diff --git a/api/src/core/types/ini.ts b/api/src/core/types/ini.ts
index 5cf62e28b..c2cb6f27d 100644
--- a/api/src/core/types/ini.ts
+++ b/api/src/core/types/ini.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ interface Display {
     critical: string;
     custom: string;
     dashapps: string;
+	/** a strftime format string */
     date: string;
+	/** a strftime format string */
     time?: string;
     hot: string;
     max: string;
@@ -42,10 +44,10 @@ interface Notify {
     plugin: string;
     docker_notify: string;
     report: string;
-    /** Date format: DD-MM-YYYY, MM-DD-YYY, or YYYY-MM-DD */
+    /** @deprecated (will remove in future release). Date format: DD-MM-YYYY, MM-DD-YYY, or YYYY-MM-DD */
     date: 'd-m-Y' | 'm-d-Y' | 'Y-m-d';
     /**
-     * Time format:
+     * @deprecated (will remove in future release). Time format:
      * - `hi: A` => 12 hr
      * - `H:i`   => 24 hr (default)
      */
diff --git a/api/src/unraid-api/graph/resolvers/notifications/notifications.service.ts b/api/src/unraid-api/graph/resolvers/notifications/notifications.service.ts
index 839bab730..46d99d8f4 100644
--- a/api/src/unraid-api/graph/resolvers/notifications/notifications.service.ts
+++ b/api/src/unraid-api/graph/resolvers/notifications/notifications.service.ts
@@ -700,9 +700,11 @@ export class NotificationsService {
     }
 
     private parseNotificationDateToIsoDate(unixStringSeconds: string | undefined): Date | null {
-        if (unixStringSeconds && !isNaN(Number(unixStringSeconds))) {
-            return new Date(Number(unixStringSeconds) * 1_000);
+        const timeStamp = Number(unixStringSeconds)
+        if (unixStringSeconds && !Number.isNaN(timeStamp)) {
+            return new Date(timeStamp * 1_000);
         }
+        // i.e. if unixStringSeconds is an empty string or represents a non-numberS
         return null;
     }
 
diff --git a/api/src/utils.ts b/api/src/utils.ts
index 7dd10afeb..c203c4ef1 100644
--- a/api/src/utils.ts
+++ b/api/src/utils.ts
@@ -138,18 +138,16 @@ export function formatDatetime(
     if (dateFormat === '%c') {
         /**----------------------------------------------
          *                Omit Timezone
-         *
-         *  we omit trailing tz by only keeping the first 6 parts
-         *  of sys time (can't omit last x parts bc tz isn't always 3 words).
-         *
-         *  the magic number 6 comes from the sys time string, which
-         *  looks like 'Wed 20 Nov 2024 06:39:39 AM Pacific Standard Time'
-         *
-         *  note: this may not work with right-to-left locales
-         *        (where tz may be in first 6 parts)
+
+         *  We omit the trailing tz `%Z` from systime's format
+         *  which expands to '%a %d %b %Y %X %Z' in strftime's
+         *  implementation. For reference, sys time looks like
+         *  'Wed 20 Nov 2024 06:39:39 AM Pacific Standard Time'
+         * 
          *---------------------------------------------**/
         if (omitTimezone) {
-            formatted = formatted.split(' ').slice(0, 6).join(' ');
+            const timezoneFreeFormat = '%a %d %b %Y %I:%M:%S %p';
+            formatted = strftime(timezoneFreeFormat, date);
         }
     } else {
         /**----------------------------------------------