diff --git a/app/models/repository_date_time_value_base.rb b/app/models/repository_date_time_value_base.rb
index 941cf1564..160543d62 100644
--- a/app/models/repository_date_time_value_base.rb
+++ b/app/models/repository_date_time_value_base.rb
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class RepositoryDateTimeValueBase < ApplicationRecord
   end
 
   def self.import_from_text(text, attributes, options = {})
-    date_format = options.dig(:user, :settings, :date_format) || Constants::DEFAULT_DATE_FORMAT
+    date_format = options[:user].settings[:date_format] || Constants::DEFAULT_DATE_FORMAT
     new(attributes.merge(data: DateTime.strptime(text, date_format)))
   rescue ArgumentError
     nil
diff --git a/app/utilities/repository_import_parser/importer.rb b/app/utilities/repository_import_parser/importer.rb
index 72855c8c7..4da4d325c 100644
--- a/app/utilities/repository_import_parser/importer.rb
+++ b/app/utilities/repository_import_parser/importer.rb
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ module RepositoryImportParser
           cell_value = column.data_type.constantize.import_from_text(
             value,
             cell_value_attributes,
-            user: @user.as_json
+            user: @user
           )
           next if cell_value.nil?
 
diff --git a/spec/models/repository_date_time_value_base_spec.rb b/spec/models/repository_date_time_value_base_spec.rb
index a178cfaf0..a722060a4 100644
--- a/spec/models/repository_date_time_value_base_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/repository_date_time_value_base_spec.rb
@@ -39,4 +39,37 @@ describe RepositoryDateTimeValueBase, type: :model do
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe 'self.import_from_text' do
+    let(:user) { create :user }
+    let(:date_string1) { '2020-01-22' }
+    let(:date_string2) { '01-22-2020' }
+    let(:date_string3) { '01/22/2020' }
+    let(:test_date) { Date.parse('2020-01-22') }
+    let(:attributes) { {} }
+
+    it 'takes date format from user settings 1' do
+      user.settings[:date_format] = '%Y-%m-%d'
+      user.save
+      result = RepositoryDateTimeValueBase.import_from_text(date_string1, attributes, user: user)
+      expect(result).to respond_to(:data)
+      expect(result.data).to eq(test_date)
+    end
+
+    it 'takes date format from user settings 2' do
+      user.settings[:date_format] = '%m-%d-%Y'
+      user.save
+      result = RepositoryDateTimeValueBase.import_from_text(date_string2, attributes, user: user)
+      expect(result).to respond_to(:data)
+      expect(result.data).to eq(test_date)
+    end
+
+    it 'takes default date format when there is no user settings' do
+      user.settings[:date_format] = nil
+      user.save
+      result = RepositoryDateTimeValueBase.import_from_text(date_string3, attributes, user: user)
+      expect(result).to respond_to(:data)
+      expect(result.data).to eq(test_date)
+    end
+  end
 end