diff --git a/app/src/main/scala/app/logorrr/model/LogEntryInstantFormat.scala b/app/src/main/scala/app/logorrr/model/LogEntryInstantFormat.scala
index de64adaa..d08e0e8f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/scala/app/logorrr/model/LogEntryInstantFormat.scala
+++ b/app/src/main/scala/app/logorrr/model/LogEntryInstantFormat.scala
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@ package app.logorrr.model
 
 import app.logorrr.util.CanLog
 import app.logorrr.views.settings.timestamp.SimpleRange
-import pureconfig.{ConfigReader, ConfigWriter}
 import pureconfig.generic.semiauto.{deriveReader, deriveWriter}
+import pureconfig.{ConfigReader, ConfigWriter}
 
+import java.time._
 import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter
-import java.time.{Instant, LocalDateTime, ZoneId, ZoneOffset}
 import scala.util.{Failure, Success, Try}
 
 object LogEntryInstantFormat extends CanLog {
@@ -21,14 +21,22 @@ object LogEntryInstantFormat extends CanLog {
   def parseInstant(line: String, entrySetting: LogEntryInstantFormat): Option[Instant] =
     if (line.length >= entrySetting.endCol) {
       val dateTimeAsString = line.substring(entrySetting.startCol, entrySetting.endCol)
+      val dtf: DateTimeFormatter = entrySetting.dateTimeFormatter
       Try {
-        val dtf: DateTimeFormatter = entrySetting.dateTimeFormatter
         LocalDateTime.parse(dateTimeAsString, dtf).toInstant(ZoneOffset.of(entrySetting.zoneOffset))
       } match {
         case Success(value) => Option(value)
         case Failure(_) =>
-          logTrace(s"Could not parse '$dateTimeAsString' at pos (${entrySetting.startCol}/${entrySetting.endCol}) with pattern '$${entrySetting.dateTimePattern}'")
-          None
+          // retrying with localtime as fallback for entries which don't have any
+          // date information (for example: '08:34:33' representing today morning)
+          Try {
+            LocalDateTime.of(LocalDate.now(), LocalTime.parse(dateTimeAsString, dtf)).toInstant(ZoneOffset.of(entrySetting.zoneOffset))
+          } match {
+            case Success(value) => Option(value)
+            case Failure(exception) =>
+              logTrace(s"Could not parse '$dateTimeAsString' at pos (${entrySetting.startCol}/${entrySetting.endCol}) with pattern '${entrySetting.dateTimePattern}': ${exception.getMessage}")
+              None
+          }
       }
     } else {
       None
diff --git a/app/src/main/scala/app/logorrr/views/settings/timestamp/TimestampSettingsBorderPane.scala b/app/src/main/scala/app/logorrr/views/settings/timestamp/TimestampSettingsBorderPane.scala
index c902a245..10aaf705 100644
--- a/app/src/main/scala/app/logorrr/views/settings/timestamp/TimestampSettingsBorderPane.scala
+++ b/app/src/main/scala/app/logorrr/views/settings/timestamp/TimestampSettingsBorderPane.scala
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ import app.logorrr.views.block.ChunkListView
 import javafx.beans.binding.Bindings
 import javafx.beans.property.SimpleObjectProperty
 import javafx.collections.ObservableList
+import javafx.css.PseudoClass
 import javafx.scene.control._
-import javafx.scene.layout.{BorderPane, VBox}
+import javafx.scene.layout.BorderPane
 
 import java.time.{Duration, Instant}
 
@@ -45,45 +46,20 @@ class TimestampSettingsBorderPane(settings: MutLogFileSettings
     case None => (new SimpleObjectProperty[java.lang.Integer](), new SimpleObjectProperty[java.lang.Integer]())
   }
 
-  private val rangeTextBinding = Bindings.createStringBinding(() => {
-    (Option(getStartCol), Option(getEndCol)) match {
-      case (Some(start), Some(end)) => s"Range: (${start.toString}/${end.toString})"
-      case (Some(start), None) => s"Range: (${start.toString}/not set)"
-      case (None, Some(end)) => s"select start col: (not set/${end.toString})"
-      case (None, None) => "Select range."
-    }
-
-  }, startColProperty, endColProperty)
-
-  private val rangeColLabel = {
-    val l = new Label()
-    l.textProperty().bind(rangeTextBinding)
-    l
-  }
-
-  private val selectedRangeLabel = new Label("Selected: ")
-  private val (timeFormatLabel, timeFormatTf) = TimestampSettingsBorderPane.mkTf("time format", Option("<enter time format>"), Option(LogEntryInstantFormat.DefaultPattern), 30)
-
-  private val timerSettingsLogTextView = {
-    val tslv = new TimerSettingsLogView(settings, logEntries)
-    startColProperty.bind(tslv.startColProperty)
-    endColProperty.bind(tslv.endColProperty)
-    tslv
-  }
-
   /**
    * if ok button is clicked, log definition will be written, settings stage will be closed, associated logfile
    * definition will be updated
    * */
   private val okButton = {
     val b = new Button("set new format")
+
     b.setOnAction(_ => {
       val leif: LogEntryInstantFormat = LogEntryInstantFormat(SimpleRange(getStartCol, getEndCol), timeFormatTf.getText.trim)
       settings.setLogEntryInstantFormat(leif)
       LogoRRRGlobals.persist()
       // we have to deactivate this listener otherwise
       chunkListView.removeInvalidationListener()
-      var someFirstEntryTimestamp : Option[Instant] = None
+      var someFirstEntryTimestamp: Option[Instant] = None
       for (i <- 0 until logEntries.size()) {
         val e = logEntries.get(i)
         val someInstant = LogEntryInstantFormat.parseInstant(e.value, leif)
@@ -106,12 +82,40 @@ class TimestampSettingsBorderPane(settings: MutLogFileSettings
     b
   }
 
+  private val rangeTextBinding = Bindings.createStringBinding(() => {
+    (Option(getStartCol), Option(getEndCol)) match {
+      case (Some(start), Some(end)) =>
+        okButton.pseudoClassStateChanged(PseudoClass.getPseudoClass("hover"), true)
+        okButton.requestFocus()
+        s"Range: (${start.toString}/${end.toString})"
+      case (Some(start), None) => s"Range: (${start.toString}/not set)"
+      case (None, Some(end)) => s"select start col: (not set/${end.toString})"
+      case (None, None) => "Select range."
+    }
+
+  }, startColProperty, endColProperty)
+
+  private val rangeColLabel = {
+    val l = new Label()
+    l.setPrefWidth(200)
+    l.textProperty().bind(rangeTextBinding)
+    l
+  }
+
+  private val (timeFormatLabel, timeFormatTf) = TimestampSettingsBorderPane.mkTf("time format", Option("<enter time format>"), Option(LogEntryInstantFormat.DefaultPattern), 30)
+
+  private val timerSettingsLogTextView = {
+    val tslv = new TimerSettingsLogView(settings, logEntries)
+    startColProperty.bind(tslv.startColProperty)
+    endColProperty.bind(tslv.endColProperty)
+    tslv
+  }
+
+
+
 
   private val hyperlink: Hyperlink = TimestampSettingsBorderPane.dateTimeFormatterLink.mkHyperLink()
-  private val selectedBar = new ToolBar(selectedRangeLabel)
-  private val timeFormatBar = new ToolBar(timeFormatLabel, timeFormatTf, hyperlink)
-  private val bar = new ToolBar(rangeColLabel, okButton)
-  private val vbox = new VBox(selectedBar, timeFormatBar, bar)
+  private val timeFormatBar = new ToolBar(rangeColLabel, timeFormatLabel, timeFormatTf, hyperlink, okButton)
 
   init()
 
@@ -133,7 +137,7 @@ class TimestampSettingsBorderPane(settings: MutLogFileSettings
     }
 
     setCenter(timerSettingsLogTextView)
-    setBottom(vbox)
+    setBottom(timeFormatBar)
 
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file