diff --git a/lib/model-builder.js b/lib/model-builder.js
index 218dad7c..7ce0ec45 100644
--- a/lib/model-builder.js
+++ b/lib/model-builder.js
@@ -426,6 +426,7 @@ ModelBuilder.prototype.define = function defineClass(className, properties, sett
       var requiredOptions = typeof prop.required === 'object' ? prop.required : undefined;
       ModelClass.validatesPresenceOf(propertyName, requiredOptions);
     }
+    if (DataType === Date) ModelClass.validatesDateOf(propertyName);
 
     Object.defineProperty(ModelClass.prototype, propertyName, {
       get: function() {
@@ -526,10 +527,8 @@ ModelBuilder.prototype.define = function defineClass(className, properties, sett
 
 // DataType for Date
 function DateType(arg) {
+  if (arg === null) return null;
   var d = new Date(arg);
-  if (isNaN(d.getTime())) {
-    throw new Error(g.f('Invalid date: %s', arg));
-  }
   return d;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/validations.js b/lib/validations.js
index 97a822ab..7c8ed722 100644
--- a/lib/validations.js
+++ b/lib/validations.js
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ Validatable.validateAsync = getConfigurator('custom', {async: true});
  */
 Validatable.validatesUniquenessOf = getConfigurator('uniqueness', {async: true});
 
+Validatable.validatesDateOf = getConfigurator('date');
 // implementation of validators
 
 /*!
@@ -383,6 +384,16 @@ function validateUniqueness(attr, conf, err, options, done) {
   }.bind(this));
 }
 
+/*!
+ * Date validator
+ */
+function validateDate(attr, conf, err) {
+  if (this[attr] === null || this[attr] === undefined) return;
+
+  var date = new Date(this[attr]);
+  if (isNaN(date.getTime())) return err();
+}
+
 var validators = {
   presence: validatePresence,
   absence: validateAbsence,
@@ -393,6 +404,7 @@ var validators = {
   format: validateFormat,
   custom: validateCustom,
   uniqueness: validateUniqueness,
+  date: validateDate,
 };
 
 function getConfigurator(name, opts) {
@@ -631,6 +643,7 @@ var defaultMessages = {
   inclusion: 'is not included in the list',
   exclusion: 'is reserved',
   uniqueness: 'is not unique',
+  date: 'is not a valid date',
 };
 
 /**
@@ -841,7 +854,7 @@ function formatPropertyError(propertyName, propertyValue, errorMessage) {
   if (valueType === 'string') {
     formattedValue = JSON.stringify(truncatePropertyString(propertyValue));
   } else if (propertyValue instanceof Date) {
-    formattedValue = propertyValue.toISOString();
+    formattedValue = isNaN(propertyValue.getTime()) ? propertyValue.toString() : propertyValue.toISOString();
   } else if (valueType === 'object') {
     // objects and arrays
     formattedValue = util.inspect(propertyValue, {
diff --git a/test/datatype.test.js b/test/datatype.test.js
index 634a16c0..0ea48d60 100644
--- a/test/datatype.test.js
+++ b/test/datatype.test.js
@@ -54,17 +54,6 @@ describe('datatypes', function() {
       done();
     });
 
-  it('throws an error when property of type Date is set to an invalid value',
-    function() {
-      var myModel = db.define('myModel', {
-        date: {type: Date},
-      });
-
-      (function() {
-        myModel.create({date: 'invalid'});
-      }).should.throw({message: 'Invalid date: invalid'});
-    });
-
   it('should keep types when get read data from db', function(done) {
     var d = new Date, id;
 
diff --git a/test/manipulation.test.js b/test/manipulation.test.js
index e55a3cdf..4f12776d 100644
--- a/test/manipulation.test.js
+++ b/test/manipulation.test.js
@@ -687,15 +687,6 @@ describe('manipulation', function() {
         });
       });
 
-    it('should fail if field validation fails', function(done) {
-      person.updateAttributes({'name': 'John', dob: 'notadate'},
-      function(err, p) {
-        should.exist(err);
-        err.message.should.equal('Invalid date: notadate');
-        done();
-      });
-    });
-
     it('has an alias "patchAttributes"', function(done) {
       person.updateAttributes.should.equal(person.patchAttributes);
       done();
@@ -2085,12 +2076,9 @@ describe('manipulation', function() {
       p1 = new Person({name: 'John', dob: undefined});
       p1.should.have.property('dob', undefined);
 
-      try {
-        p1 = new Person({name: 'John', dob: 'X'});
-        throw new Error('new Person() should have thrown');
-      } catch (e) {
-        e.should.be.eql(new Error('Invalid date: X'));
-      }
+      p1 = new Person({name: 'John', dob: 'X'});
+      p1.should.have.property('dob');
+      p1.dob.toString().should.be.eql('Invalid Date');
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/test/validations.test.js b/test/validations.test.js
index d2494fcc..f551ac1e 100644
--- a/test/validations.test.js
+++ b/test/validations.test.js
@@ -823,4 +823,78 @@ describe('validations', function() {
       return err.message.replace(/^.*Details: /, '');
     }
   });
+  describe('date', function() {
+    it('should validate a date object', function() {
+      User.validatesDateOf('updatedAt');
+      var u = new User({updatedAt: new Date()});
+      u.isValid().should.be.true;
+    });
+
+    it('should validate a date string', function() {
+      User.validatesDateOf('updatedAt');
+      var u = new User({updatedAt: '2000-01-01'});
+      u.isValid().should.be.true;
+    });
+
+    it('should validate a null date', function() {
+      User.validatesDateOf('updatedAt');
+      var u = new User({updatedAt: null});
+      u.isValid().should.be.true;
+    });
+
+    it('should validate an undefined date', function() {
+      User.validatesDateOf('updatedAt');
+      var u = new User({updatedAt: undefined});
+      u.isValid().should.be.true;
+    });
+
+    it('should validate an invalid date string', function() {
+      User.validatesDateOf('updatedAt');
+      var u = new User({updatedAt: 'invalid date string'});
+      u.isValid().should.not.be.true;
+      u.errors.should.eql({
+        updatedAt: ['is not a valid date'],
+        codes: {
+          updatedAt: ['date'],
+        },
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should attach validation by default to all date properties', function() {
+      var AnotherUser = db.define('User', {
+        email: String,
+        name: String,
+        password: String,
+        state: String,
+        age: Number,
+        gender: String,
+        domain: String,
+        pendingPeriod: Number,
+        createdByAdmin: Boolean,
+        createdByScript: Boolean,
+        updatedAt: Date,
+      });
+      var u = new AnotherUser({updatedAt: 'invalid date string'});
+      u.isValid().should.not.be.true;
+      u.errors.should.eql({
+        updatedAt: ['is not a valid date'],
+        codes: {
+          updatedAt: ['date'],
+        },
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should overwrite default blank message with custom format message', function() {
+      var CUSTOM_MESSAGE = 'custom validation message';
+      User.validatesDateOf('updatedAt', {message: CUSTOM_MESSAGE});
+      var u = new User({updatedAt: 'invalid date string'});
+      u.isValid().should.not.be.true;
+      u.errors.should.eql({
+        updatedAt: [CUSTOM_MESSAGE],
+        codes: {
+          updatedAt: ['date'],
+        },
+      });
+    });
+  });
 });