diff --git a/lib/couchrest/core/model.rb b/lib/couchrest/core/model.rb
index 56333d9..1d2daa9 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/core/model.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/core/model.rb
@@ -522,10 +522,14 @@ module CouchRest
         if target.is_a?(Array)
           klass = ::Extlib::Inflection.constantize(target[0])
           self[k] = self[k].collect do |value|
-            klass.new(value)
+            klass == Time ? Time.parse(value) : klass.new(value)
           end
         else
-          self[k] = ::Extlib::Inflection.constantize(target).new(self[k])
+          self[k] = if target == 'Time'
+            Time.parse(self[k])
+          else
+            ::Extlib::Inflection.constantize(target).new(self[k])
+          end
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/couchrest/core/model_spec.rb b/spec/couchrest/core/model_spec.rb
index 46403dd..7295d15 100644
--- a/spec/couchrest/core/model_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/couchrest/core/model_spec.rb
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ class Course < CouchRest::Model
   key_accessor :title
   cast :questions, :as => ['Question']
   cast :professor, :as => 'Person'
+  cast :final_test_at, :as => 'Time'
   view_by :title
   view_by :dept, :ducktype => true
 end
@@ -304,7 +305,8 @@ describe CouchRest::Model do
         "title" => "Metaphysics 410",
         "professor" => {
           "name" => ["Mark", "Hinchliff"]
-        }
+        },
+        "final_test_at" => "2008/12/19 13:00:00 +0800"
       }
       r = Course.database.save course_doc
       @course = Course.get r['id']
@@ -315,6 +317,9 @@ describe CouchRest::Model do
     it "should instantiate the professor as a person" do
       @course['professor'].last_name.should == "Hinchliff"
     end
+    it "should instantiate the final_test_at as a Time" do
+      @course['final_test_at'].should == Time.parse("2008/12/19 13:00:00 +0800")
+    end
   end
 
   describe "saving a model" do
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index c6ff9c4..4af958f 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+require "rubygems"
+require "spec" # Satisfies Autotest and anyone else not using the Rake tasks
+
 require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../lib/couchrest'
 
 FIXTURE_PATH = File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures'