diff --git a/bson/json.go b/bson/json.go
index 09df8260a..671133435 100644
--- a/bson/json.go
+++ b/bson/json.go
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
-	"gopkg.in/mgo.v2/internal/json"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
+
+	"gopkg.in/mgo.v2/internal/json"
 )
 
 // UnmarshalJSON unmarshals a JSON value that may hold non-standard
@@ -155,7 +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 {
@@ -169,13 +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 866f51c34..efb9ee64b 100644
--- a/bson/json_test.go
+++ b/bson/json_test.go
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 package bson_test
 
 import (
-	"gopkg.in/mgo.v2/bson"
-
-	. "gopkg.in/check.v1"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
+
+	. "gopkg.in/check.v1"
+	"gopkg.in/mgo.v2/bson"
 )
 
 type jsonTest struct {
@@ -33,12 +33,18 @@ 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),
@@ -179,6 +185,11 @@ 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)
 	}
 }