diff --git a/src/lib/dates.js b/src/lib/dates.js
index 67828b32837..1027a797928 100644
--- a/src/lib/dates.js
+++ b/src/lib/dates.js
@@ -345,7 +345,9 @@ function includeTime(dateStr, h, m, s, msec10) {
 // a Date object or milliseconds
 // optional dflt is the return value if cleaning fails
 exports.cleanDate = function(v, dflt, calendar) {
-    if(exports.isJSDate(v) || typeof v === 'number') {
+    // let us use cleanDate to provide a missing default without an error
+    if(v === BADNUM) return dflt;
+    if(exports.isJSDate(v) || (typeof v === 'number' && isFinite(v))) {
         // do not allow milliseconds (old) or jsdate objects (inherently
         // described as gregorian dates) with world calendars
         if(isWorldCalendar(calendar)) {
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/lib_date_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/lib_date_test.js
index 2a0971afd7b..6bccb8a9865 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/lib_date_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/lib_date_test.js
@@ -391,20 +391,22 @@ describe('dates', function() {
                 errors.push(msg);
             });
 
-            [
+            var cases = [
                 new Date(-20000, 0, 1),
                 new Date(20000, 0, 1),
                 new Date('fail'),
                 undefined, null, NaN,
                 [], {}, [0], {1: 2}, '',
                 '2001-02-29'  // not a leap year
-            ].forEach(function(v) {
+            ];
+            cases.forEach(function(v) {
                 expect(Lib.cleanDate(v)).toBeUndefined();
                 if(!isNumeric(+v)) expect(Lib.cleanDate(+v)).toBeUndefined();
                 expect(Lib.cleanDate(v, '2000-01-01')).toBe('2000-01-01');
             });
 
-            expect(errors.length).toBe(16);
+            // two errors for each case except `undefined`
+            expect(errors.length).toBe(2 * (cases.length - 1));
         });
 
         it('should not alter valid date strings, even to truncate them', function() {