diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/core/builders/PermissionUpdatesResponseBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/core/builders/PermissionUpdatesResponseBuilder.java
index e6640d13a..b0fc44d28 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/core/builders/PermissionUpdatesResponseBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/core/builders/PermissionUpdatesResponseBuilder.java
@@ -56,12 +56,12 @@ public PermissionUpdateResponseBuilder getGroups() {
     }
 
     private Boolean or(Boolean a, Boolean b) {
-        if(a == b) {
-            return a;
-        }
         if(a == null) {
             return b;
         }
+        if(a.equals(b) {
+            return a;
+        }
         return a || b;
     }
 }
diff --git a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/DefaultBranchService.java b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/DefaultBranchService.java
index 365bc3379..d642bde83 100644
--- a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/DefaultBranchService.java
+++ b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/DefaultBranchService.java
@@ -92,13 +92,13 @@ public RefsResponse getBranch(String projectId, String id) {
         ContextHolder.setContext(projectId);
         RefsResponse branchesResponse = new RefsResponse();
         Optional<Branch> branchesOption = this.branchRepository.findByBranchId(id);
-        if (!branchesOption.isPresent()) {
+        if (branchesOption.isEmpty()) {
             throw new NotFoundException(branchesResponse);
         }
         Branch b = branchesOption.get();
         List<RefJson> refs = new ArrayList<>();
         Optional<RefJson> refOption = branchIndex.findById(b.getDocId());
-        if (!refOption.isPresent()) {
+        if (refOption.isEmpty()) {
             logger.error("DefaultBranchService: JSON Not found for {} with docId: {}",
                 b.getBranchId(), b.getDocId());
             throw new NotFoundException(branchesResponse);
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public RefJson createBranch(String projectId, RefJson branch) {
             for (Node n: nodeRepository.findAllByDeleted(false)) {
                 docIds.add(n.getDocId());
             }
-            try { nodeIndex.addToRef(docIds); } catch(Exception e) {}
+            try { nodeIndex.addToRef(docIds); } catch(Exception ignored) {}
             eventPublisher.forEach((pub) -> pub.publish(
                 EventObject.create(projectId, branch.getId(), "branch_created", branch)));
             return branch;
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ public RefsResponse deleteBranch(String projectId, String id) {
             throw new BadRequestException(branchesResponse.addMessage("Cannot delete master"));
         }
         Optional<Branch> branch = this.branchRepository.findByBranchId(id);
-        if (!branch.isPresent()) {
+        if (branch.isEmpty()) {
             throw new NotFoundException(branchesResponse);
         }
         Branch b = branch.get();
diff --git a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/DefaultCommitService.java b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/DefaultCommitService.java
index 6479e146b..05813c06f 100644
--- a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/DefaultCommitService.java
+++ b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/DefaultCommitService.java
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package org.openmbee.mms.crud.services;
 
-import java.text.ParseException;
 import java.time.Instant;
+import java.time.LocalDateTime;
+import java.time.ZoneOffset;
+import java.time.format.DateTimeParseException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -57,8 +59,8 @@ public CommitsResponse getRefCommits(String projectId, String refId, Map<String,
         }
         if (params.containsKey("maxTimestamp")) {
             try {
-                timestamp = Formats.SDF.parse(params.get("maxTimestamp")).toInstant();
-            } catch (ParseException e) {
+                timestamp = LocalDateTime.parse(params.get("maxTimestamp"), Formats.FORMATTER).toInstant(ZoneOffset.ofHours(0));
+            } catch (DateTimeParseException e) {
                 e.printStackTrace();
                 throw new BadRequestException("maxTimestamp parse error, use " +
                     Formats.FORMATTER.format(Instant.now()) + " as example");
diff --git a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodePostHelper.java b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodePostHelper.java
index e0b9d27a5..d86277a3a 100644
--- a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodePostHelper.java
+++ b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodePostHelper.java
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package org.openmbee.mms.crud.services;
 
-import java.text.ParseException;
-import java.util.Date;
+import java.time.LocalDateTime;
+import java.time.format.DateTimeParseException;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -39,13 +39,13 @@ public boolean diffUpdateJson(BaseJson element, Map<String, Object> existing,
         Object existingModified = existing.get(BaseJson.MODIFIED);
         if (jsonModified != null && !jsonModified.isEmpty() && existingModified != null) {
             try {
-                Date jsonModDate = Formats.SDF.parse(jsonModified);
-                Date existingModDate = Formats.SDF.parse(existingModified.toString());
-                if (jsonModDate.before(existingModDate)) {
+                LocalDateTime jsonModDate = LocalDateTime.parse(jsonModified, Formats.FORMATTER);
+                LocalDateTime existingModDate = LocalDateTime.parse(existingModified.toString(), Formats.FORMATTER);
+                if (jsonModDate.isBefore(existingModDate)) {
                     info.addRejection(element.getId(), new Rejection(element, 409, "Conflict Detected"));
                     return false;
                 }
-            } catch (ParseException e) {
+            } catch (DateTimeParseException e) {
                 logger.info("date parse exception:" + jsonModified + " " + existingModified);
             }
         }
diff --git a/twc/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/twc/services/TwcRevisionMmsCommitMapService.java b/twc/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/twc/services/TwcRevisionMmsCommitMapService.java
index 6361a60bd..16357057a 100644
--- a/twc/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/twc/services/TwcRevisionMmsCommitMapService.java
+++ b/twc/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/twc/services/TwcRevisionMmsCommitMapService.java
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
 
-import java.text.ParseException;
+import java.time.LocalDateTime;
+import java.time.format.DateTimeParseException;
 import java.util.*;
 
 @Service("twcRevisionMmsCommitMapService")
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ public List<CommitJson> getTwcRevisionList(String projectId, String refId, Boole
         List<CommitJson> commits = new ArrayList<>();
         ContextHolder.setContext(projectId);
         Optional<Branch> ref = branchRepository.findByBranchId(refId);
-        if (!ref.isPresent()) {
+        if (ref.isEmpty()) {
             throw new NotFoundException("Branch not found");
         }
         try {
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ public List<CommitJson> getTwcRevisionList(String projectId, String refId, Boole
                 commitIds.add(commit.getCommitId());
             });
             List<CommitJson> commitJsonList = commitIndex.findAllById(commitIds);
-            if (null != commitJsonList && commitJsonList.size() > 0) {
+            if (null != commitJsonList && !commitJsonList.isEmpty()) {
                 commitJsonList.stream().forEach(commitJsonData -> {
                     if (commitJsonData.containsKey(TwcConstants.TWCREVISIONID)) {
                         commits.add(commitJsonData);
@@ -109,10 +110,10 @@ public CommitsComparator(Boolean reverseOrder) {
         @Override
         public int compare(CommitJson o, CommitJson t1) {
             try {
-                Date d1 = Formats.SDF.parse((String) o.get(CommitJson.CREATED));
-                Date d2 = Formats.SDF.parse((String) t1.get(CommitJson.CREATED));
+                LocalDateTime d1 = LocalDateTime.parse((String) o.get(CommitJson.CREATED), Formats.FORMATTER);
+                LocalDateTime d2 = LocalDateTime.parse((String) t1.get(CommitJson.CREATED), Formats.FORMATTER);
                 return ascending ? d1.compareTo(d2) : d2.compareTo(d1);
-            } catch (ParseException e) {
+            } catch (DateTimeParseException e) {
                 logger.error("Error parsing commit dates: " + e.getMessage());
                 throw new InternalErrorException("Invalid commit created dates.");
             }