diff --git a/src/urlMatcherFactory.js b/src/urlMatcherFactory.js
index b22cf6b41..4dc9db43f 100644
--- a/src/urlMatcherFactory.js
+++ b/src/urlMatcherFactory.js
@@ -327,7 +327,23 @@ function $UrlMatcherFactory() {
       pattern: /0|1/
     },
     string: {
-      pattern: /.*/
+      pattern: /[^\/]*/
+    },
+    date: {
+      equals: function (a, b) {
+        return a.toISOString() === b.toISOString();
+      },
+      decode: function (val) {
+        return new Date(val);
+      },
+      encode: function (val) {
+        return [
+          val.getFullYear(),
+          ('0' + (val.getMonth() + 1)).slice(-2),
+          ('0' + val.getDate()).slice(-2)
+        ].join("-");
+      },
+      pattern: /[0-9]{4}-(?:0[1-9]|1[0-2])-(?:0[1-9]|[1-2][0-9]|3[0-1])/
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/test/urlMatcherFactorySpec.js b/test/urlMatcherFactorySpec.js
index d70fc86c4..fdec89661 100644
--- a/test/urlMatcherFactorySpec.js
+++ b/test/urlMatcherFactorySpec.js
@@ -187,5 +187,14 @@ describe("urlMatcherFactory", function () {
       expect(m.exec("/1138/1")).toEqual({ foo: 1138, flag: true });
       expect(m.format({ foo: 5, flag: true })).toBe("/5/1");
     });
+
+    it("should encode/decode dates", function () {
+      var m = new UrlMatcher("/calendar/{date:date}"),
+          result = m.exec("/calendar/2014-03-26");
+
+      expect(result.date instanceof Date).toBe(true);
+      expect(result.date.toUTCString()).toEqual('Wed, 26 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT');
+      expect(m.format({ date: new Date(2014, 2, 26) })).toBe("/calendar/2014-03-26");
+    });
   });
 });