diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index d3406e01..b41eceff 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -11,15 +11,15 @@
    - [ ] completion for zsh
    - [ ] don't make test mail files executable
 
-** release 0.9 [86%]
+** release 0.9 [100%]
    - [X] bookmarks
    - [X] gtk-ui for searching
    - [X] clean up mu-msg-field, add formatting(?)
    - [X] normalize search fields
-   - [ ] cleanup version check
+   - [X] cleanup version check
    - [X] propagate errors to ui
    - [X] update mug for Gerrors feedback
-   - [ ] improve date ranges
+   - [X] improve date ranges
    - [X] improve spacing in mug
    - [X] fix flag searches + synonyms
    - [X] unbreak cc10/line33
diff --git a/src/mu-query.cc b/src/mu-query.cc
index 242dbc79..4e42b406 100644
--- a/src/mu-query.cc
+++ b/src/mu-query.cc
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ public:
 		if (!clear_prefix (begin))
 			return Xapian::BAD_VALUENO;
 
-		substitute_date (begin, true);
-		substitute_date (end, false);
+		substitute_date (begin);
+		substitute_date (end);
 
 		normalize_date (begin);
 		normalize_date (end);
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ private:
 	bool clear_prefix (std::string& begin) {
 		
 		const std::string colon (":");
-		const std::string name (mu_msg_field_name (MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_DATE) + colon);
+		const std::string name (mu_msg_field_name
+					(MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_DATE) + colon);
 		const std::string shortcut (
 			std::string(1, mu_msg_field_shortcut
 				    (MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_DATE)) + colon);
@@ -80,23 +81,27 @@ private:
 			return false;		
 	}
 	
-	void substitute_date (std::string& date, bool is_begin) {
+	void substitute_date (std::string& date) {
 		char datebuf[13];
 		time_t now = time(NULL);
-		if (is_begin) {
-			if (date == "today") {
-				strftime(datebuf, sizeof(datebuf), "%Y%m%d0000",
-					 localtime(&now));
-				date = datebuf;
-			} else if (date == "epoch")
-				date = "197001010000";
-		} else { /* end */
-			if (date == "now") {
+		
+		if (date == "today") {
+			strftime(datebuf, sizeof(datebuf), "%Y%m%d0000",
+				 localtime(&now));
+			date = datebuf;
+		} else if (date == "now") {
+			strftime(datebuf, sizeof(datebuf), "%Y%m%d%H%M",
+				 localtime(&now));
+			date = datebuf;
+		} else {
+			time_t t;
+			t = mu_date_parse_hdwmy (date.c_str());
+			if (t != (time_t)-1) {
 				strftime(datebuf, sizeof(datebuf), "%Y%m%d%H%M",
-					 localtime(&now));
+					 localtime(&t));
 				date = datebuf;
 			}
-		}
+		}		
 	}
 		
 	void normalize_date (std::string& date) {
@@ -118,10 +123,11 @@ private:
 		const std::string esuffix ("99991231235959");
 
 		if (is_begin)
-			date = std::string (date + bsuffix.substr (date.length()), len);
+			date = std::string (date + bsuffix.substr (date.length()));
 		else
-			date = std::string (date + esuffix.substr (date.length()), len);
+			date = std::string (date + esuffix.substr (date.length()));
 
+		date = date.substr (0, len);
 	}
 };
 
diff --git a/src/mu-str.c b/src/mu-str.c
index 0411cf34..fd134af4 100644
--- a/src/mu-str.c
+++ b/src/mu-str.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include "mu-str.h"
 #include "mu-msg-flags.h"
@@ -189,3 +190,39 @@ mu_str_display_contact (const char *str)
 
 
 
+time_t
+mu_date_parse_hdwmy (const char* str)
+{
+	long int num;
+	char *end;
+	time_t now, delta;
+	time_t never = (time_t)-1;
+	
+	g_return_val_if_fail (str, never);
+	
+	num = strtol  (str, &end, 10);
+	if (num <= 0 || num > 9999)  
+		return never;
+
+	if (!end || end[1] != '\0')
+		return never;
+	
+	switch (end[0]) {
+	case 'h': /* hour */	
+		delta = num * 24 * 60; break;
+	case 'd': /* day */
+		delta = num * 24 * 60 * 60; break;
+	case 'w': /* week */
+		delta = num * 7 * 24 * 60 * 60; break;
+	case 'm':
+		delta = num * 30 * 24 * 60 * 60; break;
+	case 'y':
+		delta = num * 365 * 24 * 60 * 60; break; 
+	default:
+		return never;
+	}
+
+	now = time(NULL);
+	return delta <= now ? now - delta : never;  
+}
+
diff --git a/src/mu-str.h b/src/mu-str.h
index 78a1d7ba..e1a0c32f 100644
--- a/src/mu-str.h
+++ b/src/mu-str.h
@@ -157,6 +157,26 @@ char* mu_str_normalize (const char *str, gboolean downcase);
  */
 char* mu_str_normalize_in_place (char *str, gboolean downcase);
 
+
+/**
+ * 
+ * parse strings like 1h, 3w, 2m to mean '1 hour before now', '3 weeks
+ * before now' and '2 * 30 days before now'
+ * 
+ * the format is <n>(h|d|w|m|y), where <n> is an integer > 0, and
+ * h=hour, d=day, w=week, m=30 days, year=365 days. function returns
+ * *now* minus this value as time_t (UTC)
+ *
+ * if the number cannot be parsed, return (time_t)-1
+ * 
+ * @param str a str
+ * 
+ * @return the time_t of the point in time indicated by 'now' minus
+ * the value, or (time_t)-1 otherwise
+ */
+time_t mu_date_parse_hdwmy (const char* str);
+
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /*__MU_STR_H__*/