diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 0485886..bf82538 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 [2008-08-22]
-  - fixed bug with attribute cache not clearing on write for date and time columns
+  - fixed bug with attribute cache not clearing on write for date and time columns [reported by Sylvestre Mergulhão]
+  - return Date object for date column attribute reader when assigned string as per normal Rails behaviour
+  - attribute reader returns same object type when assigned Date or Time object as per normal Rails behaviour
   
 [2008-08-07]
   - modified matcher option value parsing to allow same value types as validation method
diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness/validations.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness/validations.rb
index 88e6407..b09fea3 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness/validations.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness/validations.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
       
       def parse_date_time(raw_value, type, strict=true)
         return nil if raw_value.blank?
-        return raw_value.to_time if raw_value.acts_like?(:time) || raw_value.is_a?(Date)
+        return raw_value if raw_value.acts_like?(:time) || raw_value.is_a?(Date)
         
         time_array = ValidatesTimeliness::Formats.parse(raw_value, type, strict)
         raise if time_array.nil?
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
         time_array[0..2] = 2000, 1, 1 if type == :time
   
         # Date.new enforces days per month, unlike Time
-        Date.new(*time_array[0..2]) unless type == :time
+        date = Date.new(*time_array[0..2]) unless type == :time
+        
+        return date if type == :date
         
         # Create time object which checks time part, and return time object
         make_time(time_array)
diff --git a/spec/attribute_methods_spec.rb b/spec/attribute_methods_spec.rb
index 2efc579..55519b8 100644
--- a/spec/attribute_methods_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/attribute_methods_spec.rb
@@ -34,11 +34,26 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::AttributeMethods do
     @person.birth_date_and_time_before_type_cast.should be_kind_of(Time)
   end
 
-  it "should return Time object using attribute read method when written with string" do
+  it "should return Time object for datetime attribute read method when assigned Time object" do
+    @person.birth_date_and_time = Time.now
+    @person.birth_date_and_time.should be_kind_of(Time)
+  end
+
+  it "should return Time object for datetime attribute read method when assigned string" do
     @person.birth_date_and_time = "2000-01-01 02:03:04"
     @person.birth_date_and_time.should be_kind_of(Time)
   end    
  
+  it "should return Date object for date attribute read method when assigned Date object" do
+    @person.birth_date = Date.today
+    @person.birth_date.should be_kind_of(Date)
+  end  
+ 
+  it "should return Date object for date attribute read method when assigned string" do
+    @person.birth_date = '2000-01-01'
+    @person.birth_date.should be_kind_of(Date)
+  end 
+ 
   it "should return nil when time is invalid" do
     @person.birth_date_and_time = "2000-01-32 02:03:04"
     @person.birth_date_and_time.should be_nil