diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/dates.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/dates.js
index d61223113f8..0663d8a6d9b 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/dates.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/dates.js
@@ -15,16 +15,19 @@ openerp.web.str_to_datetime = function(str) {
     if(!str) {
         return str;
     }
-    var regex = /^(\d\d\d\d-\d\d-\d\d \d\d:\d\d:\d\d)(?:\.\d+)?$/;
+    var regex = /^(\d\d\d\d)-(\d\d)-(\d\d) (\d\d):(\d\d):(\d\d)(?:\.\d+)?$/;
     var res = regex.exec(str);
     if ( !res ) {
         throw new Error("'" + str + "' is not a valid datetime");
     }
-    var obj = Date.parseExact(res[1] + " UTC", 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss zzz');
-    if (! obj) {
-        throw new Error("'" + str + "' is not a valid datetime");
-    }
-    return obj;
+    return new Date(Date.UTC(
+        parseInt(res[1], 10),
+        parseInt(res[2], 10) - 1,
+        parseInt(res[3], 10),
+        parseInt(res[4], 10),
+        parseInt(res[5], 10),
+        parseInt(res[6], 10)
+    ));
 };
 
 /**
@@ -42,16 +45,16 @@ openerp.web.str_to_date = function(str) {
     if(!str) {
         return str;
     }
-    var regex = /^\d\d\d\d-\d\d-\d\d$/;
+    var regex = /^(\d\d\d\d)-(\d\d)-(\d\d)$/;
     var res = regex.exec(str);
     if ( !res ) {
         throw new Error("'" + str + "' is not a valid date");
     }
-    var obj = Date.parseExact(str, 'yyyy-MM-dd');
-    if (! obj) {
-        throw new Error("'" + str + "' is not a valid date");
-    }
-    return obj;
+    return new Date(
+        parseInt(res[1], 10),
+        parseInt(res[2], 10) - 1,
+        parseInt(res[3], 10)
+    );
 };
 
 /**
@@ -69,16 +72,13 @@ openerp.web.str_to_time = function(str) {
     if(!str) {
         return str;
     }
-    var regex = /^(\d\d:\d\d:\d\d)(?:\.\d+)?$/;
+    var regex = /^(\d\d):(\d\d):(\d\d)(?:\.\d+)?$/;
     var res = regex.exec(str);
     if ( !res ) {
         throw new Error("'" + str + "' is not a valid time");
     }
-    var obj = Date.parseExact("1970-01-01 " + res[1], 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss');
-    if (! obj) {
-        throw new Error("'" + str + "' is not a valid time");
-    }
-    return obj;
+    return new Date(
+        1970, 0, 1, parseInt(res[1], 10), parseInt(res[2], 10), parseInt(res[3], 10));
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/addons/web/static/test/formats.js b/addons/web/static/test/formats.js
index c0d6798628d..3dc5b98ee6d 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/test/formats.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/test/formats.js
@@ -25,6 +25,65 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
              date2.getUTCHours(), date2.getUTCMinutes(), date2.getUTCSeconds()],
             [2011, 12 - 1, 10, 0, 0, 0]);
     });
+    test('Server datetime: CET -> EST', function () {
+        // NOTE: this test may only work in the EU (CET/EST), no idea how to handle *that*
+        // DST transition is at 01:00 UTC on a specific day
+        // http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Summer_Time
+
+        // right before transition
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-03-25 00:59:46').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 2, 25, 0, 59, 46)).toString());
+        // Right after transition
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-03-25 01:01:33').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 2, 25, 1, 1, 33)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-03-25 01:24:33').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 2, 25, 1, 24, 33)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-03-25 01:42:33').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 2, 25, 1, 42, 33)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-03-25 02:05:14').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 2, 25, 2, 5, 14)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-03-25 02:42:14').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 2, 25, 2, 42, 14)).toString());
+        // End of overlapping time
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-03-25 03:05:14').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 2, 25, 3, 5, 14)).toString());
+    });
+    test('Server datetime: EST -> CET', function () {
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-10-27 23:59:46').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 9, 27, 23, 59, 46)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-10-28 00:59:46').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 9, 28, 0, 59, 46)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-10-28 01:01:33').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 9, 28, 1, 1, 33)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-10-28 01:24:33').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 9, 28, 1, 24, 33)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-10-28 01:42:33').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 9, 28, 1, 42, 33)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-10-28 02:05:14').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 9, 28, 2, 5, 14)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-10-28 02:42:14').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 9, 28, 2, 42, 14)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-10-28 03:05:14').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 9, 28, 3, 5, 14)).toString());
+        strictEqual(
+            openerp.web.str_to_datetime('2012-10-28 05:05:14').toString(),
+            new Date(Date.UTC(2012, 9, 28, 5, 5, 14)).toString());
+    });
     test('Parse server date', function () {
         var date = openerp.web.str_to_date("2009-05-04");
         deepEqual(