diff --git a/nova/tests/test_api.py b/nova/tests/test_api.py
index fc78e1d4..b0367dd8 100644
--- a/nova/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/nova/tests/test_api.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 """Unit tests for the API endpoint"""
 
-import datetime
 import httplib
 import random
 import StringIO
@@ -37,6 +36,7 @@ from nova.compute import api as compute_api
 from nova import context
 from nova import exception
 from nova import test
+from nova import utils
 
 
 class FakeHttplibSocket(object):
@@ -249,19 +249,13 @@ class ApiEc2TestCase(test.TestCase):
         """
         conv = apirequest._database_to_isoformat
         # sqlite database representation with microseconds
-        time_to_convert = datetime.datetime.strptime(
-                            "2011-02-21 20:14:10.634276",
-                            "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%f")
-        self.assertEqual(
-                        conv(time_to_convert),
-                        '2011-02-21T20:14:10.634Z')
+        time_to_convert = utils.parse_strtime("2011-02-21 20:14:10.634276",
+                                              "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%f")
+        self.assertEqual(conv(time_to_convert), '2011-02-21T20:14:10.634Z')
         # mysqlite database representation
-        time_to_convert = datetime.datetime.strptime(
-                            "2011-02-21 19:56:18",
-                            "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
-        self.assertEqual(
-                        conv(time_to_convert),
-                        '2011-02-21T19:56:18.000Z')
+        time_to_convert = utils.parse_strtime("2011-02-21 19:56:18",
+                                              "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
+        self.assertEqual(conv(time_to_convert), '2011-02-21T19:56:18.000Z')
 
     def test_xmlns_version_matches_request_version(self):
         self.expect_http(api_version='2010-10-30')