diff --git a/ampersand-state.js b/ampersand-state.js
index 79a742e..ea9109e 100644
--- a/ampersand-state.js
+++ b/ampersand-state.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ var BBEvents = require('backbone-events-standalone');
 var KeyTree = require('key-tree-store');
 var arrayNext = require('array-next');
 var changeRE = /^change:/;
+var timezoneRE = /Z|[-+]\d\d:\d\d/;
 
 function Base(attrs, options) {
     options || (options = {});
@@ -594,6 +595,11 @@ var dataTypes = {
                         // If the newVal cant be parsed, then try parseInt first
                         dateVal = new Date(parseInt(newVal, 10)).valueOf();
                         if (isNaN(dateVal)) throw TypeError;
+                    } else if (isNaN(Number(newVal)) && !timezoneRE.test(newVal)) {
+                      // Interpret ISO 8601 Date strings that do not specify a
+                      // time zone in the local system time zone, as per ECMAScript 6:
+                      // http://people.mozilla.org/~jorendorff/es6-draft.html#sec-date-time-string-format
+                      dateVal += new Date().getTimezoneOffset() * 60 * 1000;
                     }
                     newVal = dateVal;
                     newType = 'date';
diff --git a/test/full.js b/test/full.js
index e6eaab2..579c155 100644
--- a/test/full.js
+++ b/test/full.js
@@ -1480,9 +1480,13 @@ test("#99 #101 - string dates can be parsed", function(t) {
     t.ok(isDate(model.today));
     t.equal(model.today.toJSON(), isoString, 'date should accept a native date object');
 
+    model.today = 0;
+    t.ok(isDate(model.today));
+    t.equal(model.today.toJSON(), new Date(0).toJSON(), 'date should accept zero');
+
     model.today = '2014-11-13';
     t.ok(isDate(model.today));
-    t.equal(model.today.toJSON(), '2014-11-13T00:00:00.000Z', 'date should accept YYYY-MM-DD');
+    t.equal(model.today.toJSON(), new Date(2014, 10, 13).toJSON(), 'date should accept YYYY-MM-DD');
 
     model.today = '2014-11-13T21:01Z';
     t.ok(isDate(model.today));