diff --git a/app/models/license.rb b/app/models/license.rb
index 6d4ed3f2ba..fee3cfe11e 100644
--- a/app/models/license.rb
+++ b/app/models/license.rb
@@ -96,15 +96,18 @@ class License < ActiveRecord::Base
     return unless self.license? && self.restricted?(:active_user_count)
 
     restricted_user_count = self.restrictions[:active_user_count]
+
+    date_range = (self.issued_at - 1.year)..self.issued_at
+    active_user_count = HistoricalData.during(date_range).maximum(:active_user_count) || 0
     
-    active_user_count = HistoricalData.up_until(self.issued_at).maximum(:active_user_count) || 0
+    return unless active_user_count
 
     return if active_user_count < restricted_user_count
 
     overage = active_user_count - restricted_user_count
 
     message = ""
-    message << "At one point, this GitLab installation had "
+    message << "During the year before this license was issued, this GitLab installation had "
     message << "#{number_with_delimiter active_user_count} active #{"user".pluralize(active_user_count)}, "
     message << "exceeding this license's limit of #{number_with_delimiter restricted_user_count} by "
     message << "#{number_with_delimiter overage} #{"user".pluralize(overage)}. "
diff --git a/app/views/admin/licenses/show.html.haml b/app/views/admin/licenses/show.html.haml
index 3b4c960de7..021d4d65c6 100644
--- a/app/views/admin/licenses/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/admin/licenses/show.html.haml
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@
               %strong 
                 Exceeds license limit
 
-        - historical = HistoricalData.up_until(@license.issued_at).maximum(:active_user_count)
+        - date_range = (Date.today - 1.year)..Date.today
+        - historical = HistoricalData.during(date_range).maximum(:active_user_count)
         - if historical 
           %li
             %span.light Maximum active users:
diff --git a/spec/models/license_spec.rb b/spec/models/license_spec.rb
index 94707f36dd..165c9b16f9 100644
--- a/spec/models/license_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/license_spec.rb
@@ -53,13 +53,21 @@ describe License do
           end
         end
 
-        context "before the license was issued" do
+        context "in the year before the license was issued" do
           let(:date) { License.current.issued_at - 6.months }
 
           it "is invalid" do
             expect(license).to_not be_valid
           end
         end
+
+        context "earlier than a year before the license was issued" do
+          let(:date) { License.current.issued_at - 2.years }
+
+          it "is valid" do
+            expect(license).to be_valid
+          end
+        end
       end
 
       context "when the active user count restriction is not exceeded" do