diff --git a/core/page/data_import_tool/data_import_tool.js b/core/page/data_import_tool/data_import_tool.js
index c7701abf40..4058dd6e95 100644
--- a/core/page/data_import_tool/data_import_tool.js
+++ b/core/page/data_import_tool/data_import_tool.js
@@ -23,10 +23,7 @@ wn.pages['data-import-tool'].onload = function(wrapper) {
 		<p id="dit-output"></p>\
 		');
 		
-	$(wrapper).find('.layout-side-section').append('<h4>Help</h4><br>\
-		<p><b>Date Format:</b></p>\
-		<p>Dates must be in format "YYYY-MM-DD", for example, \
-			31st Jan 2012 must be "2012-01-31"</p>\
+	$(wrapper).find('.layout-side-section').append('<h4>Help</h4>\
 		<p><b>Importing non-English data:</b></p>\
 		<p>While uploading non English files ensure that the encoding is UTF-8.</p>\
 		<p>Microsoft Excel Users:\
@@ -147,14 +144,6 @@ wn.pages['data-import-tool'].onload = function(wrapper) {
 	// add ignore option
 	$('<input type="checkbox" name="ignore_encoding_errors"><span> Ignore Encoding Errors</span><br><br>')
 		.insertBefore('#dit-upload-area form input[type="submit"]')
-
-
-	// add overwrite option
-	$('<span>Date Format: </span><select name="date_format"></select><br><br>')
-		.insertBefore('#dit-upload-area form input[type="submit"]')
-	
-	$('#dit-upload-area select').add_options(['dd/mm/yyyy', 'mm/dd/yyyy', 'yyyy-mm-dd'])
-
 	
 	// rename button
 	$('#dit-upload-area form input[type="submit"]')
diff --git a/core/page/data_import_tool/data_import_tool.py b/core/page/data_import_tool/data_import_tool.py
index 46cc49a46b..c6d53d9489 100644
--- a/core/page/data_import_tool/data_import_tool.py
+++ b/core/page/data_import_tool/data_import_tool.py
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ def get_parent_details(rows):
 def check_record(d, parenttype):
 	"""check for mandatory, select options, dates. these should ideally be in doclist"""
 	
-	from webnotes.utils.dateutils import user_to_str
+	from webnotes.utils.dateutils import parse_date
 	
 	if parenttype and not d.get('parent'):
 		raise Exception, "parent is required."
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ def check_record(d, parenttype):
 						", ".join(filter(None, docfield.options.split("\n"))))
 					
 			if val and docfield.fieldtype=='Date':
-				d[key] = parse_date(val, webnotes.form_dict['date_format'])
+				d[key] = parse_date(val)
 
 def getlink(doctype, name):
 	return '<a href="#Form/%(doctype)s/%(name)s">%(name)s</a>' % locals()
@@ -237,33 +237,6 @@ def delete_child_rows(rows, doctype):
 	for p in list(set([r[1] for r in rows[8:]])):
 		webnotes.conn.sql("""delete from `tab%s` where parent=%s""" % (doctype, '%s'), p)
 		
-def parse_date(val, format):
-	from webnotes.utils.dateutils import user_to_str
-	
-	parsed_val = None
-	check_formats = [
-		format, # the one mentioned in the form
-		None, # users default date format
-		"yyyy-mm-dd", # system date format
-		"dd-mmm-yyyy", # numbers app format
-		"mm/dd/yyyy", # excel app format
-	]
-	
-	for f in check_formats:
-		try:
-			parsed_val = user_to_str(val, f, verbose=0)
-			if parsed_val:
-				webnotes.errprint([f, parsed_val])
-				break
-		except ValueError, e:
-			pass
-	
-	if not parsed_val:
-		webnotes.msgprint("Cannot identify date")
-		raise Exception
-		
-	return parsed_val
-
 def import_doc(d, doctype, overwrite, row_idx):
 	"""import main (non child) document"""
 	import webnotes
diff --git a/webnotes/utils/dateutils.py b/webnotes/utils/dateutils.py
index 67a3f51c45..e897640f53 100644
--- a/webnotes/utils/dateutils.py
+++ b/webnotes/utils/dateutils.py
@@ -28,14 +28,16 @@ import datetime
 user_date_format = None
 dateformats = {
 	'yyyy-mm-dd': '%Y-%m-%d',
-	'dd/mm/yyyy': '%d/%m/%Y',
 	'mm/dd/yyyy': '%m/%d/%Y',
-	'dd-mm-yyyy': '%d-%m-%Y',
+	'mm-dd-yyyy': '%m-%d-%Y',
+	"mm/dd/yy": "%m/%d/%y", 
 	'dd-mmm-yyyy': '%d-%b-%Y', # numbers app format
-	'yyyy-mm-dd': '%Y-%m-%d',
+	'dd/mm/yyyy': '%d/%m/%Y',
+	'dd-mm-yyyy': '%d-%m-%Y',
+	"dd/mm/yy": "%d/%m/%y",
 }
 
-def user_to_str(date, date_format=None, verbose=1):
+def user_to_str(date, date_format=None):
 	if not date: return date
 	
 	if not date_format:
@@ -45,14 +47,33 @@ def user_to_str(date, date_format=None, verbose=1):
 		return datetime.datetime.strptime(date, 
 			dateformats[date_format]).strftime('%Y-%m-%d')
 	except ValueError, e:
-		if verbose:
-			webnotes.msgprint("Date %s must be in format %s" % (date, date_format),
-				raise_exception=True)
-		else:
-			raise e
+		raise ValueError, "Date %s must be in format %s" % (date, date_format)
+
+def parse_date(date):
+	"""tries to parse given date to system's format i.e. yyyy-mm-dd. returns a string"""
+	parsed_date = None
+	
+	# why the sorting? checking should be done in a predictable order
+	check_formats = [None] + sorted(dateformats.keys(),
+		reverse=not get_user_date_format().startswith("dd"))
+		
+	for f in check_formats:
+		try:
+			parsed_date = user_to_str(date, f)
+			if parsed_date:
+				break
+		except ValueError, e:
+			pass
+
+	if not parsed_date:
+		raise Exception, """Cannot understand date - '%s'.
+			Try formatting it like your default format - '%s'""" % \
+			(date, get_user_date_format())
+
+	return parsed_date
 		
 def get_user_date_format():
 	if not user_date_format:
 		global user_date_format
 		user_date_format = webnotes.conn.get_value("Control Panel", None, "date_format")
-	return user_date_format	
+	return user_date_format
\ No newline at end of file