diff --git a/Lib/test/test_time.py b/Lib/test/test_time.py
index 9acd1d497ee..62abd891aaf 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_time.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_time.py
@@ -703,9 +703,9 @@ def test_year(self, fmt=None, func=None):
         self.assertEqual(func(9999), fmt % 9999)
 
     def test_large_year(self):
-        self.assertEqual(self.yearstr(12345), '12345')
-        self.assertEqual(self.yearstr(123456789), '123456789')
-        self.assertEqual(self.yearstr(TIME_MAXYEAR), str(TIME_MAXYEAR))
+        self.assertEqual(self.yearstr(12345).lstrip('+'), '12345')
+        self.assertEqual(self.yearstr(123456789).lstrip('+'), '123456789')
+        self.assertEqual(self.yearstr(TIME_MAXYEAR).lstrip('+'), str(TIME_MAXYEAR))
         self.assertRaises(OverflowError, self.yearstr, TIME_MAXYEAR + 1)
 
     def test_negative(self):