diff --git a/processor/src/main/resources/org.mapstruct.ap.model.builtin.StringToXmlGregorianCalendar.ftl b/processor/src/main/resources/org.mapstruct.ap.model.builtin.StringToXmlGregorianCalendar.ftl
index 3c3700c56..8d2a9e2c8 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/resources/org.mapstruct.ap.model.builtin.StringToXmlGregorianCalendar.ftl
+++ b/processor/src/main/resources/org.mapstruct.ap.model.builtin.StringToXmlGregorianCalendar.ftl
@@ -24,10 +24,15 @@ private XMLGregorianCalendar ${name}( String date, String dateFormat ) {
     }
 
     try {
-        DateFormat df = dateFormat != null ? new SimpleDateFormat( dateFormat ) : SimpleDateFormat.getInstance();
-        GregorianCalendar c = new GregorianCalendar();
-        c.setTime( df.parse( date ) );
-        return DatatypeFactory.newInstance().newXMLGregorianCalendar( c );
+        if ( dateFormat != null ) {
+            DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat( dateFormat );
+            GregorianCalendar c = new GregorianCalendar();
+            c.setTime( df.parse( date ) );
+            return DatatypeFactory.newInstance().newXMLGregorianCalendar( c );
+        }
+        else {
+            return DatatypeFactory.newInstance().newXMLGregorianCalendar( date );
+        }
     }
     catch ( DatatypeConfigurationException ex ) {
         throw new RuntimeException( ex );
diff --git a/processor/src/test/java/org/mapstruct/ap/test/builtin/BuiltInTest.java b/processor/src/test/java/org/mapstruct/ap/test/builtin/BuiltInTest.java
index 5a3dad954..35b0cc7e1 100644
--- a/processor/src/test/java/org/mapstruct/ap/test/builtin/BuiltInTest.java
+++ b/processor/src/test/java/org/mapstruct/ap/test/builtin/BuiltInTest.java
@@ -165,12 +165,18 @@ public class BuiltInTest {
         assertThat( target.getProp() ).isNotNull();
         assertThat( target.getProp().toString() ).isEqualTo( "1999-07-05T00:00:00.000+02:00" );
 
-        source.setProp( createLocaleDate( "31-08-1982 10:20:56" ) );
-
+        // direct,via lexical representation
+        source.setProp( "2000-03-04T23:00:00+03:00" );
         target = StringToXmlGregCalMapper.INSTANCE.map( source );
         assertThat( target ).isNotNull();
         assertThat( target.getProp() ).isNotNull();
-        assertThat( target.getProp().toString() ).isEqualTo( "1982-08-31T10:20:00.000+02:00" );
+        assertThat( target.getProp().toString() ).isEqualTo( "2000-03-04T23:00:00+03:00" );
+
+        // null string
+        source.setProp( null );
+        target = StringToXmlGregCalMapper.INSTANCE.map( source );
+        assertThat( target ).isNotNull();
+        assertThat( target.getProp() ).isNull();
 
     }