diff --git a/src/datepicker/datepicker.js b/src/datepicker/datepicker.js
index d4a133beb6..c7f185e9ea 100644
--- a/src/datepicker/datepicker.js
+++ b/src/datepicker/datepicker.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.datepicker', ['ui.bootstrap.dateparser', 'ui.bootst
 
 .value('$datepickerSuppressError', false)
 
+.value('$datepickerLiteralWarning', true)
+
 .constant('uibDatepickerConfig', {
   datepickerMode: 'day',
   formatDay: 'dd',
@@ -21,8 +23,8 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.datepicker', ['ui.bootstrap.dateparser', 'ui.bootst
   yearRows: 4
 })
 
-.controller('UibDatepickerController', ['$scope', '$attrs', '$parse', '$interpolate', '$locale', '$log', 'dateFilter', 'uibDatepickerConfig', '$datepickerSuppressError', 'uibDateParser',
-  function($scope, $attrs, $parse, $interpolate, $locale, $log, dateFilter, datepickerConfig, $datepickerSuppressError, dateParser) {
+.controller('UibDatepickerController', ['$scope', '$attrs', '$parse', '$interpolate', '$locale', '$log', 'dateFilter', 'uibDatepickerConfig', '$datepickerLiteralWarning', '$datepickerSuppressError', 'uibDateParser',
+  function($scope, $attrs, $parse, $interpolate, $locale, $log, dateFilter, datepickerConfig, $datepickerLiteralWarning, $datepickerSuppressError, dateParser) {
   var self = this,
       ngModelCtrl = { $setViewValue: angular.noop }, // nullModelCtrl;
       ngModelOptions = {},
@@ -99,6 +101,10 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.datepicker', ['ui.bootstrap.dateparser', 'ui.bootst
             if (angular.isDate(value)) {
               self[key] = dateParser.fromTimezone(new Date(value), ngModelOptions.timezone);
             } else {
+              if ($datepickerLiteralWarning) {
+                $log.warn('Literal date support has been deprecated, please switch to date object usage');
+              }
+
               self[key] = new Date(dateFilter(value, 'medium'));
             }
           } else {
diff --git a/src/datepicker/docs/readme.md b/src/datepicker/docs/readme.md
index af88960824..cdbf1fa78c 100644
--- a/src/datepicker/docs/readme.md
+++ b/src/datepicker/docs/readme.md
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ Apart from the previous settings, to configure the uib-datepicker you need to cr
     <small class="badge">C</small>
     <i class="glyphicon glyphicon-eye-open"></i>
     _(Default: `null`)_ -
-    Defines the maximum available date.
+    Defines the maximum available date. Requires a Javascript Date object.
 
   * `maxMode`
     <small class="badge">C</small>
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ Apart from the previous settings, to configure the uib-datepicker you need to cr
     <small class="badge">C</small>
     <i class="glyphicon glyphicon-eye-open"></i>
     _(Default: `null`)_ -
-    Defines the minimum available date.
+    Defines the minimum available date. Requires a Javascript Date object.
 
   * `minMode`
     <small class="badge">C</small>
diff --git a/src/datepicker/test/datepicker.spec.js b/src/datepicker/test/datepicker.spec.js
index cbfa53a937..f1651eee47 100644
--- a/src/datepicker/test/datepicker.spec.js
+++ b/src/datepicker/test/datepicker.spec.js
@@ -139,6 +139,86 @@ describe('datepicker', function() {
     element.trigger(e);
   }
 
+  describe('$datepickerLiteralWarning', function() {
+    var $compile,
+      $log,
+      $scope;
+
+    it('should warn when using literals for min date by default', function() {
+      inject(function(_$log_, _$rootScope_, _$compile_) {
+        $log = _$log_;
+        $scope = _$rootScope_.$new();
+        $compile = _$compile_;
+      });
+
+      spyOn($log, 'warn');
+      $scope.options = {
+        minDate: '1984-01-01'
+      };
+      element = $compile('<uib-datepicker ng-model="locals.date" datepicker-options="options"></uib-datepicker>')($scope);
+      $scope.$digest();
+
+      expect($log.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Literal date support has been deprecated, please switch to date object usage');
+    });
+
+    it('should suppress warning when using literals for min date', function() {
+      module(function($provide) {
+        $provide.value('$datepickerLiteralWarning', false);
+      });
+      inject(function(_$log_, _$rootScope_, _$compile_) {
+        $log = _$log_;
+        $scope = _$rootScope_.$new();
+        $compile = _$compile_;
+      });
+
+      spyOn($log, 'warn');
+      $scope.options = {
+        minDate: '1984-01-01'
+      };
+      element = $compile('<uib-datepicker ng-model="locals.date" datepicker-options="options"></uib-datepicker>')($scope);
+      $scope.$digest();
+
+      expect($log.warn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('should warn when using literals for max date by default', function() {
+      inject(function(_$log_, _$rootScope_, _$compile_) {
+        $log = _$log_;
+        $scope = _$rootScope_.$new();
+        $compile = _$compile_;
+      });
+
+      spyOn($log, 'warn');
+      $scope.options = {
+        maxDate: '1984-01-01'
+      };
+      element = $compile('<uib-datepicker ng-model="locals.date" datepicker-options="options"></uib-datepicker>')($scope);
+      $scope.$digest();
+
+      expect($log.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Literal date support has been deprecated, please switch to date object usage');
+    });
+
+    it('should suppress warning when using literals for max date', function() {
+      module(function($provide) {
+        $provide.value('$datepickerLiteralWarning', false);
+      });
+      inject(function(_$log_, _$rootScope_, _$compile_) {
+        $log = _$log_;
+        $scope = _$rootScope_.$new();
+        $compile = _$compile_;
+      });
+
+      spyOn($log, 'warn');
+      $scope.options = {
+        maxDate: '1984-01-01'
+      };
+      element = $compile('<uib-datepicker ng-model="locals.date" datepicker-options="options"></uib-datepicker>')($scope);
+      $scope.$digest();
+
+      expect($log.warn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('$datepickerSuppressError', function() {
     var $compile,
         $log,
diff --git a/src/datepickerPopup/popup.js b/src/datepickerPopup/popup.js
index 59af66517f..318a949440 100644
--- a/src/datepickerPopup/popup.js
+++ b/src/datepickerPopup/popup.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 angular.module('ui.bootstrap.datepickerPopup', ['ui.bootstrap.datepicker', 'ui.bootstrap.position'])
 
+.value('$datepickerPopupLiteralWarning', true)
+
 .constant('uibDatepickerPopupConfig', {
   altInputFormats: [],
   appendToBody: false,
@@ -20,8 +22,8 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.datepickerPopup', ['ui.bootstrap.datepicker', 'ui.b
   placement: 'auto bottom-left'
 })
 
-.controller('UibDatepickerPopupController', ['$scope', '$element', '$attrs', '$compile', '$log', '$parse', '$window', '$document', '$rootScope', '$uibPosition', 'dateFilter', 'uibDateParser', 'uibDatepickerPopupConfig', '$timeout', 'uibDatepickerConfig',
-function($scope, $element, $attrs, $compile, $log, $parse, $window, $document, $rootScope, $position, dateFilter, dateParser, datepickerPopupConfig, $timeout, datepickerConfig) {
+.controller('UibDatepickerPopupController', ['$scope', '$element', '$attrs', '$compile', '$log', '$parse', '$window', '$document', '$rootScope', '$uibPosition', 'dateFilter', 'uibDateParser', 'uibDatepickerPopupConfig', '$timeout', 'uibDatepickerConfig', '$datepickerPopupLiteralWarning',
+function($scope, $element, $attrs, $compile, $log, $parse, $window, $document, $rootScope, $position, dateFilter, dateParser, datepickerPopupConfig, $timeout, datepickerConfig, $datepickerPopupLiteralWarning) {
   var cache = {},
     isHtml5DateInput = false;
   var dateFormat, closeOnDateSelection, appendToBody, onOpenFocus,
@@ -203,6 +205,10 @@ function($scope, $element, $attrs, $compile, $log, $parse, $window, $document, $
       } else if (angular.isDate($scope.datepickerOptions[key])) {
         dates[key] = dateParser.fromTimezone(new Date($scope.datepickerOptions[key]), timezone);
       } else {
+        if ($datepickerPopupLiteralWarning) {
+          $log.warn('Literal date support has been deprecated, please switch to date object usage');
+        }
+
         dates[key] = new Date(dateFilter($scope.datepickerOptions[key], 'medium'));
       }
     });