diff --git a/gramps2/ChangeLog b/gramps2/ChangeLog
index cbb1a1863..a5a60ca57 100644
--- a/gramps2/ChangeLog
+++ b/gramps2/ChangeLog
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 	variants of month names for parser
 
 	* src/Date.py: Raise Exception.DateError on invalid arguments
+	* src/DateParser.py: Catch DateError and use text only date as fallback
+	* src/plugins/TestcaseGenerator.py: Handle DateError exception
 
 2005-05-12  Don Allingham  <don@gramps-project.org>
 	* src/GrampsBSDDB.py: force database sync on transaction commit
diff --git a/gramps2/src/DateParser.py b/gramps2/src/DateParser.py
index 1a34d481f..891099043 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/DateParser.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/DateParser.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ import calendar
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 import Date
-
+from Errors import DateError
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
 # Top-level module functions
@@ -587,5 +587,8 @@ class DateParser:
         Parses the text, returning a Date object.
         """
         new_date = Date.Date()
-        self.set_date(new_date,text)
+        try:
+            self.set_date(new_date,text)
+        except DateError:
+            new_date.set_as_text(text)
         return new_date
diff --git a/gramps2/src/plugins/TestcaseGenerator.py b/gramps2/src/plugins/TestcaseGenerator.py
index 404b9cbbb..1223c4b42 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/plugins/TestcaseGenerator.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/plugins/TestcaseGenerator.py
@@ -420,19 +420,25 @@ class TestcaseGenerator:
         # test invalid dates
         dateval = (4,7,1789,False,5,8,1876,False)
         for l in range(1,len(dateval)):
+            d = Date.Date()
             try:
-                d = Date.Date()
                 d.set(Date.QUAL_NONE,Date.MOD_NONE,Date.CAL_GREGORIAN,dateval[:l],"Text comment")
                 dates.append( d)
+            except Errors.DateError, e:
+                d.set_as_text("Date identified value correctly as invalid.\n%s" % e)
+                dates.append( d)
             except:
                 d = Date.Date()
                 d.set_as_text("Date.set Exception %s" % ("".join(traceback.format_exception(*sys.exc_info())),))
                 dates.append( d)
         for l in range(1,len(dateval)):
+            d = Date.Date()
             try:
-                d = Date.Date()
                 d.set(Date.QUAL_NONE,Date.MOD_SPAN,Date.CAL_GREGORIAN,dateval[:l],"Text comment")
                 dates.append( d)
+            except Errors.DateError, e:
+                d.set_as_text("Date identified value correctly as invalid.\n%s" % e)
+                dates.append( d)
             except:
                 d = Date.Date()
                 d.set_as_text("Date.set Exception %s" % ("".join(traceback.format_exception(*sys.exc_info())),))