diff --git a/atst/app.py b/atst/app.py
index 6a23abfe..f3e7276f 100644
--- a/atst/app.py
+++ b/atst/app.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import os
 import re
 import pathlib
 from configparser import ConfigParser
+from datetime import datetime
 from flask import Flask, request, g, session
 from flask_session import Session
 import redis
@@ -175,6 +176,12 @@ def map_config(config):
         # with a Beat job once a day)
         "CELERY_RESULT_EXPIRES": 0,
         "CELERY_RESULT_EXTENDED": True,
+        "CONTRACT_START_DATE": datetime.strptime(
+            config.get("default", "CONTRACT_START_DATE"), "%Y-%m-%d"
+        ).date(),
+        "CONTRACT_END_DATE": datetime.strptime(
+            config.get("default", "CONTRACT_END_DATE"), "%Y-%m-%d"
+        ).date(),
     }
 
 
diff --git a/atst/forms/task_order.py b/atst/forms/task_order.py
index ddf029f8..fe764f27 100644
--- a/atst/forms/task_order.py
+++ b/atst/forms/task_order.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ from wtforms.fields import (
 from wtforms.fields.html5 import DateField
 from wtforms.validators import Required, Optional, Length, NumberRange, ValidationError
 from flask_wtf import FlaskForm
-from datetime import datetime
 from numbers import Number
 
 from .data import JEDI_CLIN_TYPES
@@ -85,12 +84,8 @@ class CLINForm(FlaskForm):
 
     def validate(self, *args, **kwargs):
         valid = super().validate(*args, **kwargs)
-        contract_start = datetime.strptime(
-            app.config.get("CONTRACT_START_DATE"), "%Y-%m-%d"
-        ).date()
-        contract_end = datetime.strptime(
-            app.config.get("CONTRACT_END_DATE"), "%Y-%m-%d"
-        ).date()
+        contract_start = app.config.get("CONTRACT_START_DATE")
+        contract_end = app.config.get("CONTRACT_END_DATE")
 
         if (
             self.start_date.data
diff --git a/js/components/pop_date_range.js b/js/components/pop_date_range.js
index 52446593..7abac268 100644
--- a/js/components/pop_date_range.js
+++ b/js/components/pop_date_range.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ export default {
           this.minEndDate = this.calcMinEndDate(date)
         }
       } else if (event.name.includes(END_DATE)) {
-        if (event.valid != undefined && event.valid ) {
+        if (event.valid != undefined && event.valid) {
           var date = new Date(event.value)
           this.maxStartDate = this.calcMaxStartDate(date)
         }
diff --git a/templates/components/clin_fields.html b/templates/components/clin_fields.html
index 6c91d7fe..2baf6419 100644
--- a/templates/components/clin_fields.html
+++ b/templates/components/clin_fields.html
@@ -128,8 +128,6 @@
             {{ 'task_orders.form.pop' | translate }}
           </div>
         </div>
-        {% set contract_start_formatted = contract_start | dateFromString(formatter="%Y-%m-%d") %}
-        {% set contract_end_formatted = contract_end | dateFromString(formatter="%Y-%m-%d") %}
         {% if fields %}
           {{ PopDateRange(start_field=fields.start_date, end_field=fields.end_date, watch=True, optional=False, mindate=contract_start, maxdate=contract_end) }}
         {% else %}
diff --git a/templates/components/pop_date_range.html b/templates/components/pop_date_range.html
index b4f6e540..bde27736 100644
--- a/templates/components/pop_date_range.html
+++ b/templates/components/pop_date_range.html
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
                 </p>
 
                 <div v-if='minError' class="usa-input-error-message">
-                  PoP start date must be on or after {{ mindate | dateFromString(formatter="%Y-%m-%d") |  formattedDate(formatter="%B %d, %Y") }}.
+                  PoP start date must be on or after {{ mindate | formattedDate(formatter="%B %d, %Y") }}.
                 </div>
                 <div v-if='maxError' class="usa-input-error-message">
                   PoP start date must be before end date.
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@
                 <div class="usa-input__title">
                   {{ 'task_orders.form.pop_end' | translate }}
                 </div>
-                {% set formatted_end_date = maxdate | dateFromString(formatter="%Y-%m-%d") |  formattedDate(formatter="%B %d, %Y") %}
+                {% set formatted_end_date = maxdate |  formattedDate(formatter="%B %d, %Y") %}
                 {{ Alert(message="task_orders.form.pop_end_alert" | translate({'end_date': formatted_end_date })) }}
 
                 <p class='usa-input__help'>
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
                   PoP end date must be after start date.
                 </div>
                 <div v-if='maxError' class="usa-input-error-message">
-                  PoP end date must be on or after {{ maxdate | dateFromString(formatter="%Y-%m-%d") |  formattedDate(formatter="%B %d, %Y") }}.
+                  PoP end date must be on or after {{ formatted_end_date }}.
                 </div>
               </legend>
 
diff --git a/tests/forms/test_task_order.py b/tests/forms/test_task_order.py
index 9fb12bcf..85a7c6af 100644
--- a/tests/forms/test_task_order.py
+++ b/tests/forms/test_task_order.py
@@ -38,12 +38,8 @@ def test_clin_form_start_date_before_end_date():
 
 
 def test_clin_form_pop_dates_within_contract_dates():
-    CONTRACT_START_DATE = datetime.datetime.strptime(
-        app.config.get("CONTRACT_START_DATE"), "%Y-%m-%d"
-    ).date()
-    CONTRACT_END_DATE = datetime.datetime.strptime(
-        app.config.get("CONTRACT_END_DATE"), "%Y-%m-%d"
-    ).date()
+    CONTRACT_START_DATE = app.config.get("CONTRACT_START_DATE")
+    CONTRACT_END_DATE = app.config.get("CONTRACT_END_DATE")
 
     invalid_start = CONTRACT_START_DATE - relativedelta(months=1)
     invalid_end = CONTRACT_END_DATE + relativedelta(months=1)