diff --git a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/TimeMap.cpp b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/TimeMap.cpp
index 3c44dcaf0..76bc74b6a 100644
--- a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/TimeMap.cpp
+++ b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/TimeMap.cpp
@@ -191,8 +191,7 @@ namespace {
             const auto &item = TSTEPKeyword.getRecord(0).getItem(0);
 
             for (size_t itemIndex = 0; itemIndex < item.size(); itemIndex++) {
-                const double days = item.get<double>(itemIndex);
-                const int64_t seconds = static_cast<int64_t>(days * 24 * 60 * 60);
+                const int64_t seconds = static_cast<int64_t>(item.getSIDouble(itemIndex));
                 addTStep(seconds);
             }
         }
diff --git a/tests/parser/TimeMapTest.cpp b/tests/parser/TimeMapTest.cpp
index d05c781ad..709d38185 100644
--- a/tests/parser/TimeMapTest.cpp
+++ b/tests/parser/TimeMapTest.cpp
@@ -353,6 +353,35 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(initTimestepsLongStep) {
 }
 
 
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(TimestepsLabUnit) {
+    const char *deckData =
+        "START\n"
+        " 1 JAN 1983 /\n"
+        "\n"
+        "LAB\n"
+        " \n"
+        "TSTEP\n"
+        " 24*10 /\n";
+
+    Opm::Parser parser;
+    auto deck = parser.parseString(deckData);
+    const Opm::TimeMap tmap(deck);
+
+    /*deckData timesteps:
+    0   1 jan 1983 START
+    1   11 jan 1983*/
+
+    const std::time_t tEnd = tmap.getEndTime();
+
+    int year, day, month;
+
+    util_set_date_values_utc(tEnd, &day, &month, &year);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(year, 1983);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(month, 1);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(day, 11);
+}
+
+
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(initTimestepsDistantDates) {
     const char *deckData =
         "START\n"