diff --git a/app/models/version.rb b/app/models/version.rb
index d0fe02973..16db9f05c 100644
--- a/app/models/version.rb
+++ b/app/models/version.rb
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class Version < ActiveRecord::Base
   validates_format_of :effective_date, :with => /^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/, :message => :not_a_date, :allow_nil => true
   validates_inclusion_of :status, :in => VERSION_STATUSES
   validates_inclusion_of :sharing, :in => VERSION_SHARINGS
+  validate :validate_version
 
   scope :named, lambda {|arg| { :conditions => ["LOWER(#{table_name}.name) = LOWER(?)", arg.to_s.strip]}}
   scope :open, :conditions => {:status => 'open'}
@@ -275,4 +276,10 @@ class Version < ActiveRecord::Base
       progress
     end
   end
+
+  def validate_version
+    if effective_date.nil? && @attributes['effective_date'].present?
+      errors.add :effective_date, :not_a_date
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/unit/version_test.rb b/test/unit/version_test.rb
index 034fa5668..807ff32b7 100644
--- a/test/unit/version_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/version_test.rb
@@ -32,7 +32,13 @@ class VersionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
   def test_invalid_effective_date_validation
     v = Version.new(:project => Project.find(1), :name => '1.1', :effective_date => '99999-01-01')
-    assert !v.save
+    assert !v.valid?
+    v.effective_date = '2012-11-33'
+    assert !v.valid?
+    v.effective_date = '2012-31-11'
+    assert !v.valid?
+    v.effective_date = 'ABC'
+    assert !v.valid?
     assert_include I18n.translate('activerecord.errors.messages.not_a_date'),
                    v.errors[:effective_date]
   end