diff --git a/src/core/src/core_logic/ExecutionConfig.py b/src/core/src/core_logic/ExecutionConfig.py
index 51bdec1f..0f19ce1b 100644
--- a/src/core/src/core_logic/ExecutionConfig.py
+++ b/src/core/src/core_logic/ExecutionConfig.py
@@ -135,12 +135,11 @@ def __get_max_patch_publish_date_from_inclusions(self, included_package_name_mas
                 continue    # good candidate already found, or candidate not found and does not match what we are looking for
 
             candidate = included_package_name_mask_list[i].replace("MaxPatchPublishDate=", "")
-            candidate_split = candidate.split("T")
-            if (len(candidate) == 16 and len(candidate_split) == 2 and candidate_split[0].isdigit() and len(candidate_split[0]) == 8
-                    and candidate_split[1].endswith("Z") and candidate_split[1][0:6].isdigit()):
+            try:
+                datetime.datetime.strptime(candidate, "%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ")
                 self.composite_logger.log_debug("[EC] Discovered effective MaxPatchPublishDate in patch inclusions. [MaxPatchPublishDate={0}]".format(str(candidate)))
                 candidate_pos = i
-            else:
+            except ValueError:
                 self.composite_logger.log_debug("[EC] Invalid match on MaxPatchPublishDate in patch inclusions. [MaxPatchPublishDate={0}]".format(str(candidate)))
                 candidate = str()
 
diff --git a/src/core/tests/Test_AptitudePackageManager.py b/src/core/tests/Test_AptitudePackageManager.py
index 2572e0d7..e7ea4999 100644
--- a/src/core/tests/Test_AptitudePackageManager.py
+++ b/src/core/tests/Test_AptitudePackageManager.py
@@ -606,7 +606,6 @@ def test_maxpatchpublishdate_mitigation_mode(self):
 
         # retains valid inclusions while honoring mitigation mode entries
         argument_composer = ArgumentComposer()
-        argument_composer.classifications_to_include = [Constants.PackageClassification.CRITICAL]
         argument_composer.patches_to_include = ["*kernel*", "MaxPatchPublishDate=20250101T010203Z", "AzGPS_Mitigation_Mode_No_SLA"]
         self.runtime = RuntimeCompositor(argument_composer.get_composed_arguments(), True, Constants.APT)
         execution_config = self.runtime.container.get('execution_config')
@@ -616,7 +615,6 @@ def test_maxpatchpublishdate_mitigation_mode(self):
 
         # missing required disclaimer entry
         argument_composer = ArgumentComposer()
-        argument_composer.classifications_to_include = [Constants.PackageClassification.CRITICAL]
         argument_composer.patches_to_include = ["MaxPatchPublishDate=20250101T010203Z", "*firefox=1.1"]
         self.runtime = RuntimeCompositor(argument_composer.get_composed_arguments(), True, Constants.APT)
         execution_config = self.runtime.container.get('execution_config')
@@ -626,7 +624,6 @@ def test_maxpatchpublishdate_mitigation_mode(self):
 
         # badly formatted date
         argument_composer = ArgumentComposer()
-        argument_composer.classifications_to_include = [Constants.PackageClassification.CRITICAL]
         argument_composer.patches_to_include = ["*firefox*", "MaxPatchPublishDate=20250101010203Z", "AzGPS_Mitigation_Mode_No_SLA", "*kernel*"]
         self.runtime = RuntimeCompositor(argument_composer.get_composed_arguments(), True, Constants.APT)
         execution_config = self.runtime.container.get('execution_config')