diff --git a/src/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateAttribute.php b/src/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateAttribute.php
index 33c6362..068e1a0 100644
--- a/src/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateAttribute.php
+++ b/src/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateAttribute.php
@@ -9,10 +9,6 @@
 // preferred exchange format is FORMAT_ISO8601 ('Y-m-d\TH:i:s.uP')
 class DateAttribute extends TimestampAttribute
 {
-    const OPTION_DEFAULT_HOUR   = DateRule::OPTION_DEFAULT_HOUR;
-    const OPTION_DEFAULT_MINUTE = DateRule::OPTION_DEFAULT_MINUTE;
-    const OPTION_DEFAULT_SECOND = DateRule::OPTION_DEFAULT_SECOND;
-
     const FORMAT_NATIVE = TimestampAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601_SIMPLE;
 
     protected function buildValidationRules()
diff --git a/src/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateValueHolder.php b/src/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateValueHolder.php
index 4b0ffa2..c5ac8a0 100644
--- a/src/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateValueHolder.php
+++ b/src/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateValueHolder.php
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ class DateValueHolder extends TimestampValueHolder
      * returned format MUST be acceptable as a new value on the valueholder
      * to reconstitute it.
      *
+     * This serializes with time information and timezone to allow correct
+     * interpretation when deserializing even though the time itself is not
+     * relevant.
+     *
      * @return mixed value that can be used for serializing/deserializing
      */
     public function toNative()
@@ -26,7 +30,7 @@ public function toNative()
         return $this->getValue()->format(
             $this->getAttribute()->getOption(
                 DateAttribute::OPTION_FORMAT_NATIVE,
-                DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601_SIMPLE
+                DateAttribute::FORMAT_NATIVE
             )
         );
     }
diff --git a/src/Runtime/Validator/Rule/Type/DateRule.php b/src/Runtime/Validator/Rule/Type/DateRule.php
index 43c0a85..3d7e495 100644
--- a/src/Runtime/Validator/Rule/Type/DateRule.php
+++ b/src/Runtime/Validator/Rule/Type/DateRule.php
@@ -2,49 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace Trellis\Runtime\Validator\Rule\Type;
 
-use Trellis\Runtime\Attribute\AttributeInterface;
-use Trellis\Runtime\Entity\EntityInterface;
-
 class DateRule extends TimestampRule
 {
-    const OPTION_DEFAULT_HOUR = 'default_hour';
-    const OPTION_DEFAULT_MINUTE = 'default_minute';
-    const OPTION_DEFAULT_SECOND = 'default_second';
-
     const FORMAT_NATIVE = self::FORMAT_ISO8601_SIMPLE;
-
-    protected function execute($value, EntityInterface $entity = null)
-    {
-        $success = parent::execute($value);
-
-        if (!$success) {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        $null_value = $this->getOption(AttributeInterface::OPTION_NULL_VALUE, null);
-        if ($value === $null_value || $value === '') {
-            // accept empty values as valid when no mandatory handling happens in this rule
-            $this->setSanitizedValue($null_value);
-            return true;
-        }
-
-        $date = $this->getSanitizedValue();
-
-        // forget about microsecond precision
-        $date = $date->createFromFormat(
-            self::FORMAT_ISO8601_SIMPLE,
-            $date->format(self::FORMAT_ISO8601_SIMPLE)
-        );
-
-        // set time to 00:00:00
-        $date = $date->setTime(
-            $this->getOption(self::OPTION_DEFAULT_HOUR, 0),
-            $this->getOption(self::OPTION_DEFAULT_MINUTE, 0),
-            $this->getOption(self::OPTION_DEFAULT_SECOND, 0)
-        );
-
-        $this->setSanitizedValue($date);
-
-        return true;
-    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateAttributeTest.php b/tests/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateAttributeTest.php
index 269e31d..cfb7b97 100644
--- a/tests/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateAttributeTest.php
+++ b/tests/Runtime/Attribute/Date/DateAttributeTest.php
@@ -23,10 +23,34 @@ public function testCreate()
         $this->assertEquals($attribute->getName(), self::ATTR_NAME);
     }
 
+    public function testIssue28()
+    {
+        $previous_tz = date_default_timezone_get();
+        date_default_timezone_set('Europe/Berlin');
+
+        $datetime = '2016-12-10';
+        $attribute = new DateAttribute(self::ATTR_NAME, Mockery::mock(EntityTypeInterface::CLASS));
+        $value = $attribute->createValueHolder();
+        $value->setValue($datetime);
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            '2016-12-09T23:00:00.000000+00:00',
+            $value->getValue()->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601)
+        );
+
+        $date = $value->getValue();
+        $date = $date->setTimezone(new \DateTimeZone('Europe/Berlin'));
+        $this->assertEquals('2016-12-10T00:00:00.000000+01:00', $date->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601));
+        $this->assertEquals('2016-12-10+01:00', $date->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601_DATE));
+        $this->assertEquals('2016-12-10', $date->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601_DATE_SIMPLE));
+
+        date_default_timezone_set($previous_tz);
+    }
+
     public function testCreateValueAcceptsString()
     {
         $datetime = '2014-12-31T13:45:55.123+01:00';
-        $date_in_utc = '2014-12-31T00:00:00.000000+00:00';
+        $date_in_utc = '2014-12-31T12:45:55.123000+00:00';
+        $date_native = '2014-12-31T12:45:55+00:00';
         $attribute = new DateAttribute(self::ATTR_NAME, Mockery::mock(EntityTypeInterface::CLASS));
         $value = $attribute->createValueHolder();
         $this->assertInstanceOf(DateValueHolder::CLASS, $value);
@@ -34,12 +58,13 @@ public function testCreateValueAcceptsString()
         $value->setValue($datetime);
         $this->assertInstanceOf(DateTimeImmutable::CLASS, $value->getValue());
         $this->assertEquals($date_in_utc, $value->getValue()->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601));
+        $this->assertEquals($date_native, $value->getValue()->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_NATIVE));
     }
 
     public function testCreateValueWithDefaultValueAsString()
     {
         $datetime = '2014-12-29+01:00';
-        $datetime_in_utc = '2014-12-28T00:00:00.000000+00:00';
+        $datetime_in_utc = '2014-12-28T23:00:00.000000+00:00';
         $attribute = new DateAttribute(
             self::ATTR_NAME,
             Mockery::mock(EntityTypeInterface::CLASS),
@@ -54,8 +79,8 @@ public function testCreateValueWithDefaultValueAsString()
     public function testCreateValueWithDefaultValueAsStringWithoutDefaultTimezoneForcing()
     {
         $datetime = '2014-12-28T13:45:55.123+01:00';
-        $datetime_in_cet = '2014-12-28T00:00:00.000000+01:00';
-        $datetime_in_utc = '2014-12-28T00:00:00.000000+00:00';
+        $datetime_in_cet = '2014-12-28T13:45:55.123000+01:00';
+        $datetime_in_utc = '2014-12-28T12:45:55.123000+00:00';
         $attribute = new DateAttribute(
             self::ATTR_NAME,
             Mockery::mock(EntityTypeInterface::CLASS),
@@ -164,7 +189,7 @@ public function testMaxConstraint()
     public function testToNative()
     {
         $datetime = '2014-12-28+01:00';
-        $datetime_string = '2014-12-27T00:00:00+00:00';
+        $datetime_string = '2014-12-27T23:00:00+00:00';
         $attribute = new DateAttribute(
             self::ATTR_NAME,
             Mockery::mock(EntityTypeInterface::CLASS),
@@ -200,10 +225,13 @@ public function testToNativeRoundtripWithDefaultValue()
         $this->assertEquals($attribute->getDefaultValue(), $valueholder->getValue());
     }
 
-    public function testToNativeRoundtrip()
+    public function testToNativeRoundtripWithExplicitTimezoneInput()
     {
+        $previous_tz = date_default_timezone_get();
+        date_default_timezone_set('Europe/Berlin');
+
         $date = '2014-12-28+01:00';
-        $date_as_native_string = '2014-12-27T00:00:00+00:00';
+        $date_as_native_string = '2014-12-27T23:00:00+00:00';
 
         $attribute = new DateAttribute(self::ATTR_NAME, Mockery::mock(EntityTypeInterface::CLASS));
         $valueholder = $attribute->createValueHolder();
@@ -220,10 +248,47 @@ public function testToNativeRoundtrip()
         $dt_cet = $valueholder->getValue()->setTimeZone(new DateTimeZone('Europe/Berlin'));
         $valueholder->setValue($dt_cet);
 
-        $this->assertNotEquals($attribute->getNullValue(), $valueholder->getValue());
+        $dtval = $valueholder->getValue();
+        $this->assertNotEquals($attribute->getNullValue(), $dtval);
         $this->assertEquals($date_as_native_string, $valueholder->toNative());
+        $this->assertEquals('2014-12-27T23:00:00.000000+00:00', $dtval->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601));
+        $this->assertEquals('2014-12-27+00:00', $dtval->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601_DATE));
+        $this->assertEquals('2014-12-27', $dtval->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601_DATE_SIMPLE));
+
+        date_default_timezone_set($previous_tz);
     }
 
+    public function testToNativeRoundtrip()
+    {
+        $previous_tz = date_default_timezone_get();
+        date_default_timezone_set('Europe/Berlin');
+
+        $date = '2014-12-28';
+        $date_as_native_string = '2014-12-27T23:00:00+00:00';
+
+        $attribute = new DateAttribute(self::ATTR_NAME, Mockery::mock(EntityTypeInterface::CLASS));
+        $valueholder = $attribute->createValueHolder();
+        $valueholder->setValue($date);
+
+        $this->assertNotEquals($attribute->getNullValue(), $valueholder->getValue());
+        $this->assertEquals($date_as_native_string, $valueholder->toNative());
+
+        $valueholder->setValue($valueholder->toNative());
+
+        $this->assertNotEquals($attribute->getNullValue(), $valueholder->getValue());
+        $this->assertEquals($date_as_native_string, $valueholder->toNative());
+
+        $valueholder->setValue($valueholder->toNative());
+
+        $dtval = $valueholder->getValue();
+        $this->assertNotEquals($attribute->getNullValue(), $dtval);
+        $this->assertEquals('2014-12-27T23:00:00+00:00', $valueholder->toNative());
+        $this->assertEquals('2014-12-27T23:00:00.000000+00:00', $dtval->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601));
+        $this->assertEquals('2014-12-27+00:00', $dtval->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601_DATE));
+        $this->assertEquals('2014-12-27', $dtval->format(DateAttribute::FORMAT_ISO8601_DATE_SIMPLE));
+
+        date_default_timezone_set($previous_tz);
+    }
     public function testToNativeCustomFormat()
     {
         $date = '2014-12-28+01:00';