diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index cb2a347c..47999643 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -87,6 +87,13 @@
       <version>${jackson}</version>
     </dependency>
 
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>joda-time</groupId>
+      <artifactId>joda-time</artifactId>
+      <version>${jodatime}</version>
+      <optional>true</optional>
+    </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
         <groupId>org.hamcrest</groupId>
         <artifactId>hamcrest-all</artifactId>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/convert/DateConverters.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/convert/DateConverters.java
index 23d603cf..435534d0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/convert/DateConverters.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/convert/DateConverters.java
@@ -16,9 +16,14 @@
 
 package org.springframework.data.couchbase.core.convert;
 
+import org.joda.time.DateMidnight;
+import org.joda.time.DateTime;
+import org.joda.time.LocalDate;
+import org.joda.time.LocalDateTime;
 import org.springframework.core.convert.converter.Converter;
 import org.springframework.data.convert.ReadingConverter;
 import org.springframework.data.convert.WritingConverter;
+import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Calendar;
@@ -35,13 +40,32 @@ public final class DateConverters {
 
   private DateConverters() {}
 
+  private static final boolean JODA_TIME_IS_PRESENT = ClassUtils.isPresent("org.joda.time.LocalDate", null);
+
+  /**
+   * Returns all converters by this class that can be registered.
+   *
+   * @return the list of converters to register.
+   */
   public static Collection<Converter<?, ?>> getConvertersToRegister() {
     List<Converter<?, ?>> converters = new ArrayList<Converter<?, ?>>();
+
     converters.add(DateToLongConverter.INSTANCE);
     converters.add(CalendarToLongConverter.INSTANCE);
-
     converters.add(LongToDateConverter.INSTANCE);
     converters.add(LongToCalendarConverter.INSTANCE);
+
+    if (JODA_TIME_IS_PRESENT) {
+      converters.add(LocalDateToLongConverter.INSTANCE);
+      converters.add(LocalDateTimeToLongConverter.INSTANCE);
+      converters.add(DateTimeToLongConverter.INSTANCE);
+      converters.add(DateMidnightToLongConverter.INSTANCE);
+      converters.add(LongToLocalDateConverter.INSTANCE);
+      converters.add(LongToLocalDateTimeConverter.INSTANCE);
+      converters.add(LongToDateTimeConverter.INSTANCE);
+      converters.add(LongToDateMidnightConverter.INSTANCE);
+    }
+
     return converters;
   }
 
@@ -51,7 +75,7 @@ public final class DateConverters {
 
     @Override
     public Long convert(Date source) {
-      return source.getTime();
+      return source == null ? null : source.getTime();
     }
   }
 
@@ -61,7 +85,7 @@ public final class DateConverters {
 
     @Override
     public Long convert(Calendar source) {
-      return source.getTimeInMillis() / 1000;
+      return  source == null ? null : source.getTimeInMillis() / 1000;
     }
   }
 
@@ -71,6 +95,10 @@ public final class DateConverters {
 
     @Override
     public Date convert(Long source) {
+      if (source == null) {
+        return null;
+      }
+
       Date date = new Date();
       date.setTime(source);
       return date;
@@ -83,10 +111,94 @@ public final class DateConverters {
 
     @Override
     public Calendar convert(Long source) {
+      if (source == null) {
+        return null;
+      }
+
       Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance();
       calendar.setTimeInMillis(source * 1000);
       return calendar;
     }
   }
 
+  @WritingConverter
+  public enum LocalDateToLongConverter implements Converter<LocalDate, Long> {
+    INSTANCE;
+
+    @Override
+    public Long convert(LocalDate source) {
+      return source == null ? null : source.toDate().getTime();
+    }
+  }
+
+  @WritingConverter
+  public enum LocalDateTimeToLongConverter implements Converter<LocalDateTime, Long> {
+    INSTANCE;
+
+    @Override
+    public Long convert(LocalDateTime source) {
+      return source == null ? null : source.toDate().getTime();
+    }
+  }
+
+  @WritingConverter
+  public enum DateTimeToLongConverter implements Converter<DateTime, Long> {
+    INSTANCE;
+
+    @Override
+    public Long convert(DateTime source) {
+      return source == null ? null : source.toDate().getTime();
+    }
+  }
+
+  @WritingConverter
+  public enum DateMidnightToLongConverter implements Converter<DateMidnight, Long> {
+    INSTANCE;
+
+    @Override
+    public Long convert(DateMidnight source) {
+      return source == null ? null : source.toDate().getTime();
+    }
+  }
+
+  @ReadingConverter
+  public enum LongToLocalDateConverter implements Converter<Long, LocalDate> {
+    INSTANCE;
+
+    @Override
+    public LocalDate convert(Long source) {
+      return source == null ? null : new LocalDate(source);
+    }
+  }
+
+  @ReadingConverter
+  public enum LongToLocalDateTimeConverter implements Converter<Long, LocalDateTime> {
+    INSTANCE;
+
+    @Override
+    public LocalDateTime convert(Long source) {
+      return source == null ? null : new LocalDateTime(source);
+    }
+  }
+
+  @ReadingConverter
+  public enum LongToDateTimeConverter implements Converter<Long, DateTime> {
+    INSTANCE;
+
+    @Override
+    public DateTime convert(Long source) {
+      return source == null ? null : new DateTime(source);
+    }
+  }
+
+  @ReadingConverter
+  public enum LongToDateMidnightConverter implements Converter<Long, DateMidnight> {
+    INSTANCE;
+
+    @Override
+    public DateMidnight convert(Long source) {
+      return source == null ? null : new DateMidnight(source);
+    }
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/mapping/MappingCouchbaseConverterTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/mapping/MappingCouchbaseConverterTests.java
index 69d32d68..80a451a3 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/mapping/MappingCouchbaseConverterTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/mapping/MappingCouchbaseConverterTests.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package org.springframework.data.couchbase.core.mapping;
 
+import org.joda.time.LocalDateTime;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
@@ -387,16 +388,19 @@ public class MappingCouchbaseConverterTests {
   public void writesAndReadsDates() {
     Date created = new Date();
     Calendar modified = Calendar.getInstance();
-    DateEntity entity = new DateEntity(created, modified);
+    LocalDateTime deleted = LocalDateTime.now();
+    DateEntity entity = new DateEntity(created, modified, deleted);
 
     CouchbaseDocument converted = new CouchbaseDocument();
     converter.write(entity, converted);
     assertEquals(created.getTime(), converted.getPayload().get("created"));
     assertEquals(modified.getTimeInMillis() / 1000, converted.getPayload().get("modified"));
+    assertEquals(deleted.toDate().getTime(), converted.getPayload().get("deleted"));
 
     DateEntity read = converter.read(DateEntity.class, converted);
     assertEquals(created.getTime(), read.created.getTime());
     assertEquals(modified.getTimeInMillis() / 1000, read.modified.getTimeInMillis() / 1000);
+    assertEquals(deleted.toDate().getTime(), read.deleted.toDate().getTime());
   }
 
   static class EntityWithoutID {
@@ -507,9 +511,12 @@ public class MappingCouchbaseConverterTests {
   static class DateEntity extends BaseEntity {
     private Date created;
     private Calendar modified;
-    public DateEntity(Date created, Calendar modified) {
+    private LocalDateTime deleted;
+
+    public DateEntity(Date created, Calendar modified, LocalDateTime deleted) {
       this.created = created;
       this.modified = modified;
+      this.deleted = deleted;
     }
   }