diff --git a/pgtype/date.go b/pgtype/date.go
index 658dbf1c..3c81a32b 100644
--- a/pgtype/date.go
+++ b/pgtype/date.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package pgtype
 import (
 	"database/sql/driver"
 	"encoding/binary"
-	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/pgio"
@@ -212,11 +212,8 @@ func (src *Date) Value() (driver.Value, error) {
 func (src *Date) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	switch src.Status {
 	case Present:
-		res, err := src.Time.MarshalJSON()
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		return res, nil
+		s := fmt.Sprintf("%q", src.Time.Format("2006-01-02"))
+		return []byte(s), nil
 	case Null:
 		return []byte("null"), nil
 	case Undefined:
@@ -227,8 +224,8 @@ func (src *Date) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 func (dst *Date) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
-	var n time.Time
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(b, &n); err != nil {
+	n, err := time.Parse("\"2006-01-02\"", string(b))
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/pgtype/date_test.go b/pgtype/date_test.go
index 178a1ff9..8128d87d 100644
--- a/pgtype/date_test.go
+++ b/pgtype/date_test.go
@@ -125,21 +125,19 @@ func TestMarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if string(enc) != "\"1900-01-01T00:00:00Z\"" {
+	if string(enc) != "\"1900-01-01\"" {
 		t.Errorf("Incorrect json marshal")
 	}
 }
 
 func TestUnmarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	var r pgtype.Date
-	tm := time.Date(1900, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
-
-	if err := r.UnmarshalJSON([]byte(`"` + tm.Format(time.RFC3339) + `"`)); err != nil {
+	if err := r.UnmarshalJSON([]byte("\"1900-01-01\"")); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("%v", err)
 		return
 	}
 
-	if tm != r.Time {
+	if r.Time.Year() != 1900 || r.Time.Month() != 1 || r.Time.Day() != 1 {
 		t.Errorf("Incorrect json unmarshal")
 	}
 }