diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6b835ec..80547c4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_DOCBOOK, test -n "$DOCBOOK_DSL")
 
 dnl Checks for library functions.
 VL_LIB_READLINE
+AC_CHECK_FUNC(strptime,[ AC_DEFINE(HAVE_STRPTIME, 1, [strptime check]) AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_STRPTIME, true) ],[ AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_STRPTIME, false) ])
 
 localedir=${datadir}/locale
 AC_SUBST(localedir)
diff --git a/include/mdbsql.h b/include/mdbsql.h
index 7fa8ffb..9c889e3 100644
--- a/include/mdbsql.h
+++ b/include/mdbsql.h
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ extern void mdb_sql_all_columns(MdbSQL *sql);
 extern void mdb_sql_sel_count(MdbSQL *sql);
 extern int mdb_sql_add_column(MdbSQL *sql, char *column_name);
 extern int mdb_sql_add_table(MdbSQL *sql, char *table_name);
+extern char *mdb_sql_strptime(MdbSQL *sql, char *data, char *format);
 extern void mdb_sql_dump(MdbSQL *sql);
 extern void mdb_sql_exit(MdbSQL *sql);
 extern void mdb_sql_reset(MdbSQL *sql);
diff --git a/include/mdbtools.h b/include/mdbtools.h
index 60ed640..394b0d6 100644
--- a/include/mdbtools.h
+++ b/include/mdbtools.h
@@ -336,6 +336,7 @@ typedef struct {
 struct mdbsargtree {
 	int       op;
 	MdbColumn *col;
+	unsigned char val_type;
 	MdbAny    value;
 	void      *parent;
 	MdbSargNode *left;
@@ -482,6 +483,7 @@ extern const char *mdb_col_get_prop(const MdbColumn *col, const gchar *key);
 extern int mdb_bind_column_by_name(MdbTableDef *table, gchar *col_name, void *bind_ptr, int *len_ptr);
 extern void mdb_data_dump(MdbTableDef *table);
 extern void mdb_date_to_tm(double td, struct tm *t);
+extern void mdb_tm_to_date(struct tm *t, double *td);
 extern void mdb_bind_column(MdbTableDef *table, int col_num, void *bind_ptr, int *len_ptr);
 extern int mdb_rewind_table(MdbTableDef *table);
 extern int mdb_fetch_row(MdbTableDef *table);
diff --git a/src/libmdb/data.c b/src/libmdb/data.c
index 92e86c5..3950181 100644
--- a/src/libmdb/data.c
+++ b/src/libmdb/data.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
  * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
  */
 
+#define _XOPEN_SOURCE
 #include <time.h>
 #include <math.h>
 #include "mdbtools.h"
@@ -37,6 +38,9 @@ static size_t mdb_copy_ole(MdbHandle *mdb, void *dest, int start, int size);
 #endif
 
 static char date_fmt[64] = "%x %X";
+static int noleap_cal[] = {0,31,59,90,120,151,181,212,243,273,304,334,365};
+static int leap_cal[]   = {0,31,60,91,121,152,182,213,244,274,305,335,366};
+
 
 void mdb_set_date_fmt(const char *fmt)
 {
@@ -778,18 +782,29 @@ static int trim_trailing_zeros(char * buff)
 }
 #endif
 
+
 /* Date/Time is stored as a double, where the whole
    part is the days from 12/30/1899 and the fractional
    part is the fractional part of one day. */
 
+void
+mdb_tm_to_date(struct tm *t, double *td)
+{
+	short yr = t->tm_year + 1900;
+	char leap = ((yr & 3) == 0) && ((yr % 100) != 0 || (yr % 400) == 0);
+	int *cal = leap ? leap_cal : noleap_cal;
+	long int time = (yr*365+(yr/4)-(yr/100)+(yr/400)+cal[t->tm_mon]+t->tm_mday)-693959;
+
+	*td = (((long)t->tm_hour * 3600)+((long)t->tm_min * 60)+((long)t->tm_sec)) / 86400.0;
+	if (time>=0) *td+=time; else *td=time-*td;
+}
+
 void
 mdb_date_to_tm(double td, struct tm *t)
 {
 	long int day, time;
 	int yr, q;
 	int *cal;
-	int noleap_cal[] = {0,31,59,90,120,151,181,212,243,273,304,334,365};
-	int leap_cal[]   = {0,31,60,91,121,152,182,213,244,274,305,335,366};
 
 	day = (long int)(td);
 	time = (long int)(fabs(td - day) * 86400.0 + 0.5);
diff --git a/src/libmdb/sargs.c b/src/libmdb/sargs.c
index 1325852..fcf9557 100644
--- a/src/libmdb/sargs.c
+++ b/src/libmdb/sargs.c
@@ -98,6 +98,43 @@ int mdb_test_int(MdbSargNode *node, gint32 i)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/* Actually used to not rely on libm. 
+ * Maybe there is a cleaner and faster solution? */
+static double poor_mans_trunc(double x)
+{
+	char buf[16];
+	sprintf(buf, "%.6f", x);
+	sscanf(buf, "%lf", &x);
+	return x;
+}
+
+int mdb_test_double(int op, double vd, double d)
+{
+	switch (op) {
+		case MDB_EQUAL:
+			//fprintf(stderr, "comparing %lf and %lf\n", d, node->value.d);
+			if (vd == d) return 1;
+			break;
+		case MDB_GT:
+			if (vd < d) return 1;
+			break;
+		case MDB_LT:
+			if (vd > d) return 1;
+			break;
+		case MDB_GTEQ:
+			if (vd <= d) return 1;
+			break;
+		case MDB_LTEQ:
+			if (vd >= d) return 1;
+			break;
+		default:
+			fprintf(stderr, "Calling mdb_test_sarg on unknown operator.  Add code to mdb_test_double() for operator %d\n",op);
+			break;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+#if 0 // Obsolete
 int
 mdb_test_date(MdbSargNode *node, double td)
 {
@@ -140,6 +177,7 @@ mdb_test_date(MdbSargNode *node, double td)
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
+#endif
 
 
 int
@@ -196,7 +234,7 @@ mdb_test_sarg(MdbHandle *mdb, MdbColumn *col, MdbSargNode *node, MdbField *field
 			mdb_unicode2ascii(mdb, field->value, field->siz, tmpbuf, 256);
 			return mdb_test_string(node, tmpbuf);
 		case MDB_DATETIME:
-			return mdb_test_date(node, mdb_get_double(field->value, 0));
+			return mdb_test_double(node->op, poor_mans_trunc(node->value.d), poor_mans_trunc(mdb_get_double(field->value, 0)));
 		default:
 			fprintf(stderr, "Calling mdb_test_sarg on unknown type.  Add code to mdb_test_sarg() for type %d\n",col->col_type);
 			break;
diff --git a/src/odbc/odbc.c b/src/odbc/odbc.c
index 57e386f..b798ef5 100644
--- a/src/odbc/odbc.c
+++ b/src/odbc/odbc.c
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ static SQLRETURN SQL_API _SQLAllocStmt(SQLHDBC hdbc, SQLHSTMT *phstmt);
 static SQLRETURN SQL_API _SQLFreeConnect(SQLHDBC hdbc);
 static SQLRETURN SQL_API _SQLFreeEnv(SQLHENV henv);
 static SQLRETURN SQL_API _SQLFreeStmt(SQLHSTMT hstmt, SQLUSMALLINT fOption);
+static SQLRETURN SQL_API _SQLPrepare(SQLHSTMT hstmt, SQLCHAR *szSqlStr, SQLINTEGER cbSqlStr);
+
 
 static void bind_columns (struct _hstmt*);
 static void unbind_columns (struct _hstmt*);
@@ -1111,11 +1113,7 @@ static SQLRETURN SQL_API _SQLExecDirect(
     SQLCHAR           *szSqlStr,
     SQLINTEGER         cbSqlStr)
 {
-	struct _hstmt *stmt = (struct _hstmt *) hstmt;
-
-	TRACE("_SQLExecDirect");
-	strcpy(stmt->query, (char*)szSqlStr);
-
+	_SQLPrepare(hstmt, szSqlStr, cbSqlStr);
 	return _SQLExecute(hstmt);
 }
 
@@ -1362,7 +1360,7 @@ SQLRETURN SQL_API SQLNumResultCols(
 	return SQL_SUCCESS;
 }
 
-SQLRETURN SQL_API SQLPrepare(
+static SQLRETURN SQL_API _SQLPrepare(
     SQLHSTMT           hstmt,
     SQLCHAR           *szSqlStr,
     SQLINTEGER         cbSqlStr)
@@ -1378,6 +1376,14 @@ SQLRETURN SQL_API SQLPrepare(
 	return SQL_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+SQLRETURN SQL_API SQLPrepare(
+    SQLHSTMT           hstmt,
+    SQLCHAR           *szSqlStr,
+    SQLINTEGER         cbSqlStr)
+{
+	return _SQLPrepare(hstmt, szSqlStr, cbSqlStr);
+}
+
 SQLRETURN SQL_API SQLRowCount(
     SQLHSTMT           hstmt,
     SQLLEN            *pcrow)
diff --git a/src/sql/lexer.l b/src/sql/lexer.l
index caa297f..9e10ba4 100644
--- a/src/sql/lexer.l
+++ b/src/sql/lexer.l
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ null		{ return NUL; }
 (>=)		{ return GTEQ; }
 like		{ return LIKE; }
 count		{ return COUNT; }
+strptime	{ return STRPTIME; }
 [ \t\r]	;
 
 \"[^"]*\"\"  {
diff --git a/src/sql/mdbsql.c b/src/sql/mdbsql.c
index 2086b98..42e62b2 100644
--- a/src/sql/mdbsql.c
+++ b/src/sql/mdbsql.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <stdarg.h>
+#define _XOPEN_SOURCE
 #include "mdbsql.h"
 
 #ifdef DMALLOC
@@ -28,6 +29,12 @@
 #include <wordexp.h>
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_STRPTIME
+#include <time.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <locale.h>
+#endif
+
 char *g_input_ptr;
 
 /* Prevent warnings from -Wmissing-prototypes.  */
@@ -334,6 +341,50 @@ mdb_sql_dump_node(MdbSargNode *node, int level)
 		mdb_sql_dump_node(node->right, mylevel);
 	}
 }
+
+/* Parses date format specifier into JET date representation (double) */
+char *
+mdb_sql_strptime(MdbSQL *sql, char *data, char *format)
+{
+#ifndef HAVE_STRPTIME
+	mdb_sql_error(sql, "Your system doesn't support strptime.");
+	mdb_sql_reset(sql);
+	return NULL;
+#else
+	char *p, *pszDate;
+	struct tm tm={0};
+	double date=0;
+
+	if (data[0]!='\'' || *(p=&data[strlen(data)-1])!='\'') {
+		mdb_sql_error(sql, "First parameter of strptime (data) must be a string.");
+		mdb_sql_reset(sql);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	*p=0; ++data;
+	if (format[0]!='\'' || *(p=&format[strlen(format)-1])!='\'') {
+		mdb_sql_error(sql, "Second parameter of strptime (format) must be a string.");
+		mdb_sql_reset(sql);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	*p=0; ++format;
+	if (!strptime(data, format, &tm)) {
+		mdb_sql_error(sql, "strptime('%s','%s') failed.", data, format);
+		mdb_sql_reset(sql);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	mdb_tm_to_date(&tm, &date);
+	/* It seems that when just using a time offset without date in strptime, 
+	 * we always get 1 as decimal part, een though it should be 0 for time */
+	if (date < 2 && date > 1) date--;
+	if ((pszDate=malloc(16))) {
+		char cLocale=localeconv()->decimal_point[0], *p;
+		sprintf(pszDate, "%lf", date);
+		if (cLocale!='.') for (p=pszDate; *p; p++) if (*p==cLocale) *p='.';
+	}
+	return pszDate;
+#endif
+}
+
 /* evaluate a expression involving 2 constants and add answer to the stack */
 int 
 mdb_sql_eval_expr(MdbSQL *sql, char *const1, int op, char *const2)
@@ -387,6 +438,7 @@ int
 mdb_sql_add_sarg(MdbSQL *sql, char *col_name, int op, char *constant)
 {
 	int lastchar;
+	char *p;
 	MdbSargNode *node;
 
 	node = mdb_sql_alloc_node();
@@ -406,8 +458,14 @@ mdb_sql_add_sarg(MdbSQL *sql, char *col_name, int op, char *constant)
 		lastchar = strlen(constant) > 256 ? 256 : strlen(constant);
 		strncpy(node->value.s, &constant[1], lastchar - 2);;
 		node->value.s[lastchar - 1]='\0';
+		node->val_type = MDB_TEXT;
+	} else if ((p=strchr(constant, '.'))) {
+		*p=localeconv()->decimal_point[0];
+		node->value.d = strtod(constant, NULL);
+		node->val_type = MDB_DOUBLE;
 	} else {
 		node->value.i = atoi(constant);
+		node->val_type = MDB_INT;
 	}
 
 	mdb_sql_push_node(sql, node);
@@ -478,6 +536,8 @@ void mdb_sql_exit(MdbSQL *sql)
 }
 void mdb_sql_reset(MdbSQL *sql)
 {
+	unsigned int i;
+
 	if (sql->cur_table) {
 		mdb_index_scan_free(sql->cur_table);
 		if (sql->cur_table->sarg_tree) {
@@ -489,7 +549,6 @@ void mdb_sql_reset(MdbSQL *sql)
 	}
 
 	/* Reset bound values */
-	unsigned int i;
 	for (i=0;i<sql->num_columns;i++) {
 		g_free(sql->bound_values[i]);
 		sql->bound_values[i] = NULL;
@@ -653,24 +712,40 @@ void mdb_sql_describe_table(MdbSQL *sql)
 	sql->cur_table = ttable;
 }
 
+MdbColumn *mdb_sql_find_colbyname(MdbTableDef *table, char *name)
+{
+	unsigned int i;
+	MdbColumn *col;
+
+	for (i=0;i<table->num_cols;i++) {
+		col=g_ptr_array_index(table->columns,i);
+		if (!g_ascii_strcasecmp(col->name, name)) return col;
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 int mdb_sql_find_sargcol(MdbSargNode *node, gpointer data)
 {
 	MdbTableDef *table = data;
-	unsigned int i;
 	MdbColumn *col;
 
 	if (!mdb_is_relational_op(node->op)) return 0;
 	if (!node->parent) return 0;
 
-	for (i=0;i<table->num_cols;i++) {
-		col=g_ptr_array_index(table->columns,i);
-		if (!g_ascii_strcasecmp(col->name, (char *)node->parent)) {
-			node->col = col;
-			break;
+	if ((col = mdb_sql_find_colbyname(table, (char *)node->parent))) {
+		node->col = col;
+		/* Do conversion to required target value type.
+		 * Plain integers are UNIX timestamps for backwards compatibility of parser
+		*/
+		if (col->col_type == MDB_DATETIME && node->val_type == MDB_INT) {
+			struct tm *tm = gmtime((time_t*)&node->value.i);
+			mdb_tm_to_date(tm, &node->value.d);
+			node->val_type = MDB_DOUBLE;
 		}
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
+
 void 
 mdb_sql_select(MdbSQL *sql)
 {
@@ -687,6 +762,7 @@ int found = 0;
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (!sql->num_tables) return;
 	sql_tab = g_ptr_array_index(sql->tables,0);
 
 	table = mdb_read_table_by_name(mdb, sql_tab->name, MDB_TABLE);
diff --git a/src/sql/parser.y b/src/sql/parser.y
index af64556..f87c0c0 100644
--- a/src/sql/parser.y
+++ b/src/sql/parser.y
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ static MdbSQL *g_sql;
 
 
 %token <name> IDENT NAME PATH STRING NUMBER
-%token SELECT FROM WHERE CONNECT DISCONNECT TO LIST TABLES AND OR NOT COUNT
+%token SELECT FROM WHERE CONNECT DISCONNECT TO LIST TABLES AND OR NOT COUNT STRPTIME
 %token DESCRIBE TABLE
 %token LTEQ GTEQ LIKE IS NUL
 
@@ -132,7 +132,12 @@ nulloperator:
 	;
 
 constant:
-	NUMBER { $$ = $1; }
+	STRPTIME '(' constant ',' constant ')' { 
+		$$ = mdb_sql_strptime(_mdb_sql(NULL), $3, $5);
+		free($3);
+		free($5);
+	}
+	| NUMBER { $$ = $1; }
 	| STRING { $$ = $1; }
 	;