diff --git a/src/main/java/com/commafeed/backend/feeds/FeedParser.java b/src/main/java/com/commafeed/backend/feeds/FeedParser.java
index 60d57904..2a8349b3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/commafeed/backend/feeds/FeedParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/commafeed/backend/feeds/FeedParser.java
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package com.commafeed.backend.feeds;
 
 import java.io.StringReader;
 import java.util.Calendar;
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@ public class FeedParser {
 	public FetchedFeed parse(String feedUrl, byte[] xml) throws FeedException {
 		FetchedFeed fetchedFeed = new FetchedFeed();
 		Feed feed = fetchedFeed.getFeed();
-		Collection<FeedEntry> entries = fetchedFeed.getEntries();
+		List<FeedEntry> entries = fetchedFeed.getEntries();
 		feed.setLastUpdated(Calendar.getInstance().getTime());
 
 		try {
@@ -75,10 +74,10 @@ public class FeedParser {
 
 				entries.add(entry);
 			}
-			Date publishedDate = validateDate(rss.getPublishedDate());
-			if (publishedDate == null && !feed.getEntries().isEmpty()) {
-				FeedEntry first = entries.iterator().next();
-				publishedDate = first.getUpdated();
+			Date publishedDate = null;
+			if (!entries.isEmpty()) {
+				Long timestamp = FeedUtils.getSortedTimestamps(entries).get(0);
+				publishedDate = new Date(timestamp);
 			}
 			fetchedFeed.setPublishedDate(publishedDate);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/commafeed/backend/feeds/FeedUtils.java b/src/main/java/com/commafeed/backend/feeds/FeedUtils.java
index 1109f32e..3591bf41 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/commafeed/backend/feeds/FeedUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/commafeed/backend/feeds/FeedUtils.java
@@ -131,7 +131,10 @@ public class FeedUtils {
 		Date now = Calendar.getInstance().getTime();
 		Date publishedDate = feed.getPublishedDate();
 
-		if (publishedDate.before(DateUtils.addMonths(now, -1))) {
+		if (publishedDate == null) {
+			// feed with no entries, recheck in 24 hours
+			return DateUtils.addHours(now, 24);
+		} else if (publishedDate.before(DateUtils.addMonths(now, -1))) {
 			// older tahn a month, recheck in 24 hours
 			return DateUtils.addHours(now, 24);
 		} else if (publishedDate.before(DateUtils.addDays(now, -14))) {
@@ -141,16 +144,28 @@ public class FeedUtils {
 			// older than a week, recheck in 6 hours
 			return DateUtils.addHours(now, 6);
 		} else if (CollectionUtils.isNotEmpty(feed.getEntries())) {
+			// use average time between entries to decide when to refresh next
 			long average = averageTimeBetweenEntries(feed.getEntries());
 			return new Date(Math.min(DateUtils.addHours(now, 6).getTime(),
 					now.getTime() + average / 3));
 		} else {
-			// no entries in the feed, recheck in 24 hours
+			// unknown case, recheck in 24 hours
 			return DateUtils.addHours(now, 24);
 		}
 	}
 
 	public static long averageTimeBetweenEntries(List<FeedEntry> entries) {
+		List<Long> timestamps = getSortedTimestamps(entries);
+
+		SummaryStatistics stats = new SummaryStatistics();
+		for (int i = 0; i < timestamps.size() - 1; i++) {
+			long diff = Math.abs(timestamps.get(i) - timestamps.get(i + 1));
+			stats.addValue(diff);
+		}
+		return (long) stats.getMean();
+	}
+
+	public static List<Long> getSortedTimestamps(List<FeedEntry> entries) {
 		List<Long> timestamps = Lists.newArrayList();
 		int i = 0;
 		for (FeedEntry entry : entries) {
@@ -161,12 +176,6 @@ public class FeedUtils {
 		}
 		Collections.sort(timestamps);
 		Collections.reverse(timestamps);
-
-		SummaryStatistics stats = new SummaryStatistics();
-		for (i = 0; i < timestamps.size() - 1; i++) {
-			long diff = Math.abs(timestamps.get(i) - timestamps.get(i + 1));
-			stats.addValue(diff);
-		}
-		return (long) stats.getMean();
+		return timestamps;
 	}
 }