diff --git a/time/src/parsing/parsable.rs b/time/src/parsing/parsable.rs
index efac79b97..8386d132f 100644
--- a/time/src/parsing/parsable.rs
+++ b/time/src/parsing/parsable.rs
@@ -635,11 +635,9 @@ impl sealed::Sealed for Rfc3339 {
         //   readability, to specify a full-date and full-time separated by
         //   (say) a space character.
         // Specifically, rusqlite uses space separators.
-        let input = if input.is_empty() {
-            return Err(InvalidComponent("separator").into());
-        } else {
-            &input[1..]
-        };
+        let input = input
+            .get(1..)
+            .ok_or_else(|| InvalidComponent("separator"))?;
 
         let ParsedItem(input, hour) =
             exactly_n_digits::<2, _>(input).ok_or(InvalidComponent("hour"))?;