diff --git a/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb b/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb
index cde82533..fec00457 100644
--- a/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb
@@ -16,4 +16,13 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   helper :application
   include LoginSystem
   
+  
+  # Convert a date entered in the format in settings.yml
+  # to database-compatible YYYY-MM-DD format
+  def date_to_YMD(date)
+    date_fmt = app_configurations["formats"]["date"]
+    formatted_date = DateTime.strptime(date, "#{date_fmt}")
+    formatted_date.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
+  end
+  
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tracks/app/controllers/context_controller.rb b/tracks/app/controllers/context_controller.rb
index 97289d30..56e6cc0d 100644
--- a/tracks/app/controllers/context_controller.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/controllers/context_controller.rb
@@ -55,16 +55,6 @@ class ContextController < ApplicationController
 		item = Todo.new
 		item.attributes = @params["new_item"]
 		
-		# Convert the date format entered (as set in config/settings.yml)
-		# to the mysql format YYYY-MM-DD
-		if @params["new_item"]["due"] != ""
-		  date_fmt = app_configurations["formats"]["date"]
-  		formatted_date = DateTime.strptime(@params["new_item"]["due"], "#{date_fmt}")
-  		item.due = formatted_date.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
-  	else
-  	  item.due = "0000-00-00"
-		end
-		
 		back_to = item.context_id
    
      if item.save
diff --git a/tracks/app/controllers/project_controller.rb b/tracks/app/controllers/project_controller.rb
index 5e058157..b38911e3 100644
--- a/tracks/app/controllers/project_controller.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/controllers/project_controller.rb
@@ -54,16 +54,6 @@ class ProjectController < ApplicationController
 		item = Todo.new
 		item.attributes = @params["new_item"]
 		
-		# Convert the date format entered (as set in config/settings.yml)
-		# to the mysql format YYYY-MM-DD
-		if @params["new_item"]["due"] != ""
-		  date_fmt = app_configurations["formats"]["date"]
-  		formatted_date = DateTime.strptime(@params["new_item"]["due"], "#{date_fmt}")
-  		item.due = formatted_date.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
-  	else
-  	  item.due = "0000-00-00"
-		end
-		
 		back_to = item.project_id
    
      if item.save
diff --git a/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb b/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb
index c9854c2e..7a9b98b2 100644
--- a/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb
@@ -36,16 +36,6 @@ class TodoController < ApplicationController
     @item = Todo.new
 		@item.attributes = @params["item"]
 		
-		# Convert the date format entered (as set in config/settings.yml)
-		# to the mysql format YYYY-MM-DD
-		if @params["item"]["due"] != ""
-		  date_fmt = app_configurations["formats"]["date"]
-  		formatted_date = DateTime.strptime(@params["item"]["due"], "#{date_fmt}")
-  		@item.due = formatted_date.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
-  	else
-  	  @item.due = "0000-00-00"
-		end
-		
 	  if @item.save
 		  flash["confirmation"] = "Next action was successfully added"
 			redirect_to( :action => "list" )
diff --git a/tracks/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/tracks/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 689810bd..b350c528 100644
--- a/tracks/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
 # The methods added to this helper will be available to all templates in the application.
 module ApplicationHelper
   
+  # Convert a date object to the format specified
+	# in config/settings.yml
+	#
   def format_date(date)
-	  # Convert a date object to the format specified
-	  # in config/settings.yml
-		#
 		date_fmt = app_configurations["formats"]["date"]
 		formatted_date = date.strftime("#{date_fmt}")
 	end
 
-
 	# Uses RedCloth to transform text using either Textile or Markdown
 	# Need to require redcloth above
 	# RedCloth 3.0 or greater is needed to use Markdown, otherwise it only handles Textile
diff --git a/tracks/app/views/context/show.rhtml b/tracks/app/views/context/show.rhtml
index 1a8512eb..d3d5f6cc 100644
--- a/tracks/app/views/context/show.rhtml
+++ b/tracks/app/views/context/show.rhtml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 		  <%= options_from_collection_for_select(@projects, "id", "name" ) %>
 		  </select><br />
   		<label for="new_item_due">Due</label><br />
-  		<%= text_field( "new_item", "due", {"size" => 10, "maxlength" => 10} ) %>
+  		<%= date_select( "new_item", "due", :include_blank => true ) %>
   		<br />
   	  <input type="submit" value="Add item">
 	  </form>
diff --git a/tracks/app/views/project/show.rhtml b/tracks/app/views/project/show.rhtml
index 3dd1c70b..146c58be 100644
--- a/tracks/app/views/project/show.rhtml
+++ b/tracks/app/views/project/show.rhtml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
   		</select>
   		<br />
   		<label for="new_item_due">Due</label><br />
-  		<%= text_field( "new_item", "due", {"size" => 10, "maxlength" => 10} ) %>
+  		<%= date_select( "new_item", "due", :include_blank => true ) %>
   		<br />
   	  <input type="submit" value="Add item">
 	  </form>
diff --git a/tracks/app/views/todo/_item.rhtml b/tracks/app/views/todo/_item.rhtml
index 2450abfa..bd12a8b9 100644
--- a/tracks/app/views/todo/_item.rhtml
+++ b/tracks/app/views/todo/_item.rhtml
@@ -36,5 +36,5 @@
 		</select>
 <br />
 <label for="item_due">Due</label><br />
-<%= text_field( "item", "due", {"size" => 10, "maxlength" => 10} ) %>
+<%= date_select( "item", "due", :include_blank => true ) %>
 <br />