diff --git a/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/format/formatters/DateFormatter.java b/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/format/formatters/DateFormatter.java
index 40d96567..63fbcf3e 100644
--- a/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/format/formatters/DateFormatter.java
+++ b/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/format/formatters/DateFormatter.java
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 public class DateFormatter implements Formatter {
 
+	public static final String DEFAULT_PATTERN = "yyyy-MM-dd";
+
 	private String pattern;
 
 	private Locale locale;
@@ -68,12 +70,16 @@ public class DateFormatter implements Formatter {
 
 	protected DateFormat getDateFormat() {
 		if (pattern != null) {
-			return new SimpleDateFormat(pattern, locale);
+			if (locale != null) {
+				return new SimpleDateFormat(pattern, locale);
+			} else {
+				return new SimpleDateFormat(pattern);
+			}
 		} else {
 			if (locale != null) {
-				return DateFormat.getDateInstance(DateFormat.SHORT, locale);
+				return new SimpleDateFormat(DEFAULT_PATTERN, locale);
 			} else {
-				return DateFormat.getDateInstance(DateFormat.SHORT);
+				return new SimpleDateFormat(DEFAULT_PATTERN);
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/format/formatters/DateFormatterTests.java b/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/format/formatters/DateFormatterTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c4b53a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/format/formatters/DateFormatterTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package org.springframework.binding.format.formatters;
+
+import java.util.Calendar;
+import java.util.Date;
+import java.util.GregorianCalendar;
+
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+
+public class DateFormatterTests extends TestCase {
+
+	public void testFormatDefaultPattern() {
+		DateFormatter dateFormatter = new DateFormatter();
+		Calendar calendar = new GregorianCalendar(2008, 3, 1);
+		assertEquals("2008-04-01", dateFormatter.format(calendar.getTime()));
+	}
+
+	public void testParseDefaultPattern() {
+		DateFormatter dateFormatter = new DateFormatter();
+		Calendar calendar = new GregorianCalendar();
+		calendar.setTime((Date) dateFormatter.parse("2008-04-01"));
+		assertEquals(2008, calendar.get(Calendar.YEAR));
+		assertEquals(3, calendar.get(Calendar.MONTH));
+		assertEquals(1, calendar.get(Calendar.DAY_OF_MONTH));
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-webflow/src/test/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/view/MvcViewTests.java b/spring-webflow/src/test/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/view/MvcViewTests.java
index f2f4d880..e8ffc99d 100644
--- a/spring-webflow/src/test/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/view/MvcViewTests.java
+++ b/spring-webflow/src/test/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/view/MvcViewTests.java
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ public class MvcViewTests extends TestCase {
 		assertNotNull(bm);
 		assertEquals(null, bm.getFieldValue("stringProperty"));
 		assertEquals("3", bm.getFieldValue("integerProperty"));
-		assertEquals("1/1/08", bm.getFieldValue("dateProperty"));
+		assertEquals("2008-01-01", bm.getFieldValue("dateProperty"));
 	}
 
 	public void testResumeNoEvent() throws Exception {
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ public class MvcViewTests extends TestCase {
 		context.putRequestParameter("_eventId", "submit");
 		context.putRequestParameter("stringProperty", "foo");
 		context.putRequestParameter("integerProperty", "5");
-		context.putRequestParameter("dateProperty", "1/1/2007");
+		context.putRequestParameter("dateProperty", "2007-01-01");
 		BindBean bindBean = new BindBean();
 		StaticExpression modelObject = new StaticExpression(bindBean);
 		modelObject.setExpressionString("bindBean");