diff --git a/database.cc b/database.cc
index fc72936006..e922a3f9cc 100644
--- a/database.cc
+++ b/database.cc
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include "database.hh"
 #include "net/byteorder.hh"
+#include "db_clock.hh"
 
 bool
 less_unsigned(const bytes& v1, const bytes& v2) {
@@ -11,13 +12,28 @@ less_unsigned(const bytes& v1, const bytes& v2) {
             [](int8_t v1, int8_t v2) { return uint8_t(v1) < uint8_t(v2); });
 }
 
+template <typename T, typename Compare>
+bool
+abstract_type::default_less(const bytes& v1, const bytes& v2, Compare compare) {
+    auto o1 = deserialize(v1);
+    auto o2 = deserialize(v2);
+    if (!o1) {
+        return bool(o2);
+    }
+    if (!o2) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    auto& x1 = boost::any_cast<const T&>(*o1);
+    auto& x2 = boost::any_cast<const T&>(*o2);
+    return compare(x1, x2);
+}
+
+
 template <typename T>
 struct simple_type_impl : abstract_type {
     simple_type_impl(sstring name) : abstract_type(std::move(name)) {}
     virtual bool less(const bytes& v1, const bytes& v2) override {
-        auto& x1 = boost::any_cast<const T&>(deserialize(v1));
-        auto& x2 = boost::any_cast<const T&>(deserialize(v2));
-        return x1 < x2;
+        return default_less<T>(v1, v2);
     }
 };
 
@@ -28,9 +44,15 @@ struct int32_type_impl : simple_type_impl<int32_t> {
         auto u = net::hton(uint32_t(v));
         out.write(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(&u), sizeof(u));
     }
-    virtual boost::any deserialize(std::istream& in) {
+    virtual object_opt deserialize(std::istream& in) {
         uint32_t u;
-        in.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&u), sizeof(u));
+        auto n = in.rdbuf()->sgetn(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&u), sizeof(u));
+        if (!n) {
+            return {};
+        }
+        if (n != 4) {
+            throw marshal_exception();
+        }
         auto v = int32_t(net::ntoh(u));
         return boost::any(v);
     }
@@ -43,9 +65,15 @@ struct long_type_impl : simple_type_impl<int64_t> {
         auto u = net::hton(uint64_t(v));
         out.write(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(&u), sizeof(u));
     }
-    virtual boost::any deserialize(std::istream& in) {
+    virtual object_opt deserialize(std::istream& in) {
         uint64_t u;
-        in.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&u), sizeof(u));
+        auto n = in.rdbuf()->sgetn(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&u), sizeof(u));
+        if (!n) {
+            return {};
+        }
+        if (n != 8) {
+            throw marshal_exception();
+        }
         auto v = int64_t(net::ntoh(u));
         return boost::any(v);
     }
@@ -57,7 +85,7 @@ struct string_type_impl : public abstract_type {
         auto& v = boost::any_cast<const sstring&>(value);
         out.write(v.c_str(), v.size());
     }
-    virtual boost::any deserialize(std::istream& in) {
+    virtual object_opt deserialize(std::istream& in) {
         std::vector<char> tmp(std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(in.rdbuf()),
                               std::istreambuf_iterator<char>());
         // FIXME: validation?
@@ -74,7 +102,7 @@ struct bytes_type_impl : public abstract_type {
         auto& v = boost::any_cast<const bytes&>(value);
         out.write(v.c_str(), v.size());
     }
-    virtual boost::any deserialize(std::istream& in) {
+    virtual object_opt deserialize(std::istream& in) {
         std::vector<char> tmp(std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(in.rdbuf()),
                               std::istreambuf_iterator<char>());
         return boost::any(bytes(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(tmp.data()), tmp.size()));
@@ -84,11 +112,59 @@ struct bytes_type_impl : public abstract_type {
     }
 };
 
+struct boolean_type_impl : public simple_type_impl<bool> {
+    boolean_type_impl() : simple_type_impl<bool>("boolean") {}
+    virtual void serialize(const boost::any& value, std::ostream& out) override {
+        auto v = boost::any_cast<bool>(value);
+        char c = v;
+        out.put(c);
+    }
+    virtual object_opt deserialize(std::istream& in) override {
+        char tmp;
+        auto n = in.rdbuf()->sgetn(&tmp, 1);
+        if (n == 0) {
+            return {};
+        }
+        return boost::any(tmp != 0);
+    }
+};
+
+struct date_type_impl : public abstract_type {
+    date_type_impl() : abstract_type("date") {}
+    virtual void serialize(const boost::any& value, std::ostream& out) override {
+        auto v = boost::any_cast<db_clock::time_point>(value);
+        int64_t i = v.time_since_epoch().count();
+        i = net::hton(uint64_t(i));
+        out.write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&i), 8);
+    }
+    virtual object_opt deserialize(std::istream& in) override {
+        int64_t tmp;
+        auto n = in.rdbuf()->sgetn(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&tmp), 8);
+        if (n == 0) {
+            return {};
+        }
+        if (n != 8) {
+            throw marshal_exception();
+        }
+        tmp = net::ntoh(uint64_t(tmp));
+        return boost::any(db_clock::time_point(db_clock::duration(tmp)));
+    }
+    virtual bool less(const bytes& b1, const bytes& b2) override {
+        // DateType has a bug where it compares the values as an unsigned type.
+        // Preserve this bug.
+        return default_less<db_clock::time_point>(b1, b2, [] (db_clock::time_point t1, db_clock::time_point t2) {
+            return uint64_t(t1.time_since_epoch().count() < t2.time_since_epoch().count());
+        });
+    }
+};
+
 thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> int_type(make_shared<int32_type_impl>());
 thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> long_type(make_shared<long_type_impl>());
 thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> ascii_type(make_shared<string_type_impl>("ascii"));
 thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> bytes_type(make_shared<bytes_type_impl>());
 thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> utf8_type(make_shared<string_type_impl>("utf8"));
+thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> boolean_type(make_shared<boolean_type_impl>());
+thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> date_type(make_shared<date_type_impl>());
 
 partition::partition(column_family& cf)
         : rows(key_compare(cf.clustering_key_type)) {
diff --git a/database.hh b/database.hh
index 31c1deb669..b9e0eb40d2 100644
--- a/database.hh
+++ b/database.hh
@@ -17,19 +17,30 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <boost/functional/hash.hpp>
+#include <experimental/optional>
 
 // FIXME: should be int8_t
 using bytes = basic_sstring<char, uint32_t, 31>;
 
+using object_opt = std::experimental::optional<boost::any>;
+
+class marshal_exception : public std::exception {
+    sstring _why;
+public:
+    marshal_exception() : _why("marshalling error") {}
+    marshal_exception(sstring why) : _why(sstring("marshaling error: ") + why) {}
+    virtual const char* why() const { return _why.c_str(); }
+};
+
 class abstract_type {
     sstring _name;
 public:
     abstract_type(sstring name) : _name(name) {}
     virtual ~abstract_type() {}
     virtual void serialize(const boost::any& value, std::ostream& out) = 0;
-    virtual boost::any deserialize(std::istream& in) = 0;
+    virtual object_opt deserialize(std::istream& in) = 0;
     virtual bool less(const bytes& v1, const bytes& v2) = 0;
-    boost::any deserialize(const bytes& v) {
+    object_opt deserialize(const bytes& v) {
         // FIXME: optimize
         std::istringstream iss(v);
         return deserialize(iss);
@@ -44,6 +55,9 @@ public:
     sstring name() const {
         return _name;
     }
+protected:
+    template <typename T, typename Compare = std::less<T>>
+    bool default_less(const bytes& b1, const bytes& b2, Compare compare = Compare());
 };
 
 using data_type = shared_ptr<abstract_type>;
@@ -86,6 +100,7 @@ extern thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> long_type;
 extern thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> ascii_type;
 extern thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> bytes_type;
 extern thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> utf8_type;
+extern thread_local shared_ptr<abstract_type> boolean_type;
 
 template <>
 inline
diff --git a/db_clock.hh b/db_clock.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9c4af2516b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db_clock.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2014 Cloudius Systems, Ltd.
+ */
+
+#ifndef DB_CLOCK_HH_
+#define DB_CLOCK_HH_
+
+#include <chrono>
+#include <cstdint>
+
+// the database clock follows Java - 1ms granularity, 64-bit counter, 1970 epoch
+
+class db_clock {
+    using base = std::chrono::system_clock;
+public:
+    using rep = int64_t;
+    using period = std::ratio<1, 1000>; // milliseconds
+    using duration = std::chrono::duration<rep, period>;
+    using time_point = std::chrono::time_point<db_clock, duration>;
+
+    static constexpr bool is_steady = base::is_steady;
+    static std::time_t to_time_t(time_point t) {
+        return std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::seconds>(t.time_since_epoch()).count();
+    }
+    static time_point from_time_t(std::time_t t) {
+        return time_point(std::chrono::duration_cast<duration>(std::chrono::seconds(t)));
+    }
+    static time_point now() {
+        auto now_since_epoch = base::now() - base::from_time_t(0);
+        return time_point(std::chrono::duration_cast<duration>(now_since_epoch));
+    }
+};
+
+#endif /* DB_CLOCK_HH_ */