diff --git a/pyclarity_lims/descriptors.py b/pyclarity_lims/descriptors.py
index a5a4c285..c2ce1adb 100644
--- a/pyclarity_lims/descriptors.py
+++ b/pyclarity_lims/descriptors.py
@@ -758,7 +758,11 @@ def _parse_element(self, element, lims, **kwargs):
             except ValueError:
                 # support for python 2.7 ignore time zone
                 # use python 3 for timezone support
-                qt = qt.split('+')[0]
+                if '+' in qt:
+                    qt = qt.split('+')[0]
+                else:
+                    qt_array = qt.split('-')
+                    qt = qt_array[0] + "-" + qt_array[1] + "-" + qt_array[2]
                 queue_date = datetime.datetime.strptime(qt, date_format)
         list.append(self, (input_art, queue_date, location))
 
diff --git a/tests/test_descriptors.py b/tests/test_descriptors.py
index be7c7310..e4cee667 100644
--- a/tests/test_descriptors.py
+++ b/tests/test_descriptors.py
@@ -750,6 +750,13 @@ def setUp(self):
                 <value>A:2</value>
                 </location>
                 </artifact>
+                <artifact uri="{url}/artifacts/a3">
+                <queue-time>2011-12-25T01:10:10.050-00:00</queue-time>
+                <location>
+                <container uri="{url}/containers/c1"/>
+                <value>A:3</value>
+                </location>
+                </artifact>
                 </artifacts>
                 </test-entry>'''.format(url='http://testgenologics.com:4040/api/v2'))
 
@@ -776,10 +783,12 @@ def test_parse(self):
         assert queued_artifacts[0] == qart
         qart = self.get_queue_art('a2', 'A:2', 200000, datetime.timedelta(0, 3600))
         assert queued_artifacts[1] == qart
+        qart = self.get_queue_art('a3', 'A:3', 50000, datetime.timedelta(0, 0))
+        assert queued_artifacts[2] == qart
 
     def test_set(self):
         queued_artifacts = QueuedArtifactList(self.instance1)
-        qart = self.get_queue_art('a1', 'A:3',  50000, datetime.timedelta(0, 0))
+        qart = self.get_queue_art('a1', 'A:4',  50000, datetime.timedelta(0, 0))
         with pytest.raises(NotImplementedError):
             queued_artifacts.append(qart)