diff --git a/src/gpsread.cpp b/src/gpsread.cpp
index 5589f4b2..b6395384 100644
--- a/src/gpsread.cpp
+++ b/src/gpsread.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ static const char TAG[] = __FILE__;
 // thus precision is only +/- 1 second
 
 TinyGPSPlus gps;
-TinyGPSCustom gpstime(gps, "GPZDA", 1); // field 1 = UTC time
+TinyGPSCustom gpstime(gps, "GPZDA", 1);  // field 1 = UTC time (hhmmss.ss)
+TinyGPSCustom gpsday(gps, "GPZDA", 2);   // field 2 = day (01..31)
+TinyGPSCustom gpsmonth(gps, "GPZDA", 3); // field 3 = month (01..12)
+TinyGPSCustom gpsyear(gps, "GPZDA", 4);  // field 4 = year (4-digit)
 static const String ZDA_Request = "$EIGPQ,ZDA*39\r\n";
 TaskHandle_t GpsTask;
 
@@ -102,34 +105,30 @@ time_t get_gpstime(uint16_t *msec) {
 #ifdef GPS_SERIAL
   GPS_Serial.print(ZDA_Request);
   // wait for gps NMEA answer
-  vTaskDelay(tx_Ticks(NMEA_FRAME_SIZE, GPS_SERIAL));
+  // vTaskDelay(tx_Ticks(NMEA_FRAME_SIZE, GPS_SERIAL));
 #elif defined GPS_I2C
   Wire.print(ZDA_Request);
 #endif
 
-  // did we get a current time?
-  if (gpstime.isUpdated() && gpstime.isValid()) {
+  // did we get a current date & time?
+  if (gpstime.isUpdated() && gpstime.isValid() && gpsday.isValid()) {
 
     tmElements_t tm;
 
-    String rawtime = gpstime.value();
-    uint32_t time_bcd = rawtime.toFloat() * 100;
+    uint32_t time_bcd = atof(gpstime.value()) * 100;
     uint32_t delay_ms =
         gpstime.age() + nmea_txDelay_ms + NMEA_COMPENSATION_FACTOR;
-    uint8_t year =
-        CalendarYrToTm(gps.date.year()); // year offset from 1970 in microTime.h
-
-    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "time [bcd]: %u", time_bcd);
 
     tm.Second = (time_bcd / 100) % 100;   // second
     tm.Minute = (time_bcd / 10000) % 100; // minute
     tm.Hour = time_bcd / 1000000;         // hour
-    tm.Day = gps.date.day();              // day
-    tm.Month = gps.date.month();          // month
-    tm.Year = year;                       // year
+    tm.Day = atoi(gpsday.value());        // day
+    tm.Month = atoi(gpsmonth.value());    // month
+    tm.Year = CalendarYrToTm(
+        atoi(gpsyear.value())); // year offset from 1970 in microTime.h
 
     // add protocol delay to time with millisecond precision
-    time_sec = makeTime(tm) + delay_ms / 1000;
+    time_sec = makeTime(tm) + delay_ms / 1000 - 1;
     *msec = (delay_ms % 1000) ? delay_ms % 1000 : 0;
   }
 
@@ -165,13 +164,13 @@ void gps_loop(void *pvParameters) {
 
       // if time hasn't been synchronised yet, and we have a valid GPS time,
       // update time from GPS.
-      if (timeSource == _unsynced && gpstime.isUpdated() && gpstime.isValid()) {
+      if (timeSource == _unsynced && gpstime.isUpdated() && gpstime.isValid() &&
+          gpsday.isValid())
         calibrateTime();
-      }
 
     } // if
 
-    // show NMEA data in verbose mode, useful for debugging GPS, bu tvery noisy
+    // show NMEA data in verbose mode, useful only for debugging GPS, very noisy
     // ESP_LOGV(TAG, "GPS NMEA data: passed %u / failed: %u / with fix: %u",
     //         gps.passedChecksum(), gps.failedChecksum(),
     //         gps.sentencesWithFix());