diff --git a/rest_framework/fields.py b/rest_framework/fields.py
index fe555ee51..e9bae0ec9 100644
--- a/rest_framework/fields.py
+++ b/rest_framework/fields.py
@@ -534,6 +534,8 @@ class DateField(WritableField):
         raise ValidationError(msg)
 
     def to_native(self, value):
+        if value is None:
+            return None
         if isinstance(value, datetime.datetime):
             value = value.date()
         if self.format.lower() == ISO_8601:
@@ -599,6 +601,8 @@ class DateTimeField(WritableField):
         raise ValidationError(msg)
 
     def to_native(self, value):
+        if value is None:
+            return None
         if self.format.lower() == ISO_8601:
             return value.isoformat()
         return value.strftime(self.format)
diff --git a/rest_framework/tests/fields.py b/rest_framework/tests/fields.py
index 28f18ed89..fd6de7797 100644
--- a/rest_framework/tests/fields.py
+++ b/rest_framework/tests/fields.py
@@ -171,6 +171,13 @@ class DateFieldTest(TestCase):
 
         self.assertEqual('1984 - 07.31', result_1)
 
+    def test_to_native_none(self):
+        """
+        Make sure from_native() returns None on None param.
+        """
+        f = serializers.DateField(required=False)
+        self.assertEqual(None, f.to_native(None))
+
 
 class DateTimeFieldTest(TestCase):
     """
@@ -303,6 +310,13 @@ class DateTimeFieldTest(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual('1984 - 04:31', result_3)
         self.assertEqual('1984 - 04:31', result_4)
 
+    def test_to_native_none(self):
+        """
+        Make sure from_native() returns None on None param.
+        """
+        f = serializers.DateTimeField(required=False)
+        self.assertEqual(None, f.to_native(None))
+
 
 class TimeFieldTest(TestCase):
     """