", "s"),
+        np.timedelta64(5, "s"),
+        5.0,
+        5,
+    )
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("func", (to_datetime64, to_timedelta64))
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("value", values)
+    def test_matches_length_one_array(self, func, value):
+        """A 0-D array converts like the length-one array it stands for."""
+        out = func(np.array(value))
+        assert np.shape(out) == ()
+        assert out == func(np.array([value]))[0]
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("func", (to_datetime64, to_timedelta64))
+    def test_nan_becomes_nat(self, func):
+        """A 0-D NaN converts to NaT rather than an epoch value."""
+        out = func(np.array(np.nan))
+        assert np.shape(out) == ()
+        assert pd.isnull(out)
+
 
 class TestToInt:
     """Tests for converting time-like types to ints, or passing through reals."""