diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness/formats.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness/formats.rb
index 1e3f3ba..69a830f 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness/formats.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness/formats.rb
@@ -161,12 +161,13 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
       # pre or post match strings to exist if strict is false. Otherwise wrap
       # regexp in start and end anchors.
       # Returns 7 part time array.
-      def parse(string, type, strict=true)
+      def parse(string, type, options={})
         return string unless string.is_a?(String)
+        options.reverse_merge!(:strict => true)
 
         matches = nil
         exp, processor = expression_set(type, string).find do |regexp, proc|
-          full = /\A#{regexp}\Z/ if strict
+          full = /\A#{regexp}\Z/ if options[:strict]
           full ||= case type
           when :date     then /\A#{regexp}/
           when :time     then /#{regexp}\Z/
diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness/parser.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness/parser.rb
index 2f50f3e..90b47c5 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness/parser.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness/parser.rb
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
 
     class << self
 
-      def parse(raw_value, type, strict=true)
+      def parse(raw_value, type, options={})
         return nil if raw_value.blank?
         return raw_value if raw_value.acts_like?(:time) || raw_value.is_a?(Date)
         
-        time_array = ValidatesTimeliness::Formats.parse(raw_value, type, strict)
+        options.reverse_merge!(:strict => true)
+
+        time_array = ValidatesTimeliness::Formats.parse(raw_value, type, options)
         raise if time_array.nil?
         
         # Rails dummy time date part is defined as 2000-01-01
diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness/validator.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness/validator.rb
index 5b5d36a..2f2badd 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness/validator.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness/validator.rb
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
     end
       
     def call(record, attr_name, value)
-      value     = ValidatesTimeliness::Parser.parse(value, type, false) if value.is_a?(String)
+      value     = ValidatesTimeliness::Parser.parse(value, type, :strict => false) if value.is_a?(String)
       raw_value = raw_value(record, attr_name) || value
 
       return if (raw_value.nil? && configuration[:allow_nil]) || (raw_value.blank? && configuration[:allow_blank])
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
         when Range
           evaluate_option_value([value.first, value.last], type, record)
         else
-          ValidatesTimeliness::Parser.parse(value, type, false)
+          ValidatesTimeliness::Parser.parse(value, type, :strict => false)
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/spec/formats_spec.rb b/spec/formats_spec.rb
index a166a76..3e71da6 100644
--- a/spec/formats_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/formats_spec.rb
@@ -139,37 +139,37 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::Formats do
   describe "extracting values" do
     
     it "should return time array from date string" do
-      time_array = formats.parse('12:13:14', :time, true)
+      time_array = formats.parse('12:13:14', :time, :strict => true)
       time_array.should == [0,0,0,12,13,14,0]
     end
     
     it "should return date array from time string" do
-      time_array = formats.parse('2000-02-01', :date, true)
+      time_array = formats.parse('2000-02-01', :date, :strict => true)
       time_array.should == [2000,2,1,0,0,0,0]
     end
     
     it "should return datetime array from string value" do
-      time_array = formats.parse('2000-02-01 12:13:14', :datetime, true)
+      time_array = formats.parse('2000-02-01 12:13:14', :datetime, :strict => true)
       time_array.should == [2000,2,1,12,13,14,0]
     end
     
     it "should parse date string when type is datetime" do
-      time_array = formats.parse('2000-02-01', :datetime, false)
+      time_array = formats.parse('2000-02-01', :datetime, :strict => false)
       time_array.should == [2000,2,1,0,0,0,0]
     end
 
     it "should ignore time when extracting date and strict is false" do
-      time_array = formats.parse('2000-02-01 12:12', :date, false)
+      time_array = formats.parse('2000-02-01 12:12', :date, :strict => false)
       time_array.should == [2000,2,1,0,0,0,0]
     end
 
     it "should ignore time when extracting date from format with trailing year and strict is false" do
-      time_array = formats.parse('01-02-2000 12:12', :date, false)
+      time_array = formats.parse('01-02-2000 12:12', :date, :strict => false)
       time_array.should == [2000,2,1,0,0,0,0]
     end
     
     it "should ignore date when extracting time and strict is false" do
-      time_array = formats.parse('2000-02-01 12:12', :time, false)
+      time_array = formats.parse('2000-02-01 12:12', :time, :strict => false)
       time_array.should == [0,0,0,12,12,0,0]
     end
   end