diff --git a/plugins/out_kinesis_streams/kinesis_api.c b/plugins/out_kinesis_streams/kinesis_api.c
index b7e29030383..73434187a4d 100644
--- a/plugins/out_kinesis_streams/kinesis_api.c
+++ b/plugins/out_kinesis_streams/kinesis_api.c
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ static int process_event(struct flb_kinesis *ctx, struct flush *buf,
     struct tm *tmp;
     size_t len;
     size_t tmp_size;
+    char *out_buf;
 
     tmp_buf_ptr = buf->tmp_buf + buf->tmp_buf_offset;
     ret = flb_msgpack_to_json(tmp_buf_ptr,
@@ -276,34 +277,48 @@ static int process_event(struct flb_kinesis *ctx, struct flush *buf,
                          ctx->stream_name);
             return 2;
         }
-        /* guess space needed to write time_key */
-        len = 6 + strlen(ctx->time_key) + 6 * strlen(ctx->time_key_format);
+
+        /* format time output and return the length */
+        len = flb_aws_strftime_precision(&out_buf, ctx->time_key_format, tms);
+
         /* how much space do we have left */
         tmp_size = (buf->tmp_buf_size - buf->tmp_buf_offset) - written;
         if (len > tmp_size) {
-            /* not enough space- tell caller to retry */
+            /* not enough space - tell caller to retry */
+            flb_free(out_buf);
             return 1;
         }
-        time_key_ptr = tmp_buf_ptr + written - 1;
-        memcpy(time_key_ptr, ",", 1);
-        time_key_ptr++;
-        memcpy(time_key_ptr, "\"", 1);
-        time_key_ptr++;
-        memcpy(time_key_ptr, ctx->time_key, strlen(ctx->time_key));
-        time_key_ptr += strlen(ctx->time_key);
-        memcpy(time_key_ptr, "\":\"", 3);
-        time_key_ptr += 3;
-        tmp_size = buf->tmp_buf_size - buf->tmp_buf_offset;
-        tmp_size -= (time_key_ptr - tmp_buf_ptr);
-        len = strftime(time_key_ptr, tmp_size, ctx->time_key_format, &time_stamp);
-        if (len <= 0) {
-            /* ran out of space - should not happen because of check above */
-            return 1;
+
+        if (len == 0) {
+            /*
+             * when the length of out_buf is not enough for time_key_format,
+             * time_key will not be added to record.
+             */
+            flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "Failed to add time_key %s to record, %s",
+                          ctx->time_key, ctx->stream_name);
+            flb_free(out_buf);
+        }
+        else {
+            time_key_ptr = tmp_buf_ptr + written - 1;
+            memcpy(time_key_ptr, ",", 1);
+            time_key_ptr++;
+            memcpy(time_key_ptr, "\"", 1);
+            time_key_ptr++;
+            memcpy(time_key_ptr, ctx->time_key, strlen(ctx->time_key));
+            time_key_ptr += strlen(ctx->time_key);
+            memcpy(time_key_ptr, "\":\"", 3);
+            time_key_ptr += 3;
+            tmp_size = buf->tmp_buf_size - buf->tmp_buf_offset;
+            tmp_size -= (time_key_ptr - tmp_buf_ptr);
+
+            /* merge out_buf to time_key_ptr */
+            memcpy(time_key_ptr, out_buf, len);
+            flb_free(out_buf);
+            time_key_ptr += len;
+            memcpy(time_key_ptr, "\"}", 2);
+            time_key_ptr += 2;
+            written = (time_key_ptr - tmp_buf_ptr);
         }
-        time_key_ptr += len;
-        memcpy(time_key_ptr, "\"}", 2);
-        time_key_ptr += 2;
-        written = (time_key_ptr - tmp_buf_ptr);
     }
 
     /* is (written + 1) because we still have to append newline */