diff --git a/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb b/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb
index 5454540d..a7f494bf 100644
--- a/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/controllers/application.rb
@@ -71,7 +71,11 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   def get_admin_user
     @admin = User.find(:first, :conditions => [ "is_admin = ?", true ])
   end
-  
+    
+  def parse_date_per_user_prefs( s )
+    Date.strptime(s, @user.preferences["date_format"]) 
+  end
+    
   def init_data_for_sidebar
     @projects = @user.projects
     @contexts = @user.contexts
diff --git a/tracks/app/controllers/context_controller.rb b/tracks/app/controllers/context_controller.rb
index 03099719..9838d10d 100644
--- a/tracks/app/controllers/context_controller.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/controllers/context_controller.rb
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class ContextController < ApplicationController
     @item.attributes = params["todo"]
 
     if @item.due?
-      @item.due = Date.strptime(params["todo"]["due"], @user.preferences["date_format"])
+      @item.due = parse_date_per_user_prefs(params["todo"]["due"])
     else
       @item.due = ""
     end
diff --git a/tracks/app/controllers/deferred_controller.rb b/tracks/app/controllers/deferred_controller.rb
index b1822728..45ef18ee 100644
--- a/tracks/app/controllers/deferred_controller.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/controllers/deferred_controller.rb
@@ -19,11 +19,16 @@ class DeferredController < ApplicationController
   end
   
   def create
+    @item = Deferred.new
+    @item.attributes = params["todo"]
+    if params["todo"]["show_from"] 
+      @item.show_from = parse_date_per_user_prefs(params["todo"]["show_from"])
+    end
     @item = Deferred.create(params["todo"])
     @item.user_id = @user.id
 
     if @item.due?
-      @item.due = Date.strptime(params["todo"]["due"], @user.preferences["date_format"])
+      @item.due = parse_date_per_user_prefs(params["todo"]["due"])
     else
       @item.due = ""
     end
@@ -52,8 +57,12 @@ class DeferredController < ApplicationController
     @original_item_context_id = @item.context_id
     @item.attributes = params["item"]
 
+    if params["item"]["show_from"] 
+      @item.show_from = parse_date_per_user_prefs(params["item"]["show_from"])
+    end
+
     if @item.due?
-      @item.due = Date.strptime(params["item"]["due"], @user.preferences["date_format"])
+      @item.due = parse_date_per_user_prefs(params["item"]["due"])
     else
       @item.due = ""
     end
diff --git a/tracks/app/controllers/project_controller.rb b/tracks/app/controllers/project_controller.rb
index 2df5c008..69f958a8 100644
--- a/tracks/app/controllers/project_controller.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/controllers/project_controller.rb
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class ProjectController < ApplicationController
     @item.attributes = params["todo"]
 
     if @item.due?
-      @item.due = Date.strptime(params["todo"]["due"], @user.preferences["date_format"])
+      @item.due = parse_date_per_user_prefs(params["todo"]["due"])
     else
       @item.due = ""
     end
diff --git a/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb b/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb
index b1d5e098..0173b2e9 100644
--- a/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb
+++ b/tracks/app/controllers/todo_controller.rb
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class TodoController < ApplicationController
     @on_page = "home"
 
     if @item.due?
-      @item.due = Date.strptime(params["todo"]["due"], @user.preferences["date_format"])
+      @item.due = parse_date_per_user_prefs(params["todo"]["due"])
     else
       @item.due = ""
     end
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ class TodoController < ApplicationController
     @item.attributes = params["item"]
 
     if @item.due?
-      @item.due = Date.strptime(params["item"]["due"], @user.preferences["date_format"])
+      @item.due = parse_date_per_user_prefs(params["item"]["due"])
     else
       @item.due = ""
     end