diff --git a/core/src/components/datetime/datetime-util.spec.ts b/core/src/components/datetime/datetime-util.spec.ts
index db6dfd25ff..589b1b0bc9 100644
--- a/core/src/components/datetime/datetime-util.spec.ts
+++ b/core/src/components/datetime/datetime-util.spec.ts
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ describe('datetime-util', () => {
         "second": undefined,
         "tzOffset": 0,
         "year": 1000,
-        "ampm": "am"
+        "ampm": undefined
       });
     });
 
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ describe('datetime-util', () => {
         "second": undefined,
         "tzOffset": 0,
         "year": undefined,
-        "ampm": "pm"
+        "ampm": undefined
       });
     });
 
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ describe('datetime-util', () => {
         "second": 20,
         "tzOffset": 0,
         "year": 1994,
-        "ampm": "pm"
+        "ampm": undefined
       });
     });
 
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ describe('datetime-util', () => {
         "second": undefined,
         "tzOffset": 0,
         "year": 2018,
-        "ampm": "am"
+        "ampm": undefined
       });
     });
 
diff --git a/core/src/components/datetime/datetime-util.ts b/core/src/components/datetime/datetime-util.ts
index d88a912b01..8b1c8785d6 100644
--- a/core/src/components/datetime/datetime-util.ts
+++ b/core/src/components/datetime/datetime-util.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,16 @@
  * Defaults to the current date if
  * no date given
  */
-export const getDateValue = (date: DatetimeData, format: string): number => {
+export const getDateValue = (date: DatetimeData, format: string): number | string => {
   const getValue = getValueFromFormat(date, format);
 
-  if (getValue !== undefined) { return getValue; }
+  if (getValue !== undefined) {
+    if (format === FORMAT_A || format === FORMAT_a) {
+      date.ampm = getValue;
+    }
+
+    return getValue;
+  }
 
   const defaultDate = parseDate(new Date().toISOString());
   return getValueFromFormat((defaultDate as DatetimeData), format);
@@ -238,7 +244,6 @@ export const parseDate = (val: string | undefined | null): DatetimeData | undefi
     second: parse[6],
     millisecond: parse[7],
     tzOffset,
-    ampm: parse[4] >= 12 ? 'pm' : 'am'
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/core/src/components/datetime/test/basic/index.html b/core/src/components/datetime/test/basic/index.html
index 732271affe..aba8faa9ec 100644
--- a/core/src/components/datetime/test/basic/index.html
+++ b/core/src/components/datetime/test/basic/index.html
@@ -105,8 +105,8 @@
         </ion-item>
 
         <ion-item>
-          <ion-label>HH:mm</ion-label>
-          <ion-datetime display-format="HH:mm"></ion-datetime>
+          <ion-label>HH:mm A</ion-label>
+          <ion-datetime display-format="HH:mm A"></ion-datetime>
         </ion-item>
 
         <ion-item>
@@ -119,6 +119,11 @@
           <ion-datetime display-format="h:mm a" value="01:47"></ion-datetime>
         </ion-item>
 
+        <ion-item>
+          <ion-label>h:mm A</ion-label>
+          <ion-datetime display-format="h:mm A" value="14:23"></ion-datetime>
+        </ion-item>
+
         <ion-item>
           <ion-label>hh:mm A (15 min steps)</ion-label>
           <ion-datetime display-format="h:mm A" minute-values="0,15,30,45"></ion-datetime>
diff --git a/core/src/components/datetime/test/datetime.spec.ts b/core/src/components/datetime/test/datetime.spec.ts
index a100755e1e..d151e7af41 100644
--- a/core/src/components/datetime/test/datetime.spec.ts
+++ b/core/src/components/datetime/test/datetime.spec.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,38 @@ describe('Datetime', () => {
       expect(monthvalue).toEqual(date.getMonth() + 1);
       expect(yearValue).toEqual(date.getFullYear());
     });
+
+    it('it should return the date value for a given time', () => {
+      const dateTimeData: DatetimeData = {
+        hour: 2,
+        minute: 23,
+        tzOffset: 0
+      };
+
+      const hourValue = getDateValue(dateTimeData, 'hh');
+      const minuteValue = getDateValue(dateTimeData, 'mm');
+      const ampmValue = getDateValue(dateTimeData, 'A');
+
+      expect(hourValue).toEqual(2);
+      expect(minuteValue).toEqual(23);
+      expect(ampmValue).toEqual("am");
+    });
+
+    it('it should return the date value for a given time after 12', () => {
+      const dateTimeData: DatetimeData = {
+        hour: 16,
+        minute: 47,
+        tzOffset: 0
+      };
+
+      const hourValue = getDateValue(dateTimeData, 'hh');
+      const minuteValue = getDateValue(dateTimeData, 'mm');
+      const ampmValue = getDateValue(dateTimeData, 'a');
+
+      expect(hourValue).toEqual(4);
+      expect(minuteValue).toEqual(47);
+      expect(ampmValue).toEqual("pm");
+    });
   });
 
   describe('getLocalDateTime()', () => {