diff --git a/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_loan.js b/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_loan.js
index be44bb54..9a1cce27 100644
--- a/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_loan.js
+++ b/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_loan.js
@@ -108,13 +108,15 @@ ${username}`;
                     submitted={this.state.submitted}/>
                 <div className="row">
                     <div className="col-md-6">
-                        <InputDate ref="startdate"/>
+                        <InputDate
+                            ref="startdate"
+                            placeholderText="Loan start date" />
                     </div>
                     <div className="col-md-6 form-group">
                         <InputText
                             ref="enddate"
                             name="enddate"
-                            placeHolder="Loan end date"
+                            placeholderText="Loan end date"
                             required="required"
                             type="text"
                             submitted={this.state.submitted}/>
@@ -141,4 +143,4 @@ ${username}`;
     }
 });
 
-export default LoanForm;
\ No newline at end of file
+export default LoanForm;
diff --git a/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_date.js b/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_date.js
index aa3e9e94..98422c72 100644
--- a/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_date.js
+++ b/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_date.js
@@ -8,19 +8,15 @@ let InputDate = React.createClass({
     mixins : [AlertMixin],
 
     getInitialState() {
-        return {value: '2015-01-01',
+        return {value: null,
                 alerts: null // needed in AlertMixin
         };
     },
-    handleChange(moment_date) {
-        this.setState({value: moment_date.format("YYYY-MM-DD")});
-    },
-    isValidDate: function (str) {
-        return (
-            /^[0-9]{4}$/.test(str) &&
-            moment(str, 'YYYY-MM-DD').isValid()
-        );
+
+    handleChange(date) {
+        this.setState({value: date});
     },
+
     render: function () {
         let className = "form-control input-text-ascribe";
         let alerts = (this.props.submitted) ? null : this.state.alerts;
@@ -28,7 +24,9 @@ let InputDate = React.createClass({
              <DatePicker
                  key="example2"
                  dateFormat="YYYY-MM-DD"
+                 selected={this.state.value}
                  onChange={this.handleChange}
+                 placeholderText={this.props.placeholderText}
               />
         );
         //return (
@@ -50,4 +48,4 @@ let InputDate = React.createClass({
     }
 });
 
-export default InputDate;
\ No newline at end of file
+export default InputDate;