diff --git a/lib/solr_request.rb b/lib/solr_request.rb
index 43961a5..8e43658 100644
--- a/lib/solr_request.rb
+++ b/lib/solr_request.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class SolrRequest
   WHITELIST = [
     :everything, :author, :author_country, :institution, :publication_days_ago,
     :datepicker1, :datepicker2, :subject, :cross_published_journal_name,
-    :financial_disclosure, :title
+    :financial_disclosure, :title, :publication_date
   ]
 
   # Creates a solr request.  The query (q param in the solr request) will be based on
diff --git a/spec/lib/solr_query_builder_spec.rb b/spec/lib/solr_query_builder_spec.rb
index a19efcc..56aa85a 100644
--- a/spec/lib/solr_query_builder_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/solr_query_builder_spec.rb
@@ -140,4 +140,22 @@ def build_page_block_test_once(params, expected)
     qb.build
     qb.sort.should eq("&sort=publication_date%20desc")
   end
+
+  it "doesn't ignore publication_date parameter (regression test for issue #50)" do
+    params = {
+      everything: "cancer",
+      author: "",
+      author_country: "",
+      institution: "",
+      subject: "",
+      cross_published_journal_name: "All Journals",
+      financial_disclosure: "",
+      publication_date: "[2014-09-03T14:01:32Z TO 2014-10-03T14:01:32Z]"
+    }
+    qb = SolrQueryBuilder.new(params)
+    qb.build.should eq(
+      "everything:cancer AND publication_date:[2014-09-03T14:01:32Z TO " \
+      "2014-10-03T14:01:32Z]"
+    )
+  end
 end