diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/HandleServiceImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/HandleServiceImpl.java
index 0deb1e9d76..645b1fdbc4 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/HandleServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/HandleServiceImpl.java
@@ -386,7 +386,8 @@ public class HandleServiceImpl implements HandleService {
         return handleDAO.countRows(context);
     }
 
-    public String formatHandle(String identifier) {
+    @Override
+    public String parseHandle(String identifier) {
         if (identifier == null) {
             return null;
         }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/service/HandleService.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/service/HandleService.java
index df20eac01a..62dec25587 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/service/HandleService.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/handle/service/HandleService.java
@@ -191,5 +191,5 @@ public interface HandleService {
      * @param identifier
      * @return
      */
-    String formatHandle(String identifier);
+    String parseHandle(String identifier);
 }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/HandleIdentifierProvider.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/HandleIdentifierProvider.java
index 6b2afbbbe0..7b55a2dd8c 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/HandleIdentifierProvider.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/HandleIdentifierProvider.java
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public class HandleIdentifierProvider extends IdentifierProvider {
 
     @Override
     public boolean supports(String identifier) {
-        return handleService.formatHandle(identifier) != null;
+        return handleService.parseHandle(identifier) != null;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public class HandleIdentifierProvider extends IdentifierProvider {
     public DSpaceObject resolve(Context context, String identifier, String... attributes) {
         // We can do nothing with this, return null
         try {
-            identifier = handleService.formatHandle(identifier);
+            identifier = handleService.parseHandle(identifier);
             return handleService.resolveToObject(context, identifier);
         } catch (IllegalStateException | SQLException e) {
             log.error(LogManager.getHeader(context, "Error while resolving handle to item", "handle: " + identifier),
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider.java
index 34411e999c..193f747895 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider extends IdentifierProvider {
 
     @Override
     public boolean supports(String identifier) {
-        return handleService.formatHandle(identifier) != null;
+        return handleService.parseHandle(identifier) != null;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ public class VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider extends IdentifierProvider {
     public DSpaceObject resolve(Context context, String identifier, String... attributes) {
         // We can do nothing with this, return null
         try {
-            identifier = handleService.formatHandle(identifier);
+            identifier = handleService.parseHandle(identifier);
             return handleService.resolveToObject(context, identifier);
         } catch (IllegalStateException | SQLException e) {
             log.error(LogManager.getHeader(context, "Error while resolving handle to item", "handle: " + identifier),
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProviderWithCanonicalHandles.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProviderWithCanonicalHandles.java
index e68048be9f..e15abc43b4 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProviderWithCanonicalHandles.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProviderWithCanonicalHandles.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class VersionedHandleIdentifierProviderWithCanonicalHandles extends Ident
 
     @Override
     public boolean supports(String identifier) {
-        return handleService.formatHandle(identifier) != null;
+        return handleService.parseHandle(identifier) != null;
     }
 
     @Override