diff --git a/src/micro/attributes.html b/src/micro/attributes.html
index 29df6704ad..0cf31246a4 100644
--- a/src/micro/attributes.html
+++ b/src/micro/attributes.html
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@
 
         case 'object':
           if (value instanceof Date) {
-            return value;
+            return value.toString();
           } else if (value) {
             try {
               return JSON.stringify(value);
diff --git a/src/standard/configure.html b/src/standard/configure.html
index cb244a7c34..023104e9a9 100644
--- a/src/standard/configure.html
+++ b/src/standard/configure.html
@@ -153,6 +153,9 @@
                   var value = (p === x.effect.value) ? config[p] :
                     this._get(x.effect.value, config);
                   if (x.effect.kind == 'attribute') {
+                    // For attribute bindings, flow through the same ser/deser
+                    // process to ensure the value is the same as if it were
+                    // bound through the attribute
                     value = node.deserialize(node.serialize(value),
                       node._propertyInfo[name].type);
                   }