diff --git a/gramps2/ChangeLog b/gramps2/ChangeLog
index c6be611c6..e943c56b6 100644
--- a/gramps2/ChangeLog
+++ b/gramps2/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2007-01-10  Don Allingham  <don@gramps-project.org>
+	* src/GrampsWidgets.py: add support for an "empty" signal on 
+	ValidatableMaskedEntry so that we can update the value when the
+	string has been cleared (bug #821)
+	* src/DateEdit.py: catch empty signal (bug #821)
+
 2007-01-09  Brian Matherly  <brian@gramps-project.org>
 	* src/plugins/GraphViz.py: Fix 0000817: typo "syle" intead of "style"
 
diff --git a/gramps2/src/DateEdit.py b/gramps2/src/DateEdit.py
index c9020a13e..c0c9e362c 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/DateEdit.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/DateEdit.py
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ class DateEdit:
         self.pixmap_obj = button_obj.get_child()
         
         self.text_obj.connect('validate',self.validate)
+        self.text_obj.connect('empty',self.validate)
         self.button_obj.connect('clicked',self.invoke_date_editor)
         
         self.text = unicode(self.text_obj.get_text())
diff --git a/gramps2/src/GrampsWidgets.py b/gramps2/src/GrampsWidgets.py
index 34c0408b4..171d1986f 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/GrampsWidgets.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/GrampsWidgets.py
@@ -2033,6 +2033,9 @@ class ValidatableMaskedEntry(MaskedEntry):
         'validate': (gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_LAST,
                      gobject.TYPE_PYOBJECT,
                      (gobject.TYPE_PYOBJECT,)),
+        'empty': (gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_LAST,
+                     gobject.TYPE_PYOBJECT,
+                     (gobject.TYPE_PYOBJECT,)),
         'changed': 'override',
     }
 
@@ -2153,6 +2156,11 @@ class ValidatableMaskedEntry(MaskedEntry):
                         error = self.emit("validate", text)
                         if error:
                             raise error
+                    else:
+                        error = self.emit("empty", text)
+                        if error:
+                            raise error
+
 
             self.set_valid()
             return text