diff --git a/src/main/java/org/graylog2/syslog4j/server/impl/event/SyslogServerEvent.java b/src/main/java/org/graylog2/syslog4j/server/impl/event/SyslogServerEvent.java
index 3c38e1c..2c74fb5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/graylog2/syslog4j/server/impl/event/SyslogServerEvent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/graylog2/syslog4j/server/impl/event/SyslogServerEvent.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package org.graylog2.syslog4j.server.impl.event;
 import org.graylog2.syslog4j.SyslogConstants;
 import org.graylog2.syslog4j.server.SyslogServerEventIF;
 import org.graylog2.syslog4j.util.SyslogUtility;
+import org.joda.time.DateTime;
 
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.text.DateFormat;
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ public class SyslogServerEvent implements SyslogServerEventIF {
     protected void parseDate() {
         int datelength = 16;
         String dateFormatS = DATE_FORMAT;
+        boolean isDate8601 = false;
 
         if (this.message.length() > datelength) {
 
@@ -89,12 +91,22 @@ public class SyslogServerEvent implements SyslogServerEventIF {
                 dateFormatS = DATE_FORMAT_S;
             }
 
-            String year = Integer.toString(Calendar.getInstance().get(Calendar.YEAR));
+            if (Character.isDigit(this.message.charAt(0))) {
+                datelength = this.message.indexOf(' ') + 1;
+                isDate8601 = true;
+            }
+
+            String year = Integer.toString(Calendar.getInstance().get(Calendar.YEAR));
+            String originalDate = this.message.substring(0, datelength - 1);
+            String modifiedDate = originalDate + " " + year;
 
-            String originalDate = this.message.substring(0, datelength - 1) + " " + year;
             DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(dateFormatS, Locale.ENGLISH);
             try {
-                this.date = dateFormat.parse(originalDate);
+                if (!isDate8601) {
+                    this.date = dateFormat.parse(modifiedDate);
+                } else {
+                    this.date = DateTime.parse(originalDate).toDate();
+                }
 
                 this.message = this.message.substring(datelength);
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/graylog2/syslog4j/server/impl/event/SyslogServerEventTest.java b/src/test/java/org/graylog2/syslog4j/server/impl/event/SyslogServerEventTest.java
index 3fa2dcb..92f9e86 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/graylog2/syslog4j/server/impl/event/SyslogServerEventTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/graylog2/syslog4j/server/impl/event/SyslogServerEventTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package org.graylog2.syslog4j.server.impl.event;
 
 import org.joda.time.DateTime;
+import org.joda.time.DateTimeZone;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import java.net.InetAddress;
@@ -165,4 +166,17 @@ public class SyslogServerEventTest {
         assertEquals("mymachine su[123]: 'su root' failed for lonvick on /dev/pts/8", event.getMessage());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testIssue16() throws Exception {
+        // Message from: https://github.com/Graylog2/syslog4j-graylog2/issues/16
+        final String message = "<6>2016-10-12T14:10:18Z hostname testmsg[20]: Test";
+
+        final SyslogServerEvent event = buildEvent(message);
+
+        assertEquals(new DateTime(2016, 10, 12, 14, 10, 18, DateTimeZone.UTC).toDate(), event.getDate());
+        assertEquals(0, event.getFacility());
+        assertEquals("hostname", event.getHost());
+        assertEquals(6, event.getLevel());
+        assertEquals("hostname testmsg[20]: Test", event.getMessage());
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file