diff --git a/beetsplug/musicbrainz.py b/beetsplug/musicbrainz.py
index d39c74834..b733ef8f4 100644
--- a/beetsplug/musicbrainz.py
+++ b/beetsplug/musicbrainz.py
@@ -172,28 +172,21 @@ def _preferred_release_event(release: Release) -> tuple[str | None, str | None]:
     return release.get("country"), release.get("date")
 
 
-def _set_date_str(
-    info: beets.autotag.hooks.AlbumInfo,
-    date_str: str,
-    original: bool = False,
-) -> None:
-    """Given a (possibly partial) YYYY-MM-DD string and an AlbumInfo
-    object, set the object's release date fields appropriately. If
-    `original`, then set the original_year, etc., fields.
-    """
-    if date_str:
-        date_parts = date_str.split("-")
-        for key in ("year", "month", "day"):
-            if date_parts:
-                date_part = date_parts.pop(0)
-                try:
-                    date_num = int(date_part)
-                except ValueError:
-                    continue
+def _get_date(date_str: str) -> tuple[int | None, int | None, int | None]:
+    """Parse a partial `YYYY-MM-DD` string into numeric date parts.
 
-                if original:
-                    key = f"original_{key}"
-                setattr(info, key, date_num)
+    Missing components are returned as `None`. Invalid components are ignored.
+    """
+    if not date_str:
+        return None, None, None
+
+    parts = list(map(int, date_str.split("-")))
+
+    return (
+        parts[0] if len(parts) > 0 else None,
+        parts[1] if len(parts) > 1 else None,
+        parts[2] if len(parts) > 2 else None,
+    )
 
 
 def _merge_pseudo_and_actual_album(
@@ -528,16 +521,20 @@ class MusicBrainzPlugin(MusicBrainzAPIMixin, MetadataSourcePlugin):
                     albumtypes.append(sec_type.lower())
         info.albumtypes = albumtypes
 
+        info.original_year, info.original_month, info.original_day = _get_date(
+            release["release_group"]["first_release_date"]
+        )
         # Release events.
         info.country, release_date = _preferred_release_event(release)
-        release_group_date = release["release_group"].get("first_release_date")
-        if not release_date:
-            # Fall back if release-specific date is not available.
-            release_date = release_group_date
-
-        if release_date:
-            _set_date_str(info, release_date, False)
-        _set_date_str(info, release_group_date, True)
+        info.year, info.month, info.day = (
+            _get_date(release_date)
+            if release_date
+            else (
+                info.original_year,
+                info.original_month,
+                info.original_day,
+            )
+        )
 
         # Label name.
         if release.get("label_info"):
diff --git a/test/plugins/test_musicbrainz.py b/test/plugins/test_musicbrainz.py
index fbd3fbe09..e002f141a 100644
--- a/test/plugins/test_musicbrainz.py
+++ b/test/plugins/test_musicbrainz.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class MusicBrainzTestCase(BeetsTestCase):
 
     @staticmethod
     def _make_release(
-        date_str="2009",
+        date="2009",
         recordings=None,
         track_length=None,
         track_artist=False,
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class MusicBrainzTestCase(BeetsTestCase):
             "disambiguation": "R_DISAMBIGUATION",
             "release_group": {
                 "primary_type": "Album",
-                "first_release_date": date_str,
+                "first_release_date": date,
                 "id": "RELEASE GROUP ID",
                 "disambiguation": "RG_DISAMBIGUATION",
             },
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ class MusicBrainzTestCase(BeetsTestCase):
 
 class MBAlbumInfoTest(MusicBrainzTestCase):
     def test_parse_release_with_year(self):
-        release = self._make_release("1984")
+        release = self._make_release(date="1984")
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.album == "ALBUM TITLE"
         assert d.album_id == "ALBUM ID"
@@ -220,12 +220,12 @@ class MBAlbumInfoTest(MusicBrainzTestCase):
         assert d.artist_credit == "Artist Credit"
 
     def test_parse_release_type(self):
-        release = self._make_release("1984")
+        release = self._make_release(date="1984")
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.albumtype == "album"
 
     def test_parse_release_full_date(self):
-        release = self._make_release("1987-03-31")
+        release = self._make_release(date="1987-03-31")
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.original_year == 1987
         assert d.original_month == 3
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ class MBAlbumInfoTest(MusicBrainzTestCase):
         assert t[1].index == 2
 
     def test_parse_release_year_month_only(self):
-        release = self._make_release("1987-03")
+        release = self._make_release(date="1987-03")
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.original_year == 1987
         assert d.original_month == 3
@@ -327,19 +327,19 @@ class MBAlbumInfoTest(MusicBrainzTestCase):
         assert d.tracks[0].length == 2.0
 
     def test_no_release_date(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release(date="")
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert not d.original_year
         assert not d.original_month
         assert not d.original_day
 
     def test_various_artists_defaults_false(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert not d.va
 
     def test_detect_various_artists(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         release["artist_credit"][0]["artist"]["id"] = (
             musicbrainz.VARIOUS_ARTISTS_ID
         )
@@ -347,43 +347,43 @@ class MBAlbumInfoTest(MusicBrainzTestCase):
         assert d.va
 
     def test_parse_artist_sort_name(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.artist_sort == "Artist, The"
 
     def test_parse_releasegroupid(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.releasegroup_id == "RELEASE GROUP ID"
 
     def test_parse_asin(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.asin == "ALBUM ASIN"
 
     def test_parse_catalognum(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.catalognum == "CATALOG NUMBER"
 
     def test_parse_textrepr(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.script == "SCRIPT"
         assert d.language == "LANGUAGE"
 
     def test_parse_country(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.country == "US"
 
     def test_parse_status(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.albumstatus == "STATUS"
 
     def test_parse_barcode(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.barcode == "BARCODE"
 
@@ -392,12 +392,12 @@ class MBAlbumInfoTest(MusicBrainzTestCase):
             self._make_recording("TITLE ONE", "ID ONE", 100.0 * 1000.0),
             self._make_recording("TITLE TWO", "ID TWO", 200.0 * 1000.0),
         ]
-        release = self._make_release(None, recordings=recordings)
+        release = self._make_release(recordings=recordings)
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.media == "FORMAT"
 
     def test_parse_disambig(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.albumdisambig == "R_DISAMBIGUATION"
         assert d.releasegroupdisambig == "RG_DISAMBIGUATION"
@@ -407,21 +407,21 @@ class MBAlbumInfoTest(MusicBrainzTestCase):
             self._make_recording("TITLE ONE", "ID ONE", 100.0 * 1000.0),
             self._make_recording("TITLE TWO", "ID TWO", 200.0 * 1000.0),
         ]
-        release = self._make_release(None, recordings=recordings)
+        release = self._make_release(recordings=recordings)
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         t = d.tracks
         assert t[0].disctitle == "MEDIUM TITLE"
         assert t[1].disctitle == "MEDIUM TITLE"
 
     def test_missing_language(self):
-        release = self._make_release(None)
+        release = self._make_release()
         del release["text_representation"]["language"]
         d = self.mb.album_info(release)
         assert d.language is None
 
     def test_parse_recording_artist(self):
         recordings = [self._make_recording("a", "b", 1)]
-        release = self._make_release(None, recordings=recordings)
+        release = self._make_release(recordings=recordings)
         track = self.mb.album_info(release).tracks[0]
         assert track.artist == "Recording Artist"
         assert track.artist_id == "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001"
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ class MBAlbumInfoTest(MusicBrainzTestCase):
         recordings = [
             self._make_recording("a", "b", 1, multi_artist_credit=True)
         ]
-        release = self._make_release(None, recordings=recordings)
+        release = self._make_release(recordings=recordings)
         track = self.mb.album_info(release).tracks[0]
         assert track.artist == "Recording Artist & Other Recording Artist"
         assert track.artist_id == "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001"
@@ -464,9 +464,7 @@ class MBAlbumInfoTest(MusicBrainzTestCase):
 
     def test_track_artist_overrides_recording_artist(self):
         recordings = [self._make_recording("a", "b", 1)]
-        release = self._make_release(
-            None, recordings=recordings, track_artist=True
-        )
+        release = self._make_release(recordings=recordings, track_artist=True)
         track = self.mb.album_info(release).tracks[0]
         assert track.artist == "Track Artist"
         assert track.artist_id == "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001"
@@ -478,7 +476,6 @@ class MBAlbumInfoTest(MusicBrainzTestCase):
             self._make_recording("a", "b", 1, multi_artist_credit=True)
         ]
         release = self._make_release(
-            None,
             recordings=recordings,
             track_artist=True,
             multi_artist_credit=True,
@@ -510,7 +507,7 @@ class MBAlbumInfoTest(MusicBrainzTestCase):
 
     def test_parse_recording_remixer(self):
         recordings = [self._make_recording("a", "b", 1, remixer=True)]
-        release = self._make_release(None, recordings=recordings)
+        release = self._make_release(recordings=recordings)
         track = self.mb.album_info(release).tracks[0]
         assert track.remixer == "Recording Remixer"