diff --git a/platform/commonUI/general/res/templates/controls/time-controller.html b/platform/commonUI/general/res/templates/controls/time-controller.html
index 34b87d24ea..3fb99b1862 100644
--- a/platform/commonUI/general/res/templates/controls/time-controller.html
+++ b/platform/commonUI/general/res/templates/controls/time-controller.html
@@ -22,12 +22,8 @@
 
 <div class="l-time-controller" ng-controller="TimeRangeController">
     <div class="l-time-range-inputs-holder">
-        Start: <input type="textfield"
-                      placeholder="YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss"
-                      ng-model="startOuterDate"/>
-        End: <input type="textfield"
-                      placeholder="YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss"
-                      ng-model="endOuterDate"/>
+        Start: <input type="date" ng-model="startOuterDate"/>
+        End: <input type="date" ng-model="endOuterDate"/>
     </div>
 
     <div class="l-time-range-slider-holder">
diff --git a/platform/commonUI/general/src/controllers/TimeRangeController.js b/platform/commonUI/general/src/controllers/TimeRangeController.js
index f603ec2ccc..3e792af052 100644
--- a/platform/commonUI/general/src/controllers/TimeRangeController.js
+++ b/platform/commonUI/general/src/controllers/TimeRangeController.js
@@ -40,11 +40,6 @@ define(
                 return moment.utc(ts).format(DATE_FORMAT);
             }
 
-            function parseTimestamp(text, fallback) {
-                var m = moment.utc(text, DATE_FORMAT);
-                return m.isValid() ? m.valueOf() : fallback;
-            }
-
             // From 0.0-1.0 to "0%"-"1%"
             function toPercent(p) {
                 return (100 * p) + "%";
@@ -103,8 +98,8 @@ define(
                 ngModel.inner = ngModel.inner || copyBounds(ngModel.outer);
 
                 // First, dates for the date pickers for outer bounds
-                $scope.startOuterDate = formatTimestamp(ngModel.outer.start);
-                $scope.endOuterDate = formatTimestamp(ngModel.outer.end);
+                $scope.startOuterDate = new Date(ngModel.outer.start);
+                $scope.endOuterDate = new Date(ngModel.outer.end);
 
                 // Then various updates for the inner span
                 updateViewForInnerSpanFromModel(ngModel);
@@ -177,10 +172,10 @@ define(
                 updateViewFromModel($scope.ngModel);
             }
 
-            function updateOuterStart(text) {
+            function updateOuterStart(date) {
                 var ngModel = $scope.ngModel;
                 ngModel.outer.start =
-                    parseTimestamp(text, ngModel.outer.start);
+                    date.getTime();
                 ngModel.outer.end =
                     Math.max(ngModel.outer.start, ngModel.outer.end);
                 ngModel.inner.start =
@@ -190,10 +185,10 @@ define(
                 updateViewForInnerSpanFromModel(ngModel);
             }
 
-            function updateOuterEnd(text) {
+            function updateOuterEnd(date) {
                 var ngModel = $scope.ngModel;
                 ngModel.outer.end =
-                    parseTimestamp(text, ngModel.outer.end);
+                    date.getTime();
                 ngModel.outer.start =
                     Math.min(ngModel.outer.end, ngModel.outer.start);
                 ngModel.inner.start =
diff --git a/platform/commonUI/general/test/controllers/TimeRangeControllerSpec.js b/platform/commonUI/general/test/controllers/TimeRangeControllerSpec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..48411756b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/commonUI/general/test/controllers/TimeRangeControllerSpec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+/*****************************************************************************
+ * Open MCT Web, Copyright (c) 2014-2015, United States Government
+ * as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
+ * Administration. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Open MCT Web is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+ * "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+ * WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+ * License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ *
+ * Open MCT Web includes source code licensed under additional open source
+ * licenses. See the Open Source Licenses file (LICENSES.md) included with
+ * this source code distribution or the Licensing information page available
+ * at runtime from the About dialog for additional information.
+ *****************************************************************************/
+/*global define,Promise,describe,it,expect,beforeEach,waitsFor,jasmine*/
+
+define(
+    ["../../src/controllers/TimeRangeController"],
+    function (TimeRangeController) {
+        "use strict";
+
+        describe("The TimeRangeController", function () {
+            var mockScope,
+                mockNow,
+                controller;
+
+            function fireWatch(expr, value) {
+                mockScope.$watch.calls.forEach(function (call) {
+                    if (call.args[0] === expr) {
+                        call.args[1](value);
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+
+            function fireWatchCollection(expr, value) {
+                mockScope.$watchCollection.calls.forEach(function (call) {
+                    if (call.args[0] === expr) {
+                        call.args[1](value);
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+
+            beforeEach(function () {
+                mockScope = jasmine.createSpyObj(
+                    "$scope",
+                    [ "$apply", "$watch", "$watchCollection" ]
+                );
+                mockNow = jasmine.createSpy('now');
+                controller = new TimeRangeController(mockScope, mockNow);
+            });
+
+            it("watches the model that was passed in", function () {
+                expect(mockScope.$watchCollection)
+                    .toHaveBeenCalledWith("ngModel", jasmine.any(Function));
+            });
+
+
+        });
+    }
+);
diff --git a/platform/commonUI/general/test/suite.json b/platform/commonUI/general/test/suite.json
index 37fc4c4b78..38f8a447ee 100644
--- a/platform/commonUI/general/test/suite.json
+++ b/platform/commonUI/general/test/suite.json
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     "controllers/GetterSetterController",
     "controllers/SelectorController",
     "controllers/SplitPaneController",
+    "controllers/TimeRangeController",
     "controllers/ToggleController",
     "controllers/TreeNodeController",
     "controllers/ViewSwitcherController",
@@ -15,4 +16,4 @@
     "directives/MCTScroll",
     "services/UrlService",
     "StyleSheetLoader"
-]
\ No newline at end of file
+]