diff --git a/kernel/AnsiDates.st b/kernel/AnsiDates.st
index f04b9c8..a170291 100644
--- a/kernel/AnsiDates.st
+++ b/kernel/AnsiDates.st
@@ -111,7 +111,18 @@ Date subclass: DateTime [
 	"Parse an instance of the receiver from aStream"
 
 	<category: 'instance creation'>
-	^(super readFrom: aStream) + (Duration readFrom: aStream)
+        | date time ofs ch |
+        date := super readFrom: aStream.
+        (aStream peekFor: $T) ifFalse: [aStream skipSeparators].
+        time := aStream peek isDigit
+            ifTrue: [Duration readFrom: aStream]
+            ifFalse: [Duration zero].
+        aStream skipSeparators.
+        ch := aStream peek.
+        (ch = $+ or: [ch = $-]) ifFalse: [^date + time].
+        aStream next.
+        ofs := Duration readFrom: aStream.
+        ^(date + time) setOffset: ofs
     ]
 
     DateTime class >> today [
@@ -584,25 +595,26 @@ Time subclass: Duration [
          aStream"
 
         <category: 'instance creation'>
-        | t1 t2 t3 t4 i ch ws |
-        t1 := t2 := t3 := t4 := 0.
-        ch := $:.
+        | sign sec hms i ch ws |
+        hms := {0. 0. 0}.
+        sign := (aStream peekFor: $-) ifTrue: [-1] ifFalse: [1].
         i := 1.
-        [i <= 4 and: [(aStream atEnd not and: [ch isSeparator not]) or: [i < 4]]] whileTrue: [
+        ch := $:.
+        [i <= 4 and: [aStream atEnd not and: [ch isSeparator not]]] whileTrue: [
             ws := WriteStream on: (String new: 10).
-
-            ch := $:.
-            [aStream atEnd not and: [(ch := aStream next) isDigit not]] whileTrue.
-            ch isDigit ifTrue: [
-                [ws nextPut: ch.
-                aStream atEnd not and: [(ch := aStream next) isDigit]]
-                        whileTrue].
-	    t1 := t2.
-	    t2 := t3.
-	    t3 := t4.
-            t4 := ws contents asNumber.
+            [aStream atEnd not and: [(ch := aStream next) isDigit]]
+                whileTrue: [ws nextPut: ch].
+            i = 4
+                ifTrue: [
+                    hms := {
+                        (hms at: 1) * 24 + (hms at: 2).
+                        hms at: 3.
+                        ws contents asNumber}]
+                ifFalse: [
+                    hms at: i put: ws contents asNumber].
 	    i := i + 1].
-        ^self fromSeconds: (t1 * 24 + t2) * 3600 + (t3 * 60) + t4
+        sec := ((hms at: 1) * 3600 + ((hms at: 2) * 60) + (hms at: 3)) * sign.
+        ^self fromSeconds: sec
     ]
 
     Duration class >> initialize [
diff --git a/kernel/Date.st b/kernel/Date.st
index fb961b7..3751d79 100644
--- a/kernel/Date.st
+++ b/kernel/Date.st
@@ -255,12 +255,16 @@ method.'>
 		ws := WriteStream on: (String new: 10).
 		[aStream atEnd not and: [(ch := aStream next) isAlphaNumeric not]] 
 		    whileTrue.
-		ch isAlphaNumeric 
+		ch isLetter
 		    ifTrue: 
-			[
-			[ws nextPut: ch.
-			aStream atEnd not and: [(ch := aStream next) isAlphaNumeric]] 
-				whileTrue].
+			[[ws nextPut: ch.
+			aStream atEnd not and: [(ch := aStream next) isLetter]] 
+				whileTrue]
+                    ifFalse: [
+		        ch isDigit ifTrue: 
+			    [[ws nextPut: ch.
+			    aStream atEnd not and: [(ch := aStream next) isDigit]] 
+				    whileTrue]].
 		t1 := t2.
 		t2 := t3.
 		t3 := ws contents.
diff --git a/kernel/Time.st b/kernel/Time.st
index d3810e7..99289d3 100644
--- a/kernel/Time.st
+++ b/kernel/Time.st
@@ -245,26 +245,17 @@ time value, and a block execution timing facility.'>
 	 aStream"
 
 	<category: 'instance creation'>
-	| t1 t2 t3 ch ws |
-	t1 := t2 := t3 := 0.
-	ch := $:.
-	3 timesRepeat: 
-		[t1 := t2.
-		t2 := t3.
-		t3 := 0.
-		ch isSeparator 
-		    ifFalse: 
-			[ws := WriteStream on: (String new: 10).
-			ch := $:.
-			[aStream atEnd not and: [(ch := aStream next) isDigit not]] whileTrue.
-			ch isDigit 
-			    ifTrue: 
-				[
-				[ws nextPut: ch.
-				aStream atEnd not and: [(ch := aStream next) isDigit]] 
-					whileTrue].
-			t3 := ws contents asNumber]].
-	^self fromSeconds: t1 * 3600 + (t2 * 60) + t3
+        | hms i ch ws |
+        hms := {0. 0. 0}.
+        i := 1.
+        ch := $:.
+        [i <= 3 and: [aStream atEnd not and: [ch isSeparator not]]] whileTrue: [
+            ws := WriteStream on: (String new: 10).
+            [aStream atEnd not and: [(ch := aStream next) isDigit]]
+                whileTrue: [ws nextPut: ch].
+            hms at: i put: ws contents asNumber.
+            i := i + 1].
+        ^self fromSeconds: (hms at: 1) * 3600 + ((hms at: 2) * 60) + (hms at: 3)
     ]
 
     Time class >> millisecondClockValue [