diff --git a/backend/readwise.go b/backend/readwise.go
index 98877d4..37201cc 100644
--- a/backend/readwise.go
+++ b/backend/readwise.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/go-resty/resty/v2"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
@@ -14,6 +13,8 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/go-resty/resty/v2"
+
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 )
 
@@ -174,12 +175,28 @@ func BuildPayload(bookmarks []Bookmark, contentIndex map[string]Content) (Respon
 	for _, entry := range bookmarks {
 		source := contentIndex[entry.VolumeID]
 		log.Info().Interface("source", source).Msg("Parsing entry")
-		t, err := time.Parse("2006-01-02T15:04:05.000", entry.DateCreated)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Error().Err(err).Interface("bookmark", entry).Msg("Failed tp parse timestamp from bookmark")
-			return Response{}, err
+		var createdAt string
+		if entry.DateCreated == "" {
+			log.Info().Msg("No date created for bookmark. Defaulting to date last modified.")
+			if entry.DateModified == "" {
+				log.Info().Msg("No date modified for bookmark. Default to current date.")
+				createdAt = time.Now().Format("2006-01-02T15:04:05-07:00")
+			} else {
+				t, err := time.Parse("2006-01-02T15:04:05Z", entry.DateModified)
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Error().Err(err).Interface("bookmark", entry).Msg("Failed to parse a valid timestamp from bookmark")
+					return Response{}, err
+				}
+				createdAt = t.Format("2006-01-02T15:04:05-07:00")
+			}
+		} else {
+			t, err := time.Parse("2006-01-02T15:04:05.000", entry.DateCreated)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error().Err(err).Interface("bookmark", entry).Msg("Failed to parse a valid timestamp from bookmark")
+				return Response{}, err
+			}
+			createdAt = t.Format("2006-01-02T15:04:05-07:00")
 		}
-		createdAt := t.Format("2006-01-02T15:04:05-07:00")
 		text := NormaliseText(entry.Text)
 		if entry.Annotation != "" && text == "" {
 			// I feel like this state probably shouldn't be possible but we'll handle it anyway
diff --git a/backend/readwise_test.go b/backend/readwise_test.go
index 9933938..784b878 100644
--- a/backend/readwise_test.go
+++ b/backend/readwise_test.go
@@ -92,6 +92,36 @@ func TestBuildPayload_TitleFallbackFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, expected, actual)
 }
 
+func TestBuildPayload_NoHighlightDateCreated(t *testing.T) {
+	highlights := []Highlight{{
+		Text:          "Hello World",
+		SourceURL:     "\t",
+		SourceType:    SourceType,
+		Category:      SourceCategory,
+		Note:          "Making a note here",
+		HighlightedAt: "2006-01-02T15:04:05+00:00",
+	}}
+	expected := Response{Highlights: highlights}
+	contentIndex := map[string]Content{"\t": {ContentID: "\t"}}
+	bookmarks := []Bookmark{
+		{VolumeID: "\t", Text: "Hello World", DateCreated: "", Annotation: "Making a note here", DateModified: "2006-01-02T15:04:05Z"},
+	}
+	var actual, _ = BuildPayload(bookmarks, contentIndex)
+	assert.Equal(t, expected, actual)
+}
+
+func TestBuildPayload_NoHighlightDateAtAll(t *testing.T) {
+	contentIndex := map[string]Content{"\t": {ContentID: "\t"}}
+	bookmarks := []Bookmark{
+		{VolumeID: "abc123", Text: "Hello World", Annotation: "Making a note here"},
+	}
+	var actual, _ = BuildPayload(bookmarks, contentIndex)
+	assert.Equal(t, actual.Highlights[0].SourceURL, bookmarks[0].VolumeID)
+	assert.Equal(t, actual.Highlights[0].Text, bookmarks[0].Text)
+	assert.Equal(t, actual.Highlights[0].Note, bookmarks[0].Annotation)
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, actual.Highlights[0].HighlightedAt)
+}
+
 func TestBuildPayload_SkipMalformedBookmarks(t *testing.T) {
 	var expected Response
 	contentIndex := map[string]Content{"mnt://kobo/blah/Good Book - An Author.epub": {ContentID: "mnt://kobo/blah/Good Book - An Author.epub"}}