diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 044ea578..b84a86bc 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -147,9 +147,8 @@ if defined?(Gem)
     # read spec file and split out manifest section
     spec = File.read(f.name)
     head, manifest, tail = spec.split("  # = MANIFEST =\n")
-    # replace version and date
+    # replace version
     head.sub!(/\.version = '.*'/, ".version = '#{source_version}'")
-    head.sub!(/\.date = '.*'/, ".date = '#{Date.today.to_s}'")
     # determine file list from git ls-files
     files = `git ls-files`.
       split("\n").
diff --git a/sinatra.gemspec b/sinatra.gemspec
index 73fbd610..2fc2a936 100644
--- a/sinatra.gemspec
+++ b/sinatra.gemspec
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
 
   s.name = 'sinatra'
   s.version = '1.3.0'
-  s.date = '2011-05-01'
 
   s.description = "Classy web-development dressed in a DSL"
   s.summary     = "Classy web-development dressed in a DSL"