diff --git a/NOTES b/NOTES
index 88e4c67f9..7473fa60b 100644
--- a/NOTES
+++ b/NOTES
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ implementations were its consequences." --Niklaus Wirth
 *** display mixed amounts vertically, not horizontally
 ** features
 *** flexible date expressions, for easier time reports
-**** use Dates for -b/-e
+**** more formats
+**** periods
 *** commodity @ rate, for tracking client hours in main ledger
 *** actual/effective entry & txn dates, for ?
 *** --display, for reconciling recent transactions with real balance
diff --git a/Options.hs b/Options.hs
index d1f3bb0c1..047e8c2f6 100644
--- a/Options.hs
+++ b/Options.hs
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import System.Console.GetOpt
 import System.Directory
 import Text.Printf
 import Ledger.AccountName (negativepatternchar)
+import Ledger.Parse (smartparsedate)
+import Ledger.Dates
 
 usagehdr    = "Usage: hledger [OPTS] balance|print|register [ACCTPATS] [-- DESCPATS]\n\nOptions"++warning++":"
 warning     = if negativepatternchar=='-' then " (must appear before command)" else " (can appear anywhere)"
@@ -87,24 +89,24 @@ tildeExpand ('~':'/':xs) = getHomeDirectory >>= return . (++ ('/':xs))
 --                                return (homeDirectory pw ++ path)
 tildeExpand xs           =  return xs
 
--- | get the value of the begin date option, or a default
-beginDateFromOpts :: [Opt] -> String
+-- | Get the value of the begin date option, if any.
+beginDateFromOpts :: [Opt] -> Maybe Date
 beginDateFromOpts opts = 
     case beginopts of
-      (x:_) -> last beginopts
-      _      -> defaultdate
+      (x:_) -> Just $ smartparsedate $ last beginopts
+      _     -> Nothing
     where
       beginopts = concatMap getbegindate opts
       getbegindate (Begin s) = [s]
       getbegindate _ = []
       defaultdate = ""
 
--- | get the value of the end date option, or a default
-endDateFromOpts :: [Opt] -> String
+-- | Get the value of the end date option, if any.
+endDateFromOpts :: [Opt] -> Maybe Date
 endDateFromOpts opts = 
     case endopts of
-      (x:_) -> last endopts
-      _      -> defaultdate
+      (x:_) -> Just $ smartparsedate $ last endopts
+      _      -> Nothing
     where
       endopts = concatMap getenddate opts
       getenddate (End s) = [s]
diff --git a/hledger.hs b/hledger.hs
index 020b249f5..ad884eca6 100644
--- a/hledger.hs
+++ b/hledger.hs
@@ -64,9 +64,6 @@ main = do
        | cmd `isPrefixOf` "test"     = runtests args >> return ()
        | otherwise                   = putStr usage
 
-parsemaybedate "" = Nothing
-parsemaybedate s = Just (parsedate s)
-
 -- | parse the user's specified ledger file and do some action with it
 -- (or report a parse error). This function makes the whole thing go.
 parseLedgerAndDo :: [Opt] -> [String] -> ([Opt] -> [String] -> Ledger -> IO ()) -> IO ()
@@ -74,8 +71,8 @@ parseLedgerAndDo opts args cmd =
     ledgerFilePathFromOpts opts >>= parseLedgerFile >>= either printParseError runcmd
     where
       runcmd = cmd opts args . cacheLedger apats . canonicaliseAmounts . filterRawLedger b e dpats c r
-      b = parsemaybedate (beginDateFromOpts opts)
-      e = parsemaybedate (endDateFromOpts opts)
+      b = beginDateFromOpts opts
+      e = endDateFromOpts opts
       (apats,dpats) = parseAccountDescriptionArgs args
       c = Cleared `elem` opts
       r = Real `elem` opts