diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/ClaimsListParser.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/ClaimsListParser.java
index 0f71b585b..adc7efe1f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/ClaimsListParser.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/ClaimsListParser.java
@@ -16,18 +16,21 @@ package google.registry.tmch;
 
 import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkArgument;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Joiner;
 import com.google.common.base.Splitter;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import google.registry.model.tmch.ClaimsList;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.StringReader;
 import java.util.List;
+import org.apache.commons.csv.CSVFormat;
+import org.apache.commons.csv.CSVParser;
+import org.apache.commons.csv.CSVRecord;
 import org.joda.time.DateTime;
 
 /**
  * Claims List (MarksDB DNL CSV) Parser.
  *
- * <p>This is a quick and dirty CSV parser made specifically for the DNL CSV format defined in the
- * TMCH specification. It doesn't support any fancy CSV features like quotes.
- *
  * @see <a href="http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-lozano-tmch-func-spec-08#section-6.1">
  *     TMCH functional specifications - DNL List file</a>
  */
@@ -38,7 +41,7 @@ public class ClaimsListParser {
    *
    * <p>Please note that this does <b>not</b> insert the object into the DB.
    */
-  public static ClaimsList parse(List<String> lines) {
+  public static ClaimsList parse(List<String> lines) throws IOException {
     ImmutableMap.Builder<String, String> builder = new ImmutableMap.Builder<>();
 
     // First line: <version>,<DNL List creation datetime>
@@ -51,26 +54,16 @@ public class ClaimsListParser {
     checkArgument(version == 1, String.format(
         "Line 1: Expected version 1, found %d", version));
 
-    // Second line contains headers: DNL,lookup-key,insertion-datetime
-    List<String> secondLine = Splitter.on(',').splitToList(lines.get(1));
-    checkArgument(secondLine.size() == 3, String.format(
-        "Line 2: Expected 3 elements, found %d", secondLine.size()));
-    checkArgument("DNL".equals(secondLine.get(0)), String.format(
-        "Line 2: Expected header \"DNL\", found \"%s\"", secondLine.get(0)));
-    checkArgument("lookup-key".equals(secondLine.get(1)), String.format(
-        "Line 2: Expected header \"lookup-key\", found \"%s\"", secondLine.get(1)));
-    checkArgument("insertion-datetime".equals(secondLine.get(2)), String.format(
-        "Line 2: Expected header \"insertion-datetime\", found \"%s\"", secondLine.get(2)));
-
-    // Subsequent lines: <DNL>,<lookup key>,<DNL insertion datetime>
-    for (int i = 2; i < lines.size(); i++) {
-      List<String> currentLine = Splitter.on(',').splitToList(lines.get(i));
-      checkArgument(currentLine.size() == 3, String.format(
-          "Line %d: Expected 3 elements, found %d", i + 1, currentLine.size()));
-
-      String label = currentLine.get(0);
-      String lookupKey = currentLine.get(1);
-      DateTime.parse(currentLine.get(2));  // This is the insertion time, currently unused.
+    // Note: we have to skip the first line because it contains the version metadata
+    CSVParser csv =
+        CSVFormat.Builder.create(CSVFormat.DEFAULT)
+            .setHeader()
+            .setSkipHeaderRecord(true)
+            .build()
+            .parse(new StringReader(Joiner.on('\n').join(lines.subList(1, lines.size()))));
+    for (CSVRecord record : csv) {
+      String label = record.get("DNL");
+      String lookupKey = record.get("lookup-key");
       builder.put(label, lookupKey);
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/Marksdb.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/Marksdb.java
index f2e4fc738..5b9ab1640 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/Marksdb.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/Marksdb.java
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
 import java.security.Security;
 import java.security.SignatureException;
 import java.util.Arrays;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import javax.annotation.Tainted;
 import javax.inject.Inject;
@@ -125,7 +124,8 @@ public final class Marksdb {
     }
   }
 
-  List<String> fetchSignedCsv(Optional<String> loginAndPassword, String csvPath, String sigPath)
+  ImmutableList<String> fetchSignedCsv(
+      Optional<String> loginAndPassword, String csvPath, String sigPath)
       throws IOException, GeneralSecurityException, PGPException {
     checkArgument(
         loginAndPassword.isPresent(), "Cannot fetch from MarksDB without login credentials");
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/SmdrlCsvParser.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/SmdrlCsvParser.java
index 2b76c8468..a370f1608 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/SmdrlCsvParser.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/SmdrlCsvParser.java
@@ -17,55 +17,52 @@ package google.registry.tmch;
 import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkArgument;
 import static org.joda.time.DateTimeZone.UTC;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Joiner;
 import com.google.common.base.Splitter;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import google.registry.model.smd.SignedMarkRevocationList;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.StringReader;
 import java.util.List;
+import org.apache.commons.csv.CSVFormat;
+import org.apache.commons.csv.CSVParser;
+import org.apache.commons.csv.CSVRecord;
 import org.joda.time.DateTime;
 
 /**
  * Signed Mark Data Revocation List (SMDRL) CSV Parser
  *
- * <p>This is a quick and dirty CSV parser made specifically for the SMDRL CSV format defined in
- * the TMCH specification. It doesn't support any fancy CSV features like quotes.
- *
  * @see <a href="http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-lozano-tmch-func-spec-08#section-6.2">
  *     TMCH functional specifications - SMD Revocation List</a>
  */
 public final class SmdrlCsvParser {
 
   /** Converts the lines from the DNL CSV file into a data structure. */
-  public static SignedMarkRevocationList parse(List<String> lines) {
+  public static SignedMarkRevocationList parse(List<String> lines) throws IOException {
     ImmutableMap.Builder<String, DateTime> revokes = new ImmutableMap.Builder<>();
 
     // First line: <version>,<SMD Revocation List creation datetime>
     List<String> firstLine = Splitter.on(',').splitToList(lines.get(0));
-    checkArgument(firstLine.size() == 2, String.format(
-        "Line 1: Expected 2 elements, found %d", firstLine.size()));
+    checkArgument(
+        firstLine.size() == 2,
+        String.format("Line 1: Expected 2 elements, found %d", firstLine.size()));
     int version = Integer.parseInt(firstLine.get(0));
-    checkArgument(version == 1, String.format(
-        "Line 1: Expected version 1, found %d", version));
+    checkArgument(version == 1, String.format("Line 1: Expected version 1, found %d", version));
     DateTime creationTime = DateTime.parse(firstLine.get(1)).withZone(UTC);
 
-    // Second line contains headers: smd-id,insertion-datetime
-    List<String> secondLine = Splitter.on(',').splitToList(lines.get(1));
-    checkArgument(secondLine.size() == 2, String.format(
-        "Line 2: Expected 2 elements, found %d", secondLine.size()));
-    checkArgument("smd-id".equals(secondLine.get(0)), String.format(
-        "Line 2: Expected header \"smd-id\", found \"%s\"", secondLine.get(0)));
-    checkArgument("insertion-datetime".equals(secondLine.get(1)), String.format(
-        "Line 2: Expected header \"insertion-datetime\", found \"%s\"", secondLine.get(1)));
+    // Note: we have to skip the first line because it contains the version metadata
+    CSVParser csv =
+        CSVFormat.Builder.create(CSVFormat.DEFAULT)
+            .setHeader()
+            .setSkipHeaderRecord(true)
+            .build()
+            .parse(new StringReader(Joiner.on('\n').join(lines.subList(1, lines.size()))));
 
-    // Subsequent lines: <smd-id>,<revoked SMD datetime>
-    for (int i = 2; i < lines.size(); i++) {
-      List<String> currentLine = Splitter.on(',').splitToList(lines.get(i));
-      checkArgument(currentLine.size() == 2, String.format(
-          "Line %d: Expected 2 elements, found %d", i + 1, currentLine.size()));
-      String smdId = currentLine.get(0);
-      DateTime revokedTime = DateTime.parse(currentLine.get(1));
+    for (CSVRecord record : csv) {
+      String smdId = record.get("smd-id");
+      DateTime revokedTime = DateTime.parse(record.get("insertion-datetime"));
       revokes.put(smdId, revokedTime);
     }
-
     return SignedMarkRevocationList.create(creationTime, revokes.build());
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/TmchDnlAction.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/TmchDnlAction.java
index 2d7954d83..1dd325318 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/TmchDnlAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/TmchDnlAction.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package google.registry.tmch;
 
 import static google.registry.request.Action.Method.POST;
 
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.flogger.FluentLogger;
 import google.registry.keyring.api.KeyModule.Key;
 import google.registry.model.tmch.ClaimsList;
@@ -24,7 +25,6 @@ import google.registry.request.Action;
 import google.registry.request.auth.Auth;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import javax.inject.Inject;
 import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPException;
@@ -49,13 +49,14 @@ public final class TmchDnlAction implements Runnable {
   /** Synchronously fetches latest domain name list and saves it to Cloud SQL. */
   @Override
   public void run() {
-    List<String> lines;
+    ClaimsList claims;
     try {
-      lines = marksdb.fetchSignedCsv(marksdbDnlLoginAndPassword, DNL_CSV_PATH, DNL_SIG_PATH);
+      ImmutableList<String> lines =
+          marksdb.fetchSignedCsv(marksdbDnlLoginAndPassword, DNL_CSV_PATH, DNL_SIG_PATH);
+      claims = ClaimsListParser.parse(lines);
     } catch (GeneralSecurityException | IOException | PGPException e) {
       throw new RuntimeException(e);
     }
-    ClaimsList claims = ClaimsListParser.parse(lines);
     ClaimsListDao.save(claims);
     logger.atInfo().log(
         "Inserted %,d claims into the DB(s), created at %s.",
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/TmchSmdrlAction.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/TmchSmdrlAction.java
index 837bf1ad8..ece110366 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/TmchSmdrlAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tmch/TmchSmdrlAction.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package google.registry.tmch;
 
 import static google.registry.request.Action.Method.POST;
 
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.flogger.FluentLogger;
 import google.registry.keyring.api.KeyModule.Key;
 import google.registry.model.smd.SignedMarkRevocationList;
@@ -23,7 +24,6 @@ import google.registry.request.Action;
 import google.registry.request.auth.Auth;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import javax.inject.Inject;
 import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPException;
@@ -48,13 +48,14 @@ public final class TmchSmdrlAction implements Runnable {
   /** Synchronously fetches latest signed mark revocation list and saves it to the database. */
   @Override
   public void run() {
-    List<String> lines;
+    SignedMarkRevocationList smdrl;
     try {
-      lines = marksdb.fetchSignedCsv(marksdbSmdrlLoginAndPassword, SMDRL_CSV_PATH, SMDRL_SIG_PATH);
+      ImmutableList<String> lines =
+          marksdb.fetchSignedCsv(marksdbSmdrlLoginAndPassword, SMDRL_CSV_PATH, SMDRL_SIG_PATH);
+      smdrl = SmdrlCsvParser.parse(lines);
     } catch (GeneralSecurityException | IOException | PGPException e) {
       throw new RuntimeException(e);
     }
-    SignedMarkRevocationList smdrl = SmdrlCsvParser.parse(lines);
     smdrl.save();
     logger.atInfo().log(
         "Inserted %,d smd revocations into the database, created at %s.",
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tmch/SmdrlCsvParserTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tmch/SmdrlCsvParserTest.java
index edad1b6ce..1971352d7 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tmch/SmdrlCsvParserTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tmch/SmdrlCsvParserTest.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class SmdrlCsvParserTest {
   }
 
   @Test
-  void testOneRow() {
+  void testOneRow() throws Exception {
     SignedMarkRevocationList smdrl =
         SmdrlCsvParser.parse(
             ImmutableList.of(
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ class SmdrlCsvParserTest {
   }
 
   @Test
-  void testEmpty() {
+  void testEmpty() throws Exception {
     SignedMarkRevocationList smdrl =
         SmdrlCsvParser.parse(
             ImmutableList.of("1,2014-11-24T23:30:04.3Z", "smd-id,insertion-datetime"));
@@ -128,7 +128,9 @@ class SmdrlCsvParserTest {
                         "1,2013-11-24T23:30:04.3Z",
                         "lol,cat",
                         "0000001681375789102250-65535,2013-08-09T12:00:00.0Z")));
-    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("header");
+    assertThat(thrown)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .isEqualTo("Mapping for smd-id not found, expected one of [lol, cat]");
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -142,6 +144,6 @@ class SmdrlCsvParserTest {
                         "1,2013-11-24T23:30:04.3Z",
                         "smd-id,insertion-datetime",
                         "0000001681375789102250-65535,haha,2013-08-09T12:00:00.0Z")));
-    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("elements");
+    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("Invalid format: \"haha\"");
   }
 }