diff --git a/wp-includes/comment-template.php b/wp-includes/comment-template.php
index 9a2d62c586..a048d3870c 100644
--- a/wp-includes/comment-template.php
+++ b/wp-includes/comment-template.php
@@ -552,12 +552,12 @@ function get_comment_class( $class = '', $comment_id = null, $post_id = null ) {
 function get_comment_date( $format = '', $comment_ID = 0 ) {
 	$comment = get_comment( $comment_ID );
 
-	if ( '' === $format ) {
-		$date = mysql2date( get_option( 'date_format' ), $comment->comment_date );
-	} else {
-		$date = mysql2date( $format, $comment->comment_date );
+	if ( ! is_string( $format ) || '' === $format ) {
+		$format = get_option( 'date_format' );
 	}
 
+	$date = mysql2date( $format, $comment->comment_date );
+
 	/**
 	 * Filters the returned comment date.
 	 *
@@ -1046,12 +1046,12 @@ function get_comment_time( $format = '', $gmt = false, $translate = true ) {
 
 	$comment_date = $gmt ? $comment->comment_date_gmt : $comment->comment_date;
 
-	if ( '' === $format ) {
-		$date = mysql2date( get_option( 'time_format' ), $comment_date, $translate );
-	} else {
-		$date = mysql2date( $format, $comment_date, $translate );
+	if ( ! is_string( $format ) || '' === $format ) {
+		$format = get_option( 'time_format' );
 	}
 
+	$date = mysql2date( $format, $comment_date, $translate );
+
 	/**
 	 * Filters the returned comment time.
 	 *
diff --git a/wp-includes/general-template.php b/wp-includes/general-template.php
index 094e4a4062..89748f1968 100644
--- a/wp-includes/general-template.php
+++ b/wp-includes/general-template.php
@@ -2525,12 +2525,12 @@ function get_the_date( $format = '', $post = null ) {
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	if ( '' === $format ) {
-		$the_date = get_post_time( get_option( 'date_format' ), false, $post, true );
-	} else {
-		$the_date = get_post_time( $format, false, $post, true );
+	if ( ! is_string( $format ) || '' === $format ) {
+		$format = get_option( 'date_format' );
 	}
 
+	$the_date = get_post_time( $format, false, $post, true );
+
 	/**
 	 * Filters the date a post was published.
 	 *
@@ -2654,12 +2654,12 @@ function get_the_time( $format = '', $post = null ) {
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	if ( '' === $format ) {
-		$the_time = get_post_time( get_option( 'time_format' ), false, $post, true );
-	} else {
-		$the_time = get_post_time( $format, false, $post, true );
+	if ( ! is_string( $format ) || '' === $format ) {
+		$format = get_option( 'time_format' );
 	}
 
+	$the_time = get_post_time( $format, false, $post, true );
+
 	/**
 	 * Filters the time a post was written.
 	 *
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 7301479dfb..fe385288bd 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '5.6-alpha-48911';
+$wp_version = '5.6-alpha-48912';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.