diff --git a/wrangler-core/src/main/java/io/cdap/directives/parser/ParseExcel.java b/wrangler-core/src/main/java/io/cdap/directives/parser/ParseExcel.java
index a253382ac..f3df25078 100644
--- a/wrangler-core/src/main/java/io/cdap/directives/parser/ParseExcel.java
+++ b/wrangler-core/src/main/java/io/cdap/directives/parser/ParseExcel.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 import org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFDateUtil;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Cell;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.CellType;
+import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.DataFormatter;
 import org.apache.poi.xssf.usermodel.XSSFSheet;
 import org.apache.poi.xssf.usermodel.XSSFWorkbook;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ public List<Row> execute(List<Row> records, final ExecutorContext context)
     throws DirectiveExecutionException, ErrorRowException {
     List<Row> results = new ArrayList<>();
     ByteArrayInputStream input = null;
+    DataFormatter formatter = new DataFormatter();
     try {
       for (Row record : records) {
         int idx = record.find(column);
@@ -159,25 +161,22 @@ public List<Row> execute(List<Row> records, final ExecutorContext context)
                 String value = "";
                 switch (cell.getCellTypeEnum()) {
                   case STRING:
-                    newRow.add(name, cell.getStringCellValue());
                     value = cell.getStringCellValue();
                     break;
 
                   case NUMERIC:
                     if (HSSFDateUtil.isCellDateFormatted(cell)) {
-                      newRow.add(name, cell.getDateCellValue());
-                      value = cell.getDateCellValue().toString();
+                      value = formatter.formatCellValue(cell);
                     } else {
-                      newRow.add(name, cell.getNumericCellValue());
                       value = String.valueOf(cell.getNumericCellValue());
                     }
                     break;
 
                   case BOOLEAN:
-                    newRow.add(name, cell.getBooleanCellValue());
                     value = String.valueOf(cell.getBooleanCellValue());
                     break;
                 }
+                newRow.add(name, value);
 
                 if (rows == 0 && firstRowAsHeader) {
                   columnNames.put(cell.getAddress().getColumn(), value);
diff --git a/wrangler-core/src/test/java/io/cdap/directives/parser/ParseExcelTest.java b/wrangler-core/src/test/java/io/cdap/directives/parser/ParseExcelTest.java
index 653d358f7..addf23eba 100644
--- a/wrangler-core/src/test/java/io/cdap/directives/parser/ParseExcelTest.java
+++ b/wrangler-core/src/test/java/io/cdap/directives/parser/ParseExcelTest.java
@@ -67,5 +67,24 @@ public void testNoSheetName() throws Exception {
       Assert.assertEquals(1, pipeline.getSecond().size());
     }
   }
-}
 
+  @Test
+  public void testDateFormatting() throws Exception {
+    try (InputStream stream =
+           ParseAvroFileTest.class.getClassLoader().getResourceAsStream("date-formats-test-sheet.xlsx")) {
+      byte[] data = IOUtils.toByteArray(stream);
+
+      String[] directives = new String[]{
+        "parse-as-excel :body '0'",
+      };
+
+      List<Row> rows = new ArrayList<>();
+      rows.add(new Row("body", data));
+      List<Row> results = TestingRig.execute(directives, rows);
+
+      for (Row result : results) {
+        Assert.assertEquals(result.getValue("A"), result.getValue("B"));
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/wrangler-core/src/test/resources/date-formats-test-sheet.xlsx b/wrangler-core/src/test/resources/date-formats-test-sheet.xlsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..41b826b69
Binary files /dev/null and b/wrangler-core/src/test/resources/date-formats-test-sheet.xlsx differ