diff --git a/common/time_utils.py b/common/time_utils.py
index f501674e8c..50ea2bcaf1 100644
--- a/common/time_utils.py
+++ b/common/time_utils.py
@@ -46,8 +46,9 @@ def timestamp_to_date(timestamp, format_string="%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"):
         >>> timestamp_to_date(1704067200000)
         '2024-01-01 08:00:00'
     """
-    if not timestamp:
-        timestamp = time.time()
+    if timestamp is None or timestamp == "":
+        timestamp = current_timestamp()
+        logging.debug("timestamp_to_date received empty timestamp; using current_timestamp() fallback")
     timestamp = int(timestamp) / 1000
     time_array = time.localtime(timestamp)
     str_date = time.strftime(format_string, time_array)
@@ -144,11 +145,8 @@ def format_iso_8601_to_ymd_hms(time_str: str) -> str:
     from dateutil import parser
 
     try:
-        if parser.isoparse(time_str):
-            dt = datetime.datetime.fromisoformat(time_str.replace("Z", "+00:00"))
-            return dt.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
-        else:
-            return time_str
+        dt = parser.isoparse(time_str)
+        return dt.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
     except Exception as e:
         logging.error(str(e))
         return time_str
diff --git a/test/unit_test/common/test_time_utils.py b/test/unit_test/common/test_time_utils.py
index 6a622e798a..c7142df5bc 100644
--- a/test/unit_test/common/test_time_utils.py
+++ b/test/unit_test/common/test_time_utils.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import time
 import datetime
 import pytest
-from common.time_utils import current_timestamp, timestamp_to_date, date_string_to_timestamp, datetime_format, delta_seconds
+from common.time_utils import current_timestamp, timestamp_to_date, date_string_to_timestamp, datetime_format, delta_seconds, format_iso_8601_to_ymd_hms
 
 
 class TestCurrentTimestamp:
@@ -650,4 +650,65 @@ class TestDeltaSeconds:
             # If we're testing on the first day of month
             date_string = "2024-01-31 12:00:00"  # Use a known past date
             result = delta_seconds(date_string)
-            assert result > 0
\ No newline at end of file
+            assert result > 0
+
+
+@pytest.mark.p2
+class TestTimestampToDateCurrentTimeFallback:
+    """Regression tests for the None/empty fallback of timestamp_to_date.
+
+    The docstring promises "If None or empty, uses current time", but the
+    fallback assigned ``time.time()`` (seconds) and then divided by 1000 again,
+    producing a date around 1970-01-21 instead of now. The existing
+    ``test_return_type_always_string`` only checks the return type, so it never
+    caught this. These tests pin the behaviour by value.
+    """
+
+    def test_none_uses_current_time(self, monkeypatch):
+        """None input must resolve to current_timestamp() fallback."""
+        fixed_ms = 1704067200123
+        monkeypatch.setattr("common.time_utils.current_timestamp", lambda: fixed_ms)
+        assert timestamp_to_date(None) == time.strftime(
+            "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S", time.localtime(fixed_ms / 1000)
+        )
+
+    def test_empty_string_uses_current_time(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Empty-string input must resolve to current_timestamp() fallback."""
+        fixed_ms = 1704067200123
+        monkeypatch.setattr("common.time_utils.current_timestamp", lambda: fixed_ms)
+        assert timestamp_to_date("") == time.strftime(
+            "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S", time.localtime(fixed_ms / 1000)
+        )
+
+    def test_zero_timestamp_is_not_treated_as_empty(self):
+        """Zero timestamp should map to Unix epoch, not fallback to current time."""
+        assert timestamp_to_date(0) == time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S", time.localtime(0))
+
+
+@pytest.mark.p2
+class TestFormatIso8601ToYmdHms:
+    """Test cases for format_iso_8601_to_ymd_hms function."""
+
+    def test_standard_utc_z(self):
+        """Standard UTC timestamp with trailing Z."""
+        assert format_iso_8601_to_ymd_hms("2024-01-01T12:00:00Z") == "2024-01-01 12:00:00"
+
+    def test_explicit_utc_offset(self):
+        """Timestamp with an explicit +00:00 offset."""
+        assert format_iso_8601_to_ymd_hms("2024-01-01T12:00:00+00:00") == "2024-01-01 12:00:00"
+
+    def test_ordinal_date_extended(self):
+        """ISO 8601 ordinal date (day-of-year), extended form.
+
+        dateutil.isoparse accepts it but datetime.fromisoformat rejects it,
+        which previously made the function silently return the input unchanged.
+        """
+        assert format_iso_8601_to_ymd_hms("2024-001T12:00:00Z") == "2024-01-01 12:00:00"
+
+    def test_ordinal_date_basic(self):
+        """ISO 8601 ordinal date (day-of-year), basic form."""
+        assert format_iso_8601_to_ymd_hms("2024001T120000Z") == "2024-01-01 12:00:00"
+
+    def test_invalid_string_returns_original(self):
+        """Unparseable input is returned unchanged."""
+        assert format_iso_8601_to_ymd_hms("not-a-date") == "not-a-date"
\ No newline at end of file