diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index cb69ebd0b0..1e56bd3412 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -278,6 +278,7 @@ answer newbie questions, and generally made Django that much better:
     Frank Tegtmeyer <fte@fte.to>
     thebjorn <bp@datakortet.no>
     Zach Thompson <zthompson47@gmail.com>
+    Deepak Thukral <deep.thukral@gmail.com>
     tibimicu@gmax.net
     tobias@neuyork.de
     Tom Tobin
diff --git a/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py b/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
index 795f8936bd..3792a30a88 100644
--- a/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
+++ b/django/db/models/fields/__init__.py
@@ -538,7 +538,12 @@ class DateField(Field):
     def get_db_prep_save(self, value):
         # Casts dates into string format for entry into database.
         if value is not None:
-            value = value.strftime('%Y-%m-%d')
+            try:
+                value = value.strftime('%Y-%m-%d')
+            except AttributeError:
+                # If value is already a string it won't have a strftime method,
+                # so we'll just let it pass through.
+                pass
         return Field.get_db_prep_save(self, value)
 
     def get_manipulator_field_objs(self):