diff --git a/lib/liquid/standardfilters.rb b/lib/liquid/standardfilters.rb
index 9ec635d..b9c6d9c 100644
--- a/lib/liquid/standardfilters.rb
+++ b/lib/liquid/standardfilters.rb
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ module Liquid
     end
 
     # Reformat a date using Ruby's core Time#strftime( string ) -> string
-    # 
+    #
     #   %a - The abbreviated weekday name (``Sun'')
     #   %A - The  full  weekday  name (``Sunday'')
     #   %b - The abbreviated month name (``Jan'')
@@ -194,33 +194,11 @@ module Liquid
     #
     #   See also: http://www.ruby-doc.org/core/Time.html#method-i-strftime
     def date(input, format)
+      return input if format.to_s.empty?
 
-      if format.to_s.empty?
-        return input.to_s
-      end
+      return input unless date = to_date(input)
 
-      if ((input.is_a?(String) && !/\A\d+\z/.match(input.to_s).nil?) || input.is_a?(Integer)) && input.to_i > 0
-        input = Time.at(input.to_i)
-      end
-
-      date = if input.is_a?(String)
-        case input.downcase
-        when 'now'.freeze, 'today'.freeze
-          Time.now
-        else
-          Time.parse(input)
-        end
-      else
-        input
-      end
-
-      if date.respond_to?(:strftime)
-        date.strftime(format.to_s)
-      else
-        input
-      end
-    rescue
-      input
+      date.strftime(format.to_s)
     end
 
     # Get the first element of the passed in array
@@ -296,6 +274,23 @@ module Liquid
       end
     end
 
+    def to_date(obj)
+      return obj if obj.respond_to?(:strftime)
+
+      case obj
+      when 'now'.freeze, 'today'.freeze
+        Time.now
+      when /\A\d+\z/, Integer
+        Time.at(obj.to_i)
+      when String
+        Time.parse(obj)
+      else
+        nil
+      end
+    rescue ArgumentError
+      nil
+    end
+
     def apply_operation(input, operand, operation)
       result = to_number(input).send(operation, to_number(operand))
       result.is_a?(BigDecimal) ? result.to_f : result
diff --git a/test/integration/standard_filter_test.rb b/test/integration/standard_filter_test.rb
index e71a1f3..7ba9691 100644
--- a/test/integration/standard_filter_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/standard_filter_test.rb
@@ -186,7 +186,6 @@ class StandardFiltersTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal "07/05/2006", @filters.date("1152098955", "%m/%d/%Y")
   end
 
-
   def test_first_last
     assert_equal 1, @filters.first([1,2,3])
     assert_equal 3, @filters.last([1,2,3])