diff --git a/features/custom_dates.feature b/features/custom_dates.feature
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d3489648e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/custom_dates.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+Feature: Reading and writing to journal with custom date formats
+
+    Scenario: Loading a sample journal
+        Given we use the config "little_endian_dates.yaml"
+        When we run "jrnl -n 2"
+        Then we should get no error
+        And the output should be
+            """
+            09.06.2013 15:39 My first entry.
+            | Everything is alright
+
+            10.06.2013 15:40 Life is good.
+            | But I'm better.
+            """
+
+    Scenario: Writing an entry from command line
+        Given we use the config "little_endian_dates.yaml"
+        When we run "jrnl 2013-07-12: A cold and stormy day. I ate crisps on the sofa."
+        Then we should see the message "Entry added"
+        When we run "jrnl -n 1"
+        Then the output should contain "12.07.2013 09:00 A cold and stormy day."
+
+    Scenario: Filtering for dates
+        Given we use the config "little_endian_dates.yaml"
+        When we run "jrnl -on 2013-06-10 --short"
+        Then the output should be "10.06.2013 15:40 Life is good."
+        When we run "jrnl -on 'june 6 2013' --short"
+        Then the output should be "10.06.2013 15:40 Life is good."
+
+    Scenario: Writing an entry at the prompt
+        Given we use the config "little_endian_dates.yaml"
+        When we run "jrnl" and enter "2013-05-10: I saw Elvis. He's alive."
+        Then we should get no error
+        And the journal should contain "[10.05.2013 09:00] I saw Elvis."
+        And the journal should contain "He's alive."
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/features/data/configs/little_endian_dates.yaml b/features/data/configs/little_endian_dates.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..223c820d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/data/configs/little_endian_dates.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+default_hour: 9
+default_minute: 0
+editor: ""
+encrypt: false
+highlight: true
+journals:
+  default: features/journals/little_endian_dates.journal
+linewrap: 80
+tagsymbols: "@"
+template: false
+timeformat: "%d.%m.%Y %H:%M"
+indent_character: "|"
diff --git a/features/data/configs/upgrade_from_195_little_endian_dates.json b/features/data/configs/upgrade_from_195_little_endian_dates.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d3c470c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/data/configs/upgrade_from_195_little_endian_dates.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+"default_hour": 9,
+"timeformat": "%d.%m.%Y %H:%M",
+"linewrap": 80,
+"encrypt": false,
+"editor": "",
+"default_minute": 0,
+"highlight": true,
+"journals": {"default": "features/journals/simple_jrnl-1-9-5_little_endian_dates.journal"},
+"tagsymbols": "@"
+}
diff --git a/features/data/journals/little_endian_dates.journal b/features/data/journals/little_endian_dates.journal
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a3c5c3019
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/data/journals/little_endian_dates.journal
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[09.06.2013 15:39] My first entry.
+Everything is alright
+
+[10.06.2013 15:40] Life is good.
+But I'm better.
diff --git a/features/data/journals/simple_jrnl-1-9-5_little_endian_dates.journal b/features/data/journals/simple_jrnl-1-9-5_little_endian_dates.journal
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..328b23f4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/data/journals/simple_jrnl-1-9-5_little_endian_dates.journal
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+10.06.2010 15:00 A life without chocolate is like a bad analogy.
+
+10.06.2013 15:40 He said "[this] is the best time to be alive".
+Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent malesuada
+quis est ac dignissim. Aliquam dignissim rutrum pretium. Phasellus pellentesque
+augue et venenatis facilisis.
+
+[03.08.2019 12:55] Some chat log or something
+
+Suspendisse potenti. Sed dignissim sed nisl eu consequat. Aenean ante ex,
+elementum ut interdum et, mattis eget lacus. In commodo nulla nec tellus
+placerat, sed ultricies metus bibendum. Duis eget venenatis erat. In at dolor
+dui.
diff --git a/features/upgrade.feature b/features/upgrade.feature
index ddcce4943..ef597d4f5 100644
--- a/features/upgrade.feature
+++ b/features/upgrade.feature
@@ -21,3 +21,14 @@ Feature: Upgrading Journals from 1.x.x to 2.x.x
             """
         Then the output should contain "Password"
         and the output should contain "2013-06-10 15:40 Life is good"
+
+    Scenario: Upgrade and parse journals with little endian date format
+        Given we use the config "upgrade_from_195_little_endian_dates.json"
+        When we run "jrnl -9" and enter "Y"
+        Then the output should contain
+            """
+            10.06.2010 15:00 A life without chocolate is like a bad analogy.
+
+            10.06.2013 15:40 He said "[this] is the best time to be alive".
+            """
+        Then the journal should have 2 entries
diff --git a/jrnl/Journal.py b/jrnl/Journal.py
index f130823d6..f68132224 100644
--- a/jrnl/Journal.py
+++ b/jrnl/Journal.py
@@ -119,7 +119,11 @@ def _parse(self, journal_txt):
         last_entry_pos = 0
         for match in date_blob_re.finditer(journal_txt):
             date_blob = match.groups()[0]
-            new_date = time.parse(date_blob)
+            try:
+                new_date = datetime.strptime(date_blob, self.config["timeformat"])
+            except ValueError:
+                new_date = time.parse(date_blob)
+
             if new_date:
                 if entries:
                     entries[-1].text = journal_txt[last_entry_pos:match.start()]