diff --git a/cake/libs/controller/components/email.php b/cake/libs/controller/components/email.php
index 52451fda12f..d27fd5c13fc 100755
--- a/cake/libs/controller/components/email.php
+++ b/cake/libs/controller/components/email.php
@@ -97,6 +97,15 @@ class EmailComponent extends Object{
  */
 	var $bcc = array();
 
+/**
+ * The date to put in the Date: header.  This should be a date 
+ * conformant with the RFC2822 standard.  Leave null, to have
+ * today's date generated.
+ *
+ * @var string
+ */
+	var $date = null;
+
 /**
  * The subject of the email
  *
@@ -410,6 +419,7 @@ function reset() {
 		$this->bcc = array();
 		$this->subject = null;
 		$this->additionalParams = null;
+		$this->date = null;
 		$this->smtpError = null;
 		$this->attachments = array();
 		$this->htmlMessage = null;
@@ -574,6 +584,12 @@ function _createHeader() {
 			}
 		}
 
+		$date = $this->date;
+		if ($date == false) {
+			$date = date(DATE_RFC2822);
+		}
+		$headers['Date'] = $date;
+
 		$headers['X-Mailer'] = $this->xMailer;
 
 		if (!empty($this->headers)) {
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/email.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/email.test.php
index 8d7f588e64b..8379e3e7b37 100755
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/email.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/email.test.php
@@ -493,6 +493,7 @@ function testSendFormats() {
 		$this->Controller->EmailTest->delivery = 'debug';
 		$this->Controller->EmailTest->messageId = false;
 
+		$date = date(DATE_RFC2822);
 		$message = <<<MSGBLOC
 <pre>To: postmaster@localhost
 From: noreply@example.com
@@ -501,6 +502,7 @@ function testSendFormats() {
 
 From: noreply@example.com
 Reply-To: noreply@example.com
+Date: $date
 X-Mailer: CakePHP Email Component
 Content-Type: {CONTENTTYPE}
 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bitParameters:
@@ -544,6 +546,7 @@ function testTemplates() {
 		$this->Controller->EmailTest->delivery = 'debug';
 		$this->Controller->EmailTest->messageId = false;
 
+		$date = date(DATE_RFC2822);
 		$header = <<<HEADBLOC
 To: postmaster@localhost
 From: noreply@example.com
@@ -552,6 +555,7 @@ function testTemplates() {
 
 From: noreply@example.com
 Reply-To: noreply@example.com
+Date: $date
 X-Mailer: CakePHP Email Component
 Content-Type: {CONTENTTYPE}
 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bitParameters:
@@ -689,6 +693,7 @@ function testSendDebug() {
 		$this->assertPattern('/Subject: Cake Debug Test\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/Reply-To: noreply@example.com\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/From: noreply@example.com\n/', $result);
+		$this->assertPattern('/Date: ' . date(DATE_RFC2822) . '\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/X-Mailer: CakePHP Email Component\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/Content-Type: text\/plain; charset=UTF-8\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bitParameters:\n/', $result);
@@ -716,6 +721,7 @@ function testSendDebugWithNoSessions() {
 		$this->assertPattern('/Subject: Cake Debug Test\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/Reply-To: noreply@example.com\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/From: noreply@example.com\n/', $result);
+		$this->assertPattern('/Date: ' . date(DATE_RFC2822) . '\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/X-Mailer: CakePHP Email Component\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/Content-Type: text\/plain; charset=UTF-8\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bitParameters:\n/', $result);
@@ -849,7 +855,24 @@ function testSendContentArray() {
 		$this->assertPattern('/First line\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/Second line\n/', $result);
 		$this->assertPattern('/Third line\n/', $result);
+	}
+
+/**
+ * test setting a custom date.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testDateProperty() {
+		$this->Controller->EmailTest->to = 'postmaster@localhost';
+		$this->Controller->EmailTest->from = 'noreply@example.com';
+		$this->Controller->EmailTest->subject = 'Cake Debug Test';
+		$this->Controller->EmailTest->date = 'Today!';
+		$this->Controller->EmailTest->template = null;
+		$this->Controller->EmailTest->delivery = 'debug';
 
+		$this->assertTrue($this->Controller->EmailTest->send('test message'));
+		$result = $this->Controller->Session->read('Message.email.message');
+		$this->assertPattern('/Date: Today!\n/', $result);
 	}
 
 /**
@@ -1043,6 +1066,7 @@ function testReset() {
 		$this->Controller->EmailTest->return = 'test.return@example.com';
 		$this->Controller->EmailTest->cc = array('cc1@example.com', 'cc2@example.com');
 		$this->Controller->EmailTest->bcc = array('bcc1@example.com', 'bcc2@example.com');
+		$this->Controller->EmailTest->date = 'Today!';
 		$this->Controller->EmailTest->subject = 'Test subject';
 		$this->Controller->EmailTest->additionalParams = 'X-additional-header';
 		$this->Controller->EmailTest->delivery = 'smtp';
@@ -1064,6 +1088,7 @@ function testReset() {
 		$this->assertNull($this->Controller->EmailTest->return);
 		$this->assertIdentical($this->Controller->EmailTest->cc, array());
 		$this->assertIdentical($this->Controller->EmailTest->bcc, array());
+		$this->assertNull($this->Controller->EmailTest->date);
 		$this->assertNull($this->Controller->EmailTest->subject);
 		$this->assertNull($this->Controller->EmailTest->additionalParams);
 		$this->assertIdentical($this->Controller->EmailTest->getHeaders(), array());