diff --git a/binding/binding_test.go b/binding/binding_test.go
index 5575e166..da71186a 100644
--- a/binding/binding_test.go
+++ b/binding/binding_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"mime/multipart"
 	"net/http"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin/binding/example"
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/proto"
@@ -284,3 +285,14 @@ func requestWithBody(method, path, body string) (req *http.Request) {
 	req, _ = http.NewRequest(method, path, bytes.NewBufferString(body))
 	return
 }
+
+func TestBindingFormOptionalTimeFormat(t *testing.T) {
+	q := struct {
+		Date time.Time `form:"date"`
+	}{}
+	req, _ := http.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/?date=2017-07-20", nil)
+	b := Form
+	err := b.Bind(req, &q)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Date(2017, time.July, 20, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.Local), q.Date)
+}
diff --git a/binding/form_mapping.go b/binding/form_mapping.go
index 34f12678..9e246508 100644
--- a/binding/form_mapping.go
+++ b/binding/form_mapping.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/araddon/dateparse"
 )
 
 func mapForm(ptr interface{}, form map[string][]string) error {
@@ -148,22 +150,29 @@ func setFloatField(val string, bitSize int, field reflect.Value) error {
 }
 
 func setTimeField(val string, structField reflect.StructField, value reflect.Value) error {
-	timeFormat := structField.Tag.Get("time_format")
-	if timeFormat == "" {
-		return errors.New("Blank time format")
-	}
 
 	if val == "" {
 		value.Set(reflect.ValueOf(time.Time{}))
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	timeFormat := structField.Tag.Get("time_format")
+
 	l := time.Local
 	if isUTC, _ := strconv.ParseBool(structField.Tag.Get("time_utc")); isUTC {
 		l = time.UTC
 	}
 
-	t, err := time.ParseInLocation(timeFormat, val, l)
+	var t time.Time
+	var err error
+	switch timeFormat {
+	case "":
+		t, err = dateparse.ParseIn(val, l)
+	default:
+		t, err = time.ParseInLocation(timeFormat, val, l)
+
+	}
+
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/vendor/vendor.json b/vendor/vendor.json
index e8690a2c..bdfb91f2 100644
--- a/vendor/vendor.json
+++ b/vendor/vendor.json
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 	"comment": "v1.2",
 	"ignore": "test",
 	"package": [
+		{
+			"checksumSHA1": "5P/i6wl4VszvH+3ep0egh4C/BDM=",
+			"path": "github.com/araddon/dateparse",
+			"revision": "a1537bb04470047339734bb11c0403cbc41c31aa",
+			"revisionTime": "2017-07-27T05:39:44Z"
+		},
 		{
 			"checksumSHA1": "dvabztWVQX8f6oMLRyv4dLH+TGY=",
 			"comment": "v1.1.0",