diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4f0a16465..ade8e2538 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ Further PR's (with tests) are welcome, but please maintain backwards compatibili
 * Improved connection handling ([details](https://github.com/globalsign/mgo/pull/5))
 * Hides SASL warnings ([details](https://github.com/globalsign/mgo/pull/7))
 * Improved multi-document transaction performance ([details](https://github.com/globalsign/mgo/pull/10), [more](https://github.com/globalsign/mgo/pull/11))
+* Fixes timezone handling ([details](https://github.com/go-mgo/mgo/pull/464)) 
 * Fixes cursor timeouts ([detials](https://jira.mongodb.org/browse/SERVER-24899))
 
 ---
@@ -27,5 +28,6 @@ Further PR's (with tests) are welcome, but please maintain backwards compatibili
 * @eaglerayp
 * @drichelson
 * @jameinel
+* @Reenjii
 * @smoya
 * @wgallagher
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bson/json.go b/bson/json.go
index 3cfa102c4..045c71301 100644
--- a/bson/json.go
+++ b/bson/json.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/globalsign/mgo/internal/json"
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@ func jencBinaryType(v interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
 	return fbytes(`{"$binary":"%s","$type":"0x%x"}`, out, in.Kind), nil
 }
 
-const jdateFormat = "2006-01-02T15:04:05.999Z"
+const jdateFormat = "2006-01-02T15:04:05.999Z07:00"
 
 func jdecDate(data []byte) (interface{}, error) {
 	var v struct {
@@ -170,13 +171,15 @@ func jdecDate(data []byte) (interface{}, error) {
 		v.S = v.Func.S
 	}
 	if v.S != "" {
+		var errs []string
 		for _, format := range []string{jdateFormat, "2006-01-02"} {
 			t, err := time.Parse(format, v.S)
 			if err == nil {
 				return t, nil
 			}
+			errs = append(errs, err.Error())
 		}
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot parse date: %q", v.S)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot parse date: %q [%s]", v.S, strings.Join(errs, ", "))
 	}
 
 	var vn struct {
diff --git a/bson/json_test.go b/bson/json_test.go
index d8ce798f9..880fb87c2 100644
--- a/bson/json_test.go
+++ b/bson/json_test.go
@@ -34,12 +34,18 @@ var jsonTests = []jsonTest{
 	{
 		a: time.Date(2016, 5, 15, 1, 2, 3, 4000000, time.UTC),
 		b: `{"$date":"2016-05-15T01:02:03.004Z"}`,
+	}, {
+		a: time.Date(2016, 5, 15, 1, 2, 3, 4000000, time.FixedZone("CET", 60*60)),
+		b: `{"$date":"2016-05-15T01:02:03.004+01:00"}`,
 	}, {
 		b: `{"$date": {"$numberLong": "1002"}}`,
 		c: time.Date(1970, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 2e6, time.UTC),
 	}, {
 		b: `ISODate("2016-05-15T01:02:03.004Z")`,
 		c: time.Date(2016, 5, 15, 1, 2, 3, 4000000, time.UTC),
+	}, {
+		b: `ISODate("2016-05-15T01:02:03.004-07:00")`,
+		c: time.Date(2016, 5, 15, 1, 2, 3, 4000000, time.FixedZone("PDT", -7*60*60)),
 	}, {
 		b: `new Date(1000)`,
 		c: time.Date(1970, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, time.UTC),
@@ -180,6 +186,11 @@ func (s *S) TestJSON(c *C) {
 			value = zerov.Elem().Interface()
 		}
 		c.Logf("Loaded: %#v", value)
+		if ctime, ok := item.c.(time.Time); ok {
+			// time.Time must be compared with time.Time.Equal and not reflect.DeepEquals
+			c.Assert(ctime.Equal(value.(time.Time)), Equals, true)
+			continue
+		}
 		c.Assert(value, DeepEquals, item.c)
 	}
 }