diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9917066..ba84763 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1 @@
-dbf.js
+dbf.js
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/json2dbf.js b/json2dbf.js
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 758d2a5..10eaa52
--- a/json2dbf.js
+++ b/json2dbf.js
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@ var dbf = require('./'),
 
 var buf = dbf.structure([
     {foo:'bar',noo:10},
-    {foo:'louie'}
+    {foo:'louie'},
+    {baz:new Date()}
 ]);
 
 fs.writeFileSync('foo.dbf', toBuffer(buf.buffer));
 
 function toBuffer(ab) {
-    var buffer = new Buffer(ab.byteLength);
+    var buffer = Buffer.alloc(ab.byteLength);
     var view = new Uint8Array(ab);
     for (var i = 0; i < buffer.length; ++i) {
         buffer[i] = view[i];
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 059c808..d1d282f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "dbf",
-  "version": "0.2.0",
+  "version": "0.3.0",
   "description": "generate dbf files",
   "main": "index.js",
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/src/fields.js b/src/fields.js
index 5961b76..27c9285 100644
--- a/src/fields.js
+++ b/src/fields.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ var types = {
     string: 'C',
     number: 'N',
     boolean: 'L',
+    date: 'D',
     // type to use if all values of a field are null
     null: 'C'
 };
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ function inherit(a, b) {
 
 function obj(_) {
     var fields = {}, o = [];
-    for (var p in _) fields[p] = _[p] === null ? 'null' : typeof _[p];
+    for (var p in _) fields[p] = _[p] === null ? 'null' : _[p] instanceof Date ? 'date' : typeof _[p];
     for (var n in fields) {
         var t = types[fields[n]];
         if(t){
diff --git a/src/lib.js b/src/lib.js
index 0c7ff80..fbeeaa7 100644
--- a/src/lib.js
+++ b/src/lib.js
@@ -31,3 +31,8 @@ module.exports.writeField = function writeField(view, fieldLength, str, offset)
     }
     return offset;
 };
+
+module.exports.writeDate = function(date) {
+    if(!date || isNaN(new Date(date).getTime())) return "        ";
+    return ("0000"+new Date(date).getFullYear()).slice(-4) + ("00"+(new Date(date).getMonth()+1)).slice(-2) + ("00"+new Date(date).getDate()).slice(-2);
+};
diff --git a/src/structure.js b/src/structure.js
index d1a2e9f..90d0c65 100644
--- a/src/structure.js
+++ b/src/structure.js
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ module.exports = function structure(data, meta) {
                 // date
                 case 'D':
                     offset = lib.writeField(view, 8,
-                        lib.lpad(val.toString(), 8, ' '), offset);
+                        lib.writeDate(val), offset);
                     break;
 
                 // number