diff --git a/after:1986-05-28 b/after:1986-05-28
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/after:1986-28-05, b/after:1986-28-05,
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/application/language/en/validation.php b/application/language/en/validation.php
index 74f90264..c07e4a0d 100644
--- a/application/language/en/validation.php
+++ b/application/language/en/validation.php
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ return array(
 	"countbetween"   => "The :attribute must have between :min and :max selected elements.",
 	"countmax"       => "The :attribute must have less than :max selected elements.",
 	"countmin"       => "The :attribute must have at least :min selected elements.",
+	"date_format"	 => "The :attribute must have a valid date format.",
 	"different"      => "The :attribute and :other must be different.",
 	"email"          => "The :attribute format is invalid.",
 	"exists"         => "The selected :attribute is invalid.",
diff --git a/before:1986-05-28 b/before:1986-05-28
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/before:1986-28-05, b/before:1986-28-05,
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/laravel/documentation/validation.md b/laravel/documentation/validation.md
index 0ca6fbf0..06feb707 100644
--- a/laravel/documentation/validation.md
+++ b/laravel/documentation/validation.md
@@ -205,6 +205,14 @@ Many times, when updating a record, you want to use the unique rule, but exclude
 
 > **Note:** The **before** and **after** validation rules use the **strtotime** PHP function to convert your date to something the rule can understand.
 
+#### Validate that a date attribute conforms to a given format:
+
+    'start_date' => 'date_format:H\\:i'),
+
+> **Note:** The backslash escapes the colon so that it does not count as a parameter separator.
+
+The formatting options for the date format are described in the [PHP documentation](http://php.net/manual/en/datetime.createfromformat.php#refsect1-datetime.createfromformat-parameters).
+
 <a name="rule-email"></a>
 ### E-Mail Addresses
 
diff --git a/laravel/tests/cases/validator.test.php b/laravel/tests/cases/validator.test.php
index de8fe10f..30700f54 100644
--- a/laravel/tests/cases/validator.test.php
+++ b/laravel/tests/cases/validator.test.php
@@ -483,6 +483,28 @@ class ValidatorTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
 		$this->assertFalse(Validator::make($input, $rules)->valid());
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Tests the date_format validation rule.
+	 *
+	 * @group laravel
+	 */
+	public function testTheDateFormatRule()
+	{
+		$input = array('date' => '15-Feb-2009');
+		$rules = array('date' => 'date_format:j-M-Y');
+		$this->assertTrue(Validator::make($input, $rules)->valid());
+
+		$input['date'] = '2009-02-15,15:16:17';
+		$rules['date'] = 'date_format:"Y-m-d,H:i:s"';
+		$this->assertTrue(Validator::make($input, $rules)->valid());
+
+		$input['date'] = '2009-02-15';
+		$this->assertFalse(Validator::make($input, $rules)->valid());
+
+		$input['date'] = '15:16:17';
+		$this->assertFalse(Validator::make($input, $rules)->valid());
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Test that the validator sets the correct messages.
 	 *
diff --git a/laravel/validator.php b/laravel/validator.php
index 89cbba53..9e15b3ee 100644
--- a/laravel/validator.php
+++ b/laravel/validator.php
@@ -759,6 +759,19 @@ class Validator {
 		return (strtotime($value) > strtotime($parameters[0]));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Validate the date conforms to a given format.
+	 * 
+	 * @param  string  $attribute
+	 * @param  mixed   $value
+	 * @param  array   $parameters
+	 * @return bool
+	 */
+	protected function validate_date_format($attribute, $value, $parameters)
+	{
+		return date_create_from_format($parameters[0], $value) !== false;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Get the proper error message for an attribute and rule.
 	 *