diff --git a/config/func.inc.php b/config/func.inc.php
index f2fbaa3d9..08a9c4a33 100644
--- a/config/func.inc.php
+++ b/config/func.inc.php
@@ -714,43 +714,9 @@ function zdate($str, $format = 'Y-m-d H:i:s', $conversion = TRUE)
 		}
 	}
 
-	// If year value is less than 1970, handle it separately.
-	if((int) substr($str, 0, 4) < 1970)
-	{
-		$hour = (int) substr($str, 8, 2);
-		$min = (int) substr($str, 10, 2);
-		$sec = (int) substr($str, 12, 2);
-		$year = (int) substr($str, 0, 4);
-		$month = (int) substr($str, 4, 2);
-		$day = (int) substr($str, 6, 2);
+	$date = new DateTime($str);
+	$string = $date->format($format);
 
-		// leading zero?
-		$lz = create_function('$n', 'return ($n>9?"":"0").$n;');
-
-		$trans = array(
-			'Y' => $year,
-			'y' => $lz($year % 100),
-			'm' => $lz($month),
-			'n' => $month,
-			'd' => $lz($day),
-			'j' => $day,
-			'G' => $hour,
-			'H' => $lz($hour),
-			'g' => $hour % 12,
-			'h' => $lz($hour % 12),
-			'i' => $lz($min),
-			's' => $lz($sec),
-			'M' => getMonthName($month),
-			'F' => getMonthName($month, FALSE)
-		);
-
-		$string = strtr($format, $trans);
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		// if year value is greater than 1970, get unixtime by using ztime() for date() function's argument. 
-		$string = date($format, ztime($str));
-	}
 	// change day and am/pm for each language
 	$unit_week = Context::getLang('unit_week');
 	$unit_meridiem = Context::getLang('unit_meridiem');