diff --git a/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb b/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb
index 089c1797..bd8eb08e 100644
--- a/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb
@@ -78,8 +78,9 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   end
     
   def parse_date_per_user_prefs( s )
-    return nil if s == ''
-    Chronic.parse(s).to_date
+    return nil if s.blank?
+    Date.strptime(s, @user.preference.date_format)  
+    #Chronic.parse(s).to_date
   end
     
   def init_data_for_sidebar
diff --git a/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb b/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb
index a6cd93d6..86f04bd1 100644
--- a/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb
@@ -175,11 +175,17 @@ class TodoController < ApplicationController
       end
       params["item"]["context_id"] = context.id
     end
+    
     if params["item"].has_key?("due")
       params["item"]["due"] = parse_date_per_user_prefs(params["item"]["due"])
     else
       params["item"]["due"] = ""
     end
+    
+    if params['item']['show_from']
+      params['item']['show_from'] = parse_date_per_user_prefs(params['item']['show_from'])
+    end
+    
     @saved = @item.update_attributes params["item"]
     @context_changed = @original_item_context_id != @item.context_id
     if @context_changed then @remaining_undone_in_context = @user.contexts.find(@original_item_context_id).not_done_todos.length; end
diff --git a/tracks/app/models/todo.rb b/tracks/app/models/todo.rb
index 7d3f5ade..2f9fd629 100644
--- a/tracks/app/models/todo.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/models/todo.rb
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class Todo < ActiveRecord::Base
   validates_presence_of :context
   
   def validate
-    if deferred? && show_from != nil && show_from < Date.today()
+    if deferred? && !show_from.blank? && show_from < Date.today()
       errors.add("Show From", "must be a date in the future.")
     end
   end
diff --git a/tracks/app/views/todo/_item.rhtml b/tracks/app/views/todo/_item.rhtml
index 8d9ca70f..410d2451 100644
--- a/tracks/app/views/todo/_item.rhtml
+++ b/tracks/app/views/todo/_item.rhtml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
       <%= sanitize(item.description) %>
 
       <% if item.deferred? && item.due -%>
-        (action due on <%= item.due.to_s %>)
+        (action due on <%= format_date(item.due) %>)
       <% end -%>
 
       <% if item.completed? -%>