diff --git a/src/datepicker/datepicker.js b/src/datepicker/datepicker.js
index a66465147d..c1ff1a6e94 100644
--- a/src/datepicker/datepicker.js
+++ b/src/datepicker/datepicker.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ angular.module('ui.bootstrap.datepicker', ['ui.bootstrap.dateparser', 'ui.bootst
   angular.forEach(['minDate', 'maxDate'], function(key) {
     if ($attrs[key]) {
       $scope.$parent.$watch($attrs[key], function(value) {
-        self[key] = value ? new Date(value) : null;
+        self[key] = value ? angular.isDate(value) ? new Date(value) : new Date(dateFilter(value, 'medium')) : null;
         self.refreshView();
       });
     } else {
@@ -628,10 +628,10 @@ function(scope, element, attrs, $compile, $parse, $document, $rootScope, $positi
       if (attrs[key]) {
         var getAttribute = $parse(attrs[key]);
         scope.$parent.$watch(getAttribute, function(value) {
-          scope.watchData[key] = value;
           if (key === 'minDate' || key === 'maxDate') {
-            cache[key] = new Date(value);
+            cache[key] = angular.isDate(value) ? new Date(value) : new Date(dateFilter(value, 'medium'));
           }
+          scope.watchData[key] = cache[key] || value;
         });
         datepickerEl.attr(cameltoDash(key), 'watchData.' + key);
 
diff --git a/src/datepicker/test/datepicker.spec.js b/src/datepicker/test/datepicker.spec.js
index 972bb57a8c..e112144823 100644
--- a/src/datepicker/test/datepicker.spec.js
+++ b/src/datepicker/test/datepicker.spec.js
@@ -965,6 +965,20 @@ describe('datepicker', function() {
 
     });
 
+    describe('`min-date` attribute', function () {
+      beforeEach(function() {
+        element = $compile('<uib-datepicker ng-model="date" min-date="\'2010-09-05\'"></uib-datepicker>')($rootScope);
+        $rootScope.$digest();
+      });
+
+      it('accepts literals, \'yyyy-MM-dd\' case', function() {
+        var buttons = getAllOptionsEl();
+        angular.forEach(buttons, function(button, index) {
+          expect(angular.element(button).prop('disabled')).toBe(index < 7);
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
     describe('`max-date` attribute', function() {
       beforeEach(function() {
         $rootScope.maxdate = new Date('September 25, 2010');
@@ -1982,6 +1996,17 @@ describe('datepicker', function() {
             expect(buttons.eq(0).prop('disabled')).toBe(true);
           });
 
+          it('should disable today button if before min date, yyyy-MM-dd case', inject(function(dateFilter) {
+            var minDate = new Date(new Date().setDate(new Date().getDate() + 1));
+            var literalMinDate = dateFilter(minDate, 'yyyy-MM-dd');
+            var wrapElement = $compile('<div><input ng-model="date" uib-datepicker-popup="yyyy-MM-dd" min-date="\'' + literalMinDate + '\'" is-open="true"><div>')($rootScope);
+            $rootScope.$digest();
+            assignElements(wrapElement);
+            assignButtonBar();
+
+            expect(buttons.eq(0).prop('disabled')).toBe(true);
+          }));
+
           it('should disable today button if after max date', function() {
             $rootScope.maxDate = new Date().setDate(new Date().getDate() - 2);
             var wrapElement = $compile('<div><input ng-model="date" uib-datepicker-popup max-date="maxDate" is-open="true"><div>')($rootScope);