diff --git a/wp-includes/post.php b/wp-includes/post.php
index 453f45c70e..bf9d7bd13b 100644
--- a/wp-includes/post.php
+++ b/wp-includes/post.php
@@ -1360,12 +1360,8 @@ function wp_insert_post($postarr = array(), $wp_error = false) {
 	}
 
 	// If the post date is empty (due to having been new or a draft) and status is not 'draft', set date to now
-	if ( empty($post_date) || '0000-00-00 00:00:00' == $post_date ) {
-		if ( !in_array($post_status, array('draft', 'pending')) )
-			$post_date = current_time('mysql');
-		else
-			$post_date = '0000-00-00 00:00:00';
-	}
+	if ( empty($post_date) || '0000-00-00 00:00:00' == $post_date )
+		$post_date = current_time('mysql');
 
 	if ( empty($post_date_gmt) || '0000-00-00 00:00:00' == $post_date_gmt ) {
 		if ( !in_array($post_status, array('draft', 'pending')) )
@@ -1534,8 +1530,8 @@ function wp_update_post($postarr = array()) {
 		$post_cats = $post['post_category'];
 
 	// Drafts shouldn't be assigned a date unless explicitly done so by the user
-	if ( in_array($post['post_status'], array('draft', 'pending')) && empty($postarr['edit_date']) && empty($postarr['post_date']) &&
-			 ('0000-00-00 00:00:00' == $post['post_date']) )
+	if ( in_array($post['post_status'], array('draft', 'pending')) && empty($postarr['edit_date']) &&
+			 ('0000-00-00 00:00:00' == $post['post_date_gmt']) )
 		$clear_date = true;
 	else
 		$clear_date = false;
@@ -1544,7 +1540,7 @@ function wp_update_post($postarr = array()) {
 	$postarr = array_merge($post, $postarr);
 	$postarr['post_category'] = $post_cats;
 	if ( $clear_date ) {
-		$postarr['post_date'] = '';
+		$postarr['post_date'] = current_time('mysql');;
 		$postarr['post_date_gmt'] = '';
 	}