diff --git a/hugolib/helpers.go b/hugolib/helpers.go
index 6bda4e3e3..0bf0fa32a 100644
--- a/hugolib/helpers.go
+++ b/hugolib/helpers.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ package hugolib
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/kr/pretty"
 	"html/template"
@@ -63,18 +64,30 @@ func Error(str string, a ...interface{}) {
 
 func interfaceToStringToDate(i interface{}) time.Time {
 	s := interfaceToString(i)
-	d, e := time.Parse("02 Jan 06 15:04 MST", s)
 
-	if e != nil {
-		d, e = time.Parse("2006-01-02", s)
+	if d, e := parseDateWith(s, []string{
+		time.RFC3339,
+		time.RFC1123Z,
+		time.RFC1123,
+		time.RFC822Z,
+		time.RFC822,
+		time.ANSIC,
+		time.UnixDate,
+		time.RubyDate,
+	}); e == nil {
+		return d
 	}
 
-	if e != nil {
-		d, e = time.Parse("02 Jan 06", s)
+	return time.Unix(0, 0)
+}
+
+func parseDateWith(s string, dates []string) (d time.Time, e error) {
+	for _, dateType := range dates {
+		if d, e = time.Parse(dateType, s); e == nil {
+			return
+		}
 	}
-
-	return d
-
+	return d, errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("Unable to parse date: %s", s))
 }
 
 func interfaceToBool(i interface{}) bool {
diff --git a/hugolib/page_test.go b/hugolib/page_test.go
index 363ee1941..bac3a95e6 100644
--- a/hugolib/page_test.go
+++ b/hugolib/page_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var EMPTY_PAGE = ""
@@ -69,6 +70,51 @@ var SIMPLE_PAGE_JSON_COMPACT = `
 Text
 `
 
+var PAGE_WITH_INVALID_DATE = `---
+date: 2010-05-02 15:29:31+08:00
+---
+Page With Invalid Date (missing the T for RFC 3339)`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC3339 = `---
+date: 2010-05-02T15:29:31+08:00
+---
+Page With Date RFC3339`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC1123 = `---
+date: Sun, 02 May 2010 15:29:31 PST
+---
+Page With Date RFC1123`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC1123Z = `---
+date: Sun, 02 May 2010 15:29:31 +0800
+---
+Page With Date RFC1123Z`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC822 = `---
+date: 02 May 10 15:29 PST
+---
+Page With Date RFC822`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC822Z = `---
+date: 02 May 10 15:29 +0800
+---
+Page With Date RFC822Z`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_ANSIC = `---
+date: Sun May 2 15:29:31 2010
+---
+Page With Date ANSIC`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_UnixDate = `---
+date: Sun May 2 15:29:31 PST 2010
+---
+Page With Date UnixDate`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_RubyDate = `---
+date: Sun May 02 15:29:31 +0800 2010
+---
+Page With Date RubyDate`
+
 func checkError(t *testing.T, err error, expected string) {
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err is nil")
@@ -169,3 +215,39 @@ func TestDegenerateInvalidFrontMatterLeadingWhitespace(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Unable to parse front matter given leading whitespace: %s", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestDegenerateDateFrontMatter(t *testing.T) {
+	p, _ := ReadFrom(strings.NewReader(PAGE_WITH_INVALID_DATE), "page/with/invalid/date")
+	if p.Date != time.Unix(0, 0) {
+		t.Fatalf("Date should be set to computer epoch.  Got: %s", p.Date)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParsingDateInFrontMatter(t *testing.T) {
+
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		buf string
+		dt  string
+	}{
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC3339, "2010-05-02T15:29:31+08:00"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC1123, "2010-05-02T15:29:31-08:00"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC1123Z, "2010-05-02T15:29:31+08:00"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC822, "2010-05-02T15:29:00-08:00"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC822Z, "2010-05-02T15:29:00+08:00"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_ANSIC, "2010-05-02T15:29:31Z"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_UnixDate, "2010-05-02T15:29:31-08:00"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_RubyDate, "2010-05-02T15:29:31+08:00"},
+	} {
+		dt, e := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, test.dt)
+		if e != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Unable to parse date time (RFC3339) for running the test: %s", e)
+		}
+		p, err := ReadFrom(strings.NewReader(test.buf), "page/with/date")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Expected to be able to parse page.")
+		}
+		if !dt.Equal(p.Date) {
+			t.Errorf("Date does not equal frontmatter:\n%s\nGot: %s. Diff: %s", test.buf, p.Date, dt.Sub(p.Date))
+		}
+	}
+}