diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 98334df4c..b1081131c 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-language: go
-go:
-  - 1.1
+language: go
+go:
+  - 1.1
diff --git a/hugolib/helpers.go b/hugolib/helpers.go
index 6bda4e3e3..b2eb39673 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 +64,34 @@ 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,
+		"2006-01-02 15:04:05Z07:00",
+		"02 Jan 06 15:04 MST",
+		"2006-01-02",
+		"02 Jan 2006",
+	}); 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_time_integration_test.go b/hugolib/page_time_integration_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3053bea20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hugolib/page_time_integration_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+package hugolib
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+var PAGE_WITH_INVALID_DATE = `---
+date: 2010-05-02_15:29:31+08:00
+---
+Page With Invalid Date (replace T with _ for RFC 3339)`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC3339 = `---
+date: 2010-05-02T15:29:31+08:00
+---
+Page With Date RFC3339`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC3339_NO_T = `---
+date: 2010-05-02 15:29:31+08:00
+---
+Page With Date RFC3339_NO_T`
+
+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`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_HugoYearNumeric = `---
+date: 2010-05-02
+---
+Page With Date HugoYearNumeric`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_HugoYear = `---
+date: 02 May 2010
+---
+Page With Date HugoYear`
+
+var PAGE_WITH_DATE_HugoLong = `---
+date: 02 May 2010 15:29 PST
+---
+Page With Date HugoLong`
+
+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) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		buf string
+		dt  string
+	}{
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC3339, "2010-05-02T15:29:31+08:00"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC3339_NO_T, "2010-05-02T15:29:31+08:00"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC1123Z, "2010-05-02T15:29:31+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_RubyDate, "2010-05-02T15:29:31+08:00"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_HugoYearNumeric, "2010-05-02T00:00:00Z"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_HugoYear, "2010-05-02T00:00:00Z"},
+	}
+
+	tzShortCodeTests := []struct {
+		buf string
+		dt  string
+	}{
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC1123, "2010-05-02T15:29:31-08:00"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_RFC822, "2010-05-02T15:29:00-08:00Z"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_UnixDate, "2010-05-02T15:29:31-08:00"},
+		{PAGE_WITH_DATE_HugoLong, "2010-05-02T15:21:00+08:00"},
+	}
+
+	if _, err := time.LoadLocation("PST"); err == nil {
+		tests = append(tests, tzShortCodeTests...)
+	} else {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Skipping shortname timezone tests.\n")
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		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\nExpecting: %s\n      Got: %s. Diff: %s\n internal: %#v\n           %#v", test.buf, dt, p.Date, dt.Sub(p.Date), dt, p.Date)
+		}
+	}
+}