diff --git a/src/fmu/ensemble/realization.py b/src/fmu/ensemble/realization.py
index dbc6fa89..2628e343 100644
--- a/src/fmu/ensemble/realization.py
+++ b/src/fmu/ensemble/realization.py
@@ -571,6 +571,10 @@ def load_status(self):
                     # We get where if STARTIME.split(':') does not contain
                     # integers only:
                     durations.append(np.nan)
+                except IndexError:
+                    # We get here if a clock time string is invalid, like missing seconds.
+                    print("got indexerror")
+                    durations.append(np.nan)
         status["DURATION"] = durations
 
         # Augment data from jobs.json if that file is available:
diff --git a/tests/test_realization.py b/tests/test_realization.py
index 07417767..a82eca0b 100644
--- a/tests/test_realization.py
+++ b/tests/test_realization.py
@@ -253,6 +253,24 @@ def test_status_load(tmpdir):
     assert "FORWARD_MODEL" in status
     assert np.isnan(status["DURATION"].values[0])  # Unsupported time syntax
 
+    with open(str(tmpdir.join("realization-0/STATUS")), "w") as status_fh:
+        status_fh.write("first line always ignored\n")
+        status_fh.write("INCLUDE_PC                      : 12:40 .... 12:40:55  \n")
+    real = ensemble.ScratchRealization(str(tmpdir.join("realization-0")))
+    status = real.get_df("STATUS")
+    assert len(status) == 1
+    assert "FORWARD_MODEL" in status
+    assert np.isnan(status["DURATION"].values[0])  # Unsupported time syntax
+
+    with open(str(tmpdir.join("realization-0/STATUS")), "w") as status_fh:
+        status_fh.write("first line always ignored\n")
+        status_fh.write("INCLUDE_PC                      : 12:40:33 .... 12:41  \n")
+    real = ensemble.ScratchRealization(str(tmpdir.join("realization-0")))
+    status = real.get_df("STATUS")
+    assert len(status) == 1
+    assert "FORWARD_MODEL" in status
+    assert np.isnan(status["DURATION"].values[0])  # Unsupported time syntax
+
 
 def test_batch():
     """Test batch processing at time of object initialization"""