diff --git a/beets/mediafile.py b/beets/mediafile.py
index 91e720c09..917e9c842 100644
--- a/beets/mediafile.py
+++ b/beets/mediafile.py
@@ -1057,7 +1057,10 @@ class DateField(MediaField):
             return None
 
     def __set__(self, mediafile, date):
-        self._set_date_tuple(mediafile, date.year, date.month, date.day)
+        if date is None:
+            self._set_date_tuple(mediafile, None, None, None)
+        else:
+            self._set_date_tuple(mediafile, date.year, date.month, date.day)
 
     def __delete__(self, mediafile):
         super(DateField, self).__delete__(mediafile)
diff --git a/test/test_mediafile_edge.py b/test/test_mediafile_edge.py
index 2a9bccc57..b0b45da0c 100644
--- a/test/test_mediafile_edge.py
+++ b/test/test_mediafile_edge.py
@@ -235,6 +235,13 @@ class TypeTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.mf.track = None
         self.assertEqual(self.mf.track, 0)
 
+    def test_set_date_to_none(self):
+        self.mf.date = None
+        self.assertIsNone(self.mf.date)
+        self.assertIsNone(self.mf.year)
+        self.assertIsNone(self.mf.month)
+        self.assertIsNone(self.mf.day)
+
 
 class SoundCheckTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_round_trip(self):