diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 0b15e731ec..d510b216ed 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ Features
 Bugfixes
 --------
 
+* sanitized dates generated by new_post by forcing an ISO 8601-esque
+  format of YYYY-mm-dd HH:MM:SS (Issues #1284, #1313)
 * made github_deploy compatible with Python 3 (Issue #1311)
 * rebuild stuff on TranslatableSettings’ change (Issue #1297)
 * made bootstrap-jinja and bootstrap3-jinja work again, assets were missing
diff --git a/docs/creating-a-theme.txt b/docs/creating-a-theme.txt
index 4fe94011ee..220a8e78e2 100644
--- a/docs/creating-a-theme.txt
+++ b/docs/creating-a-theme.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: Creating a Theme
 .. slug: creating-a-theme
-.. date: 2012/03/13 12:00
+.. date: 2012-03-13 12:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags:
 .. link:
 .. description:
diff --git a/docs/extending.txt b/docs/extending.txt
index 7f9177f53b..2149088c3f 100644
--- a/docs/extending.txt
+++ b/docs/extending.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: Extending Nikola
 .. slug: extending
-.. date: 2012/03/30 23:00
+.. date: 2012-03-30 23:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags:
 .. link:
 .. description:
diff --git a/docs/internals.txt b/docs/internals.txt
index 06a27477d2..a025075244 100644
--- a/docs/internals.txt
+++ b/docs/internals.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: Nikola Internals
 .. slug: internals
-.. date: 2012/03/30 23:00
+.. date: 2012-03-30 23:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags:
 .. link:
 .. description:
diff --git a/docs/manual.txt b/docs/manual.txt
index 82160c17b2..3bbbc59df3 100644
--- a/docs/manual.txt
+++ b/docs/manual.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: The Nikola Handbook
 .. slug: handbook
-.. date: 2012/03/30 23:00
+.. date: 2012-03-30 23:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags:
 .. link:
 .. description:
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ The content of that file is as follows::
 
     .. title: How to make money
     .. slug: how-to-make-money
-    .. date: 2012/09/15 19:52:05
+    .. date: 2012-09-15 19:52:05 UTC
     .. tags:
     .. link:
     .. description:
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ to your configuration::
 
         How to make money
         how-to-make-money
-        2012/09/15 19:52:05
+        2012-09-15 19:52:05 UTC
 
    However, starting with Nikola v7, you can now use ``.meta`` files and put
    all metadata you want, complete with the explanations — they look just like
@@ -542,7 +542,10 @@ to your configuration::
 
         .. title: How to make money
         .. slug: how-to-make-money
-        .. date: 2012/09/15 19:52:05
+        .. date: 2012-09-15 19:52:05 UTC
+
+   Both file formats are supported; however, the new format is preferred, if
+   possible.
 
 If you are writing a multilingual site, you can also create a per-language
 post file (for example: ``how-to-make-money.es.txt`` with the default TRANSLATIONS_PATTERN, see below).
diff --git a/docs/social_buttons.txt b/docs/social_buttons.txt
index 1731c9077b..d465190690 100644
--- a/docs/social_buttons.txt
+++ b/docs/social_buttons.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: Alternative Social Buttons
 .. slug: social_buttons
-.. date: 2013/08/19 23:00
+.. date: 2013-08-19 23:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags:
 .. link:
 .. description:
diff --git a/docs/theming.txt b/docs/theming.txt
index 89f70c505a..b60916567a 100644
--- a/docs/theming.txt
+++ b/docs/theming.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: Theming Nikola
 .. slug: theming
-.. date: 2012/03/13 12:00
+.. date: 2012-03-13 12:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags:
 .. link:
 .. description:
diff --git a/docs/upgrading-to-v6.txt b/docs/upgrading-to-v6.txt
index 1d28014b82..e086b0c11c 100644
--- a/docs/upgrading-to-v6.txt
+++ b/docs/upgrading-to-v6.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: Upgrading to v6
 .. slug: upgrading-to-v6
-.. date: 2013/08/23 23:00
+.. date: 2013-08-23 23:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags:
 .. link:
 .. description:
diff --git a/nikola/data/samplesite/posts/1.rst b/nikola/data/samplesite/posts/1.rst
index 6e47cbd9b2..7116a7a957 100644
--- a/nikola/data/samplesite/posts/1.rst
+++ b/nikola/data/samplesite/posts/1.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: Welcome to Nikola
 .. slug: welcome-to-nikola
-.. date: 2012/03/30 23:00
+.. date: 2012-03-30 23:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags: nikola, python, demo, blog
 .. author: Roberto Alsina
 .. link: http://getnikola.com
diff --git a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/1.rst b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/1.rst
index 27c75d86eb..b662fae617 100644
--- a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/1.rst
+++ b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/1.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: Nikola: it generates static
 .. slug: about-nikola
-.. date: 2012/03/30 23:00
+.. date: 2012-03-30 23:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags: 
 .. link: 
 .. description: 
diff --git a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/a-study-in-scarlet.txt b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/a-study-in-scarlet.txt
index 10f952871a..2dfee525c8 100644
--- a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/a-study-in-scarlet.txt
+++ b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/a-study-in-scarlet.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .. link:
 .. description:
 .. tags:
-.. date: 2013/08/27 18:20:55
+.. date: 2013-08-27 18:20:55 UTC-03:00
 .. title: A STUDY IN SCARLET.
 .. slug: a-study-in-scarlet
 
diff --git a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/bootstrap-demo.rst b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/bootstrap-demo.rst
index 520e4b051d..a7be1a9610 100644
--- a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/bootstrap-demo.rst
+++ b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/bootstrap-demo.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: Bootstrap Demo
 .. slug: bootstrap-demo
-.. date: 2012/03/30 23:00
+.. date: 2012-03-30 23:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags: bootstrap, demo
 .. link: http://getnikola.com
 .. description:
diff --git a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/charts.txt b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/charts.txt
index 2c90fdf63e..72fedb108d 100644
--- a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/charts.txt
+++ b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/charts.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .. link:
 .. description:
 .. tags:
-.. date: 2013/08/27 18:20:55
+.. date: 2013-08-27 18:20:55 UTC-03:00
 .. title: Charts
 .. slug: charts
 
diff --git a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/listings-demo.rst b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/listings-demo.rst
index 7875f178a8..3bb8dc6bee 100644
--- a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/listings-demo.rst
+++ b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/listings-demo.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: Listings Demo
 .. slug: listings-demo
-.. date: 2012/12/15 10:16:20
+.. date: 2012-12-15 10:16:20 UTC-03:00
 .. tags: 
 .. link: 
 .. description: 
diff --git a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/quickref.rst b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/quickref.rst
index 52e786f896..7886cd1c0e 100644
--- a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/quickref.rst
+++ b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/quickref.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: A reStructuredText Reference
 .. slug: quickref
-.. date: 2012/03/30 23:00
+.. date: 2012-03-30 23:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags: 
 .. link: 
 .. description: 
diff --git a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/quickstart.rst b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/quickstart.rst
index 4282b23c13..5b78807ae5 100644
--- a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/quickstart.rst
+++ b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/quickstart.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: A reStructuredText Primer
 .. slug: quickstart
-.. date: 2012/03/30 23:00
+.. date: 2012-03-30 23:00:00 UTC-03:00
 .. tags: 
 .. link: 
 .. description: 
diff --git a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/slides-demo.rst b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/slides-demo.rst
index fb1356b156..0d07bbc1e3 100644
--- a/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/slides-demo.rst
+++ b/nikola/data/samplesite/stories/slides-demo.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .. title: Slides Demo
 .. slug: slides-demo
-.. date: 2012/12/27 10:16:20
+.. date: 2012-12-27 10:16:20 UTC-03:00
 .. tags: 
 .. link: 
 .. description: 
diff --git a/nikola/plugins/command/new_post.py b/nikola/plugins/command/new_post.py
index 6ddbdb5c8f..42f77cce0e 100644
--- a/nikola/plugins/command/new_post.py
+++ b/nikola/plugins/command/new_post.py
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals, print_function
 import codecs
 import datetime
-import locale
 import os
 import sys
 import subprocess
@@ -129,16 +128,13 @@ def get_date(schedule=False, rule=None, last_date=None, tz=None, iso8601=False):
     offset_min = offset_sec % 3600
     if iso8601:
         tz_str = '{0:+03d}:{1:02d}'.format(offset_hrs, offset_min // 60)
-        return date.strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%T') + tz_str
     else:
         if offset:
             tz_str = ' UTC{0:+03d}:{1:02d}'.format(offset_hrs, offset_min // 60)
         else:
             tz_str = ' UTC'
-        return date.strftime('{0} {1}'.format(
-            locale.nl_langinfo(locale.D_FMT),
-            locale.nl_langinfo(locale.T_FMT),
-        )) + tz_str
+
+    return date.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') + tz_str
 
 
 class CommandNewPost(Command):
diff --git a/tests/test_scheduling.py b/tests/test_scheduling.py
index 1fc447df16..ae1cf92c18 100644
--- a/tests/test_scheduling.py
+++ b/tests/test_scheduling.py
@@ -46,9 +46,7 @@ def tearDown(cls):
     def test_get_date(self):
         from nikola.plugins.command.new_post import get_date
 
-        # This is now locale-dependent, so do it here, where
-        # locale is set.
-        FMT = '{0} {1} %Z'.format(
+        FMT = '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %Z'.format(
             locale.nl_langinfo(locale.D_FMT),
             locale.nl_langinfo(locale.T_FMT),
         )