diff --git a/lib/http/cookie.rb b/lib/http/cookie.rb
index 4d70b69..d4b3cc7 100644
--- a/lib/http/cookie.rb
+++ b/lib/http/cookie.rb
@@ -134,14 +134,22 @@ class HTTP::Cookie
     #
     # If a block is given, each cookie object is passed to the block.
     #
-    # The cookie's origin URI/URL and a logger object can be passed in
-    # +options+ with the keywords +:origin+ and +:logger+,
-    # respectively.
+    # Available option keywords are below:
+    #
+    # * +origin+
+    #   The cookie's origin URI/URL
+    # * +date+
+    #   The base date used for interpreting Max-Age attribute values
+    #   instead of the current time
+    # * +logger+
+    #   Logger object useful for debugging
     def parse(set_cookie, options = nil, &block)
       if options
         logger = options[:logger]
         origin = options[:origin] and origin = URI(origin)
+        date = options[:date]
       end
+      date ||= Time.now
 
       [].tap { |cookies|
         set_cookie.split(/,(?=[^;,]*=)|,$/).each { |c|
@@ -211,7 +219,7 @@ class HTTP::Cookie
           cookie.httponly ||= false
 
           # RFC 6265 4.1.2.2
-          cookie.expires    = Time.now + cookie.max_age if cookie.max_age
+          cookie.expires    = date + cookie.max_age if cookie.max_age
           cookie.session    = !cookie.expires
 
           if origin
diff --git a/test/test_http_cookie.rb b/test/test_http_cookie.rb
index 1bedead..e8c2fd5 100644
--- a/test/test_http_cookie.rb
+++ b/test/test_http_cookie.rb
@@ -178,20 +178,27 @@ class TestHTTPCookie < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def test_parse_max_age
     url = URI.parse('http://localhost/')
 
-    date = 'Mon, 19 Feb 2012 19:26:04 GMT'
+    epoch, date = 4485353164, 'Fri, 19 Feb 2112 19:26:04 GMT'
+    base = Time.at(1363014000)
 
     cookie = HTTP::Cookie.parse("name=Akinori; expires=#{date}", :origin => url).first
-    assert_equal Time.at(1329679564), cookie.expires
+    assert_equal Time.at(epoch), cookie.expires
 
     cookie = HTTP::Cookie.parse('name=Akinori; max-age=3600', :origin => url).first
     assert_in_delta Time.now + 3600, cookie.expires, 1
+    cookie = HTTP::Cookie.parse('name=Akinori; max-age=3600', :origin => url, :date => base).first
+    assert_equal base + 3600, cookie.expires
 
     # Max-Age has precedence over Expires
     cookie = HTTP::Cookie.parse("name=Akinori; max-age=3600; expires=#{date}", :origin => url).first
     assert_in_delta Time.now + 3600, cookie.expires, 1
+    cookie = HTTP::Cookie.parse("name=Akinori; max-age=3600; expires=#{date}", :origin => url, :date => base).first
+    assert_equal base + 3600, cookie.expires
 
     cookie = HTTP::Cookie.parse("name=Akinori; expires=#{date}; max-age=3600", :origin => url).first
     assert_in_delta Time.now + 3600, cookie.expires, 1
+    cookie = HTTP::Cookie.parse("name=Akinori; expires=#{date}; max-age=3600", :origin => url, :date => base).first
+    assert_equal base + 3600, cookie.expires
   end
 
   def test_parse_expires_session