diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 71419c7c..f24006c1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ update:
 	wget -O gluon/contrib/simplejsonrpc.py http://rad2py.googlecode.com/hg/ide2py/simplejsonrpc.py
 	echo "remember that pymysql was tweaked"
 src:
-	echo 'Version 2.0.3 ('`date +%Y-%m-%d\ %H:%M:%S`') stable' > VERSION
+	echo 'Version 2.0.4 ('`date +%Y-%m-%d\ %H:%M:%S`') stable' > VERSION
 	### rm -f all junk files
 	make clean
 	### clean up baisc apps
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 70a3046b..eec5a287 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Version 2.0.3 (2012-08-31 14:27:45) stable
+Version 2.0.4 (2012-08-31 15:38:34) stable
diff --git a/gluon/dal.py b/gluon/dal.py
index 9f4f3c68..e8adb855 100644
--- a/gluon/dal.py
+++ b/gluon/dal.py
@@ -1793,18 +1793,21 @@ class BaseAdapter(ConnectionPool):
 
     def parse_datetime(self, value, field_type):
         if not isinstance(value, datetime.datetime):
-            if '+' in value:
-                value,tz = value.split('+')
-                h,m = tz.split(':')
-                dt = datetime.timedelta(seconds=3600*int(h)+60*int(m))
-            elif '-' in value:
-                value,tz = value.split('-')
-                h,m = tz.split(':')
-                dt = -datetime.timedelta(seconds=3600*int(h)+60*int(m))
-            else:
-                dt = None
+            try:
+                if '+' in value:
+                    value,tz = value.split('+')
+                    h,m = tz.split(':')
+                    dt = datetime.timedelta(seconds=3600*int(h)+60*int(m))
+                elif '-' in value:
+                    value,tz = value.split('-')
+                    h,m = tz.split(':')
+                    dt = -datetime.timedelta(seconds=3600*int(h)+60*int(m))
+                else:
+                    dt = None
+            except: # invalid timezone format (should never happen)
+                pass
             date_part, time_part = (
-                str(value).replace('T',' ')+' ').split(' ',1)
+                str(value)[:19].replace('T',' ')+' ').split(' ',1)
             (y, m, d) = map(int,date_part.split('-'))
             time_parts = time_part and time_part.split(':')[:3] or (0,0,0)
             while len(time_parts)<3: time_parts.append(0)