Index: src/core/org/apache/jmeter/samplers/SampleSaveConfiguration.java
===================================================================
--- src/core/org/apache/jmeter/samplers/SampleSaveConfiguration.java	(revision 1785890)
+++ src/core/org/apache/jmeter/samplers/SampleSaveConfiguration.java	(working copy)
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import java.util.Properties;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.CharUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.time.FastDateFormat;
 import org.apache.jmeter.save.CSVSaveService;
 import org.apache.jmeter.testelement.TestPlan;
 import org.apache.jmeter.util.JMeterUtils;
@@ -276,7 +277,7 @@
 
     private static final boolean SAMPLE_COUNT;
 
-    private static final DateFormat DATE_FORMATTER;
+    private static final FastDateFormat DATE_FORMATTER;
 
     /**
      * The string used to separate fields when stored to disk, for example, the
@@ -353,7 +354,7 @@
         // Prepare for a pretty date
         // FIXME Can TIMESTAMP_FORMAT be null ? it does not appear to me .
         if (!PRINT_MILLISECONDS && !NONE.equalsIgnoreCase(TIMESTAMP_FORMAT) && (TIMESTAMP_FORMAT != null)) {
-            DATE_FORMATTER = new SimpleDateFormat(TIMESTAMP_FORMAT);
+            DATE_FORMATTER = FastDateFormat.getInstance(TIMESTAMP_FORMAT);
         } else {
             DATE_FORMATTER = null;
         }
@@ -441,7 +442,7 @@
     private boolean printMilliseconds = PRINT_MILLISECONDS;
 
     /** A formatter for the time stamp. */
-    private transient DateFormat formatter = DATE_FORMATTER;
+    private transient FastDateFormat formatter = DATE_FORMATTER;
     /* Make transient as we don't want to save the SimpleDataFormat class
      * Also, there's currently no way to change the value via the GUI, so changing it
      * later means editting the JMX, or recreating the Listener.
@@ -581,7 +582,7 @@
         try {
             SampleSaveConfiguration clone = (SampleSaveConfiguration)super.clone();
             if(this.formatter != null) {
-                clone.formatter = (SimpleDateFormat)this.formatter.clone();
+                clone.formatter = (FastDateFormat)this.formatter.clone();
             }
             return clone;
         }
@@ -907,13 +908,14 @@
 
     ///////////////// End of standard field accessors /////////////////////
 
+    
     /**
      * Intended for use by CsvSaveService (and test cases)
      * @param fmt
      *            format of the date to be saved. If <code>null</code>
      *            milliseconds since epoch will be printed
      */
-    public void setFormatter(DateFormat fmt){
+    public void setFastDateFormater(FastDateFormat fmt){
         printMilliseconds = fmt == null; // maintain relationship
         formatter = fmt;
     }
@@ -922,7 +924,7 @@
         return printMilliseconds;
     }
 
-    public DateFormat formatter() {
+    public FastDateFormat threadSafeFormatter() {
         return formatter;
     }
 
Index: src/core/org/apache/jmeter/save/CSVSaveService.java
===================================================================
--- src/core/org/apache/jmeter/save/CSVSaveService.java	(revision 1785890)
+++ src/core/org/apache/jmeter/save/CSVSaveService.java	(working copy)
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 import java.io.Writer;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.text.ParseException;
-import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -40,6 +39,7 @@
 import org.apache.commons.collections.map.LinkedMap;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.CharUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.time.FastDateFormat;
 import org.apache.jmeter.assertions.AssertionResult;
 import org.apache.jmeter.reporters.ResultCollector;
 import org.apache.jmeter.samplers.SampleEvent;
@@ -214,15 +214,14 @@
                         log.warn("Cannot parse timestamp: '{}'", text);
                         boolean foundMatch = false;
                         for(String fmt : DATE_FORMAT_STRINGS) {
-                            SimpleDateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(fmt);
-                            dateFormat.setLenient(false);
+                            FastDateFormat dateFormat = FastDateFormat.getInstance(fmt);
                             try {
                                 Date stamp = dateFormat.parse(text);
                                 timeStamp = stamp.getTime();
                                 // method is only ever called from one thread at a time
                                 // so it's OK to use a static DateFormat
                                 log.warn("Setting date format to: {}", fmt);
-                                saveConfig.setFormatter(dateFormat);
+                                saveConfig.setFastDateFormater(dateFormat);
                                 foundMatch = true;
                                 break;
                             } catch (ParseException pe) {
@@ -233,8 +232,8 @@
                             throw new ParseException("No date-time format found matching "+text,-1);
                         }
                     }
-                } else if (saveConfig.formatter() != null) {
-                    Date stamp = saveConfig.formatter().parse(text);
+                } else if (saveConfig.threadSafeFormatter() != null) {
+                    Date stamp = saveConfig.threadSafeFormatter().parse(text);
                     timeStamp = stamp.getTime();
                 } else { // can this happen?
                     final String msg = "Unknown timestamp format";
@@ -802,8 +801,8 @@
         if (saveConfig.saveTimestamp()) {
             if (saveConfig.printMilliseconds()) {
                 text.append(sample.getTimeStamp());
-            } else if (saveConfig.formatter() != null) {
-                String stamp = saveConfig.formatter().format(
+            } else if (saveConfig.threadSafeFormatter() != null) {
+                String stamp = saveConfig.threadSafeFormatter().format(
                         new Date(sample.getTimeStamp()));
                 text.append(stamp);
             }
Index: test/src/org/apache/jmeter/samplers/TestSampleSaveConfiguration.java
===================================================================
--- test/src/org/apache/jmeter/samplers/TestSampleSaveConfiguration.java	(revision 1785887)
+++ test/src/org/apache/jmeter/samplers/TestSampleSaveConfiguration.java	(working copy)
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
-import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.time.FastDateFormat;
 import org.apache.jmeter.junit.JMeterTestCase;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -136,13 +136,13 @@
         assertEquals("Hash codes should be equal",a.hashCode(), b.hashCode());
         assertTrue("Objects should be equal",a.equals(b));
         assertTrue("Objects should be equal",b.equals(a));
-        a.setFormatter(null);
-        b.setFormatter(null);
+        b.setFastDateFormater(null);
+        b.setFastDateFormater(null);
         assertEquals("Hash codes should be equal",a.hashCode(), b.hashCode());
         assertTrue("Objects should be equal",a.equals(b));
         assertTrue("Objects should be equal",b.equals(a));
-        a.setFormatter(new SimpleDateFormat());
-        b.setFormatter(new SimpleDateFormat());
+        b.setFastDateFormater(FastDateFormat.getInstance());
+        b.setFastDateFormater(FastDateFormat.getInstance());
         assertEquals("Hash codes should be equal",a.hashCode(), b.hashCode());
         assertTrue("Objects should be equal",a.equals(b));
         assertTrue("Objects should be equal",b.equals(a));