diff --git a/README.rdoc b/README.rdoc
index 6d504ff..6d303cb 100644
--- a/README.rdoc
+++ b/README.rdoc
@@ -263,6 +263,18 @@ Now you get:
   year of 20 is considered 1920
 
 
+=== DUMMY DATE FOR TIME TYPES
+
+Given that Ruby has no support for a time-only type, all time type columns are evaluated
+as a regular Time class objects with a dummy date value set. Rails defines the dummy date as
+2000-01-01. So a time of '12:30' is evaluated as a Time value of '2000-01-01 12:30'. If you
+need to customize this for some reason you can do so as follows
+
+  ValidatesTimeliness::Formats.dummy_date_for_time_type = [2009, 1, 1]
+
+The value should be an array of 3 values being year, month and day in that order.
+
+
 === TEMPORAL RESTRICTION ERRORS:
 
 When using the validation temporal restrictions there are times when the restriction
diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness/formats.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness/formats.rb
index df84b9f..6f9720c 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness/formats.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness/formats.rb
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
     
 
     # Set the threshold value for a two digit year to be considered last century
+    #
     # Default: 30
     #
     #   Example:
@@ -32,6 +33,14 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
     cattr_accessor :ambiguous_year_threshold
     self.ambiguous_year_threshold = 30
 
+    # Set the dummy date part for a time type value. Should be an array of 3 values
+    # being year, month and day in that order.
+    #
+    # Default: [ 2000, 1, 1 ] same as ActiveRecord
+    # 
+    cattr_accessor :dummy_date_for_time_type
+    self.dummy_date_for_time_type = [ 2000, 1, 1 ]
+
     # Format tokens:   
     #       y = year
     #       m = month
@@ -196,7 +205,11 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
           break(proc) if matches = full.match(string.strip)
         end
         last = options[:include_offset] ? 8 : 7
-        processor.call(*matches[1..last]) if matches
+        if matches
+          values = processor.call(*matches[1..last]) 
+          values[0..2] = dummy_date_for_time_type if type == :time
+          return values
+        end
       end   
       
       # Delete formats of specified type. Error raised if format not found.
diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness/parser.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness/parser.rb
index a640571..16cb7db 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness/parser.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness/parser.rb
@@ -10,22 +10,17 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
         time_array = ValidatesTimeliness::Formats.parse(raw_value, type, options.reverse_merge(:strict => true))
         return nil if time_array.nil?
         
-        if type == :time
-          # Rails dummy time date part is defined as 2000-01-01
-          time_array[0..2] = 2000, 1, 1
-        else
-          # Enforce date part validity which Time class does not
-          return nil unless Date.valid_civil?(*time_array[0..2])
-        end
-        
         if type == :date
-          Date.new(*time_array[0..2]) 
+          Date.new(*time_array[0..2]) rescue nil
         else
           make_time(time_array[0..7])
         end
       end
 
       def make_time(time_array)
+        # Enforce date part validity which Time class does not
+        return nil unless Date.valid_civil?(*time_array[0..2])
+
         if Time.respond_to?(:zone) && ValidatesTimeliness.use_time_zones
           Time.zone.local(*time_array)
         else
diff --git a/spec/formats_spec.rb b/spec/formats_spec.rb
index 580c18b..286f244 100644
--- a/spec/formats_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/formats_spec.rb
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/spec_helper')
 
 describe ValidatesTimeliness::Formats do
-  attr_reader :formats
-  
-  before do
-   @formats = ValidatesTimeliness::Formats
-  end
  
   describe "format proc generator" do
     it "should generate proc which outputs date array with values in correct order" do
@@ -104,7 +99,7 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::Formats do
     
     it "should return time array from date string" do
       time_array = formats.parse('12:13:14', :time, :strict => true)
-      time_array.should == [0,0,0,12,13,14,0]
+      time_array.should == [2000,1,1,12,13,14,0]
     end
     
     it "should return date array from time string" do
@@ -134,7 +129,7 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::Formats do
     
     it "should ignore date when extracting time and strict is false" do
       time_array = formats.parse('2000-02-01 12:13', :time, :strict => false)
-      time_array.should == [0,0,0,12,13,0,0]
+      time_array.should == [2000,1,1,12,13,0,0]
     end
 
     it "should return zone offset when :include_offset options is true" do
@@ -177,6 +172,22 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::Formats do
     end
   end
 
+  describe "parse with custom dummy date values" do
+    before(:all) do
+      @old_dummy_date = formats.dummy_date_for_time_type
+      formats.dummy_date_for_time_type = [2009,1,1]
+    end
+
+    it "should return time array with custom dummy date" do
+      time_array = formats.parse('12:13:14', :time, :strict => true)
+      time_array.should == [2009,1,1,12,13,14,0]
+    end
+
+    after(:all) do
+      formats.dummy_date_for_time_type = @old_dummy_date
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "removing formats" do
     it "should remove format from format array" do      
       formats.remove_formats(:time, 'h.nn_ampm')
@@ -219,7 +230,7 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::Formats do
       formats.add_formats(:time, "ss:hh:nn", :before => 'hh:nn:ss')
       validate("59:23:58", :time).should be_true
       time_array = formats.parse('59:23:58', :time)
-      time_array.should == [0,0,0,23,58,59,0]
+      time_array.should == [2000,1,1,23,58,59,0]
     end
 
     it "should raise error if format exists" do
@@ -251,6 +262,11 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::Formats do
     end
   end
  
+  
+  def formats
+    ValidatesTimeliness::Formats
+  end
+
   def validate(time_string, type)
     valid = false
     formats.send("#{type}_expressions").each do |format, regexp, processor|