diff --git a/modules/profile.module b/modules/profile.module
index 33422cd3818a50504f1682b0e86bb3add19d0ae0..b37cc59b01f1aa9daf91de4211941f5e9f2ce9b5 100644
--- a/modules/profile.module
+++ b/modules/profile.module
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ function profile_view_field($user, $field) {
       case 'url':
         return '<a href="'. check_url($value) .'">'. check_plain($value) .'</a>';
       case 'date':
-        list($format) = explode(' - ', variable_get('date_format_short', 'm/d/Y - H:i'), 2);
+        $format = substr(variable_get('date_format_short', 'm/d/Y - H:i'), 0, 5);
         // Note: Avoid PHP's date() because it does not handle dates before
         // 1970 on Windows. This would make the date field useless for e.g.
         // birthdays.
diff --git a/modules/profile/profile.module b/modules/profile/profile.module
index 33422cd3818a50504f1682b0e86bb3add19d0ae0..b37cc59b01f1aa9daf91de4211941f5e9f2ce9b5 100644
--- a/modules/profile/profile.module
+++ b/modules/profile/profile.module
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ function profile_view_field($user, $field) {
       case 'url':
         return '<a href="'. check_url($value) .'">'. check_plain($value) .'</a>';
       case 'date':
-        list($format) = explode(' - ', variable_get('date_format_short', 'm/d/Y - H:i'), 2);
+        $format = substr(variable_get('date_format_short', 'm/d/Y - H:i'), 0, 5);
         // Note: Avoid PHP's date() because it does not handle dates before
         // 1970 on Windows. This would make the date field useless for e.g.
         // birthdays.