diff --git a/airbyte_cdk/sources/file_based/file_based_stream_reader.py b/airbyte_cdk/sources/file_based/file_based_stream_reader.py
index 7443dccd6..f39d2860c 100644
--- a/airbyte_cdk/sources/file_based/file_based_stream_reader.py
+++ b/airbyte_cdk/sources/file_based/file_based_stream_reader.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import logging
 import time
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
-from datetime import datetime
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from enum import Enum
 from io import IOBase
 from os import makedirs, path
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 from airbyte_cdk.sources.file_based.exceptions import FileSizeLimitError
 from airbyte_cdk.sources.file_based.file_record_data import FileRecordData
 from airbyte_cdk.sources.file_based.remote_file import RemoteFile, UploadableRemoteFile
+from airbyte_cdk.utils.datetime_helpers import ab_datetime_parse
 
 
 class FileReadMode(Enum):
@@ -98,6 +99,33 @@ def get_matching_files(
         """
         ...
 
+    def _parse_start_date(self, start_date_str: str) -> datetime:
+        """Parse a start_date string, supporting both with and without microseconds.
+
+        AbstractFileBasedSpec accepts start_date in multiple formats as described by its
+        pattern_descriptor: "YYYY-MM-DD, YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ssZ, or YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSSSSSZ".
+        The primary format (self.DATE_TIME_FORMAT) includes microseconds, but the spec also
+        allows the shorter "YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ssZ" variant. This method tries the primary
+        format first and falls back to the shorter format without microseconds.
+
+        Note: this fallback is only relevant for start_date values provided by the user in the
+        connector configuration. Cursor values persisted in connector state are always formatted
+        using the default DATE_TIME_FORMAT (with microseconds).
+        """
+        try:
+            return datetime.strptime(start_date_str, self.DATE_TIME_FORMAT)
+        except ValueError:
+            try:
+                return datetime.strptime(start_date_str, "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
+            except ValueError:
+                # ab_datetime_parse may return a timezone-aware datetime (e.g. for inputs
+                # like "2025-01-01T00:00:00+05:30"). We convert to UTC first so the offset
+                # is applied correctly, then strip tzinfo to produce a naive UTC datetime
+                # compatible with RemoteFile.last_modified comparisons.
+                return (
+                    ab_datetime_parse(start_date_str).astimezone(timezone.utc).replace(tzinfo=None)
+                )
+
     def filter_files_by_globs_and_start_date(
         self, files: List[RemoteFile], globs: List[str]
     ) -> Iterable[RemoteFile]:
@@ -105,7 +133,7 @@ def filter_files_by_globs_and_start_date(
         Utility method for filtering files based on globs.
         """
         start_date = (
-            datetime.strptime(self.config.start_date, self.DATE_TIME_FORMAT)
+            self._parse_start_date(self.config.start_date)
             if self.config and self.config.start_date
             else None
         )
diff --git a/unit_tests/sources/file_based/test_file_based_stream_reader.py b/unit_tests/sources/file_based/test_file_based_stream_reader.py
index 13fa1025c..a8b8e7752 100644
--- a/unit_tests/sources/file_based/test_file_based_stream_reader.py
+++ b/unit_tests/sources/file_based/test_file_based_stream_reader.py
@@ -401,6 +401,13 @@ def documentation_url(cls) -> AnyUrl:
             set(),
             id="all_csvs_modified_before_start_date",
         ),
+        pytest.param(
+            ["**/*.csv"],
+            {"start_date": "2023-06-01T03:54:07Z", "streams": []},
+            {"a.csv", "a/b.csv", "a/c.csv", "a/b/c.csv", "a/c/c.csv", "a/b/c/d.csv"},
+            set(),
+            id="all_csvs_start_date_without_microseconds",
+        ),
         pytest.param(
             ["**/*.csv"],
             {"start_date": "2023-06-05T03:54:07.000Z", "streams": []},
@@ -494,6 +501,63 @@ def test_preserve_sub_directories_scenarios(
     assert file_paths[AbstractFileBasedStreamReader.FILE_FOLDER] == path.dirname(source_file_path)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "start_date_str, expected",
+    [
+        pytest.param(
+            "2025-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z",
+            datetime(2025, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0),
+            id="with_microseconds_zero",
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            "2025-06-15T12:30:45.123456Z",
+            datetime(2025, 6, 15, 12, 30, 45, 123456),
+            id="with_microseconds_nonzero",
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            "2025-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+            datetime(2025, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0),
+            id="without_microseconds",
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            "2025-12-31T23:59:59Z",
+            datetime(2025, 12, 31, 23, 59, 59),
+            id="without_microseconds_end_of_day",
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            "2025-01-01",
+            datetime(2025, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0),
+            id="date_only_ab_datetime_parse_fallback",
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            "2025-01-01T00:00:00+05:30",
+            datetime(2024, 12, 31, 18, 30, 0),
+            id="with_timezone_offset_converted_to_utc",
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_parse_start_date(start_date_str: str, expected: datetime) -> None:
+    reader = TestStreamReader()
+    assert reader._parse_start_date(start_date_str) == expected
+
+
+def test_parse_start_date_respects_overridden_date_time_format() -> None:
+    """Verify that subclasses overriding DATE_TIME_FORMAT are honored by _parse_start_date."""
+
+    class CustomFormatReader(TestStreamReader):
+        DATE_TIME_FORMAT = "custom:%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S"
+
+    reader = CustomFormatReader()
+
+    assert reader._parse_start_date("custom:2025/01/01 00:00:00") == datetime(2025, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0)
+
+
+def test_parse_start_date_invalid_raises() -> None:
+    reader = TestStreamReader()
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        reader._parse_start_date("not-a-date")
+
+
 def test_upload_with_file_transfer_reader():
     stream_reader = TestStreamReaderWithDefaultUpload()