diff --git a/rest_framework/fields.py b/rest_framework/fields.py
index 58e28ed4c..abc2d478b 100644
--- a/rest_framework/fields.py
+++ b/rest_framework/fields.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from django.core.validators import (
 )
 from django.forms import FilePathField as DjangoFilePathField
 from django.forms import ImageField as DjangoImageField
-from django.utils import six, timezone
+from django.utils import datetime_safe, six, timezone
 from django.utils.dateparse import (
     parse_date, parse_datetime, parse_duration, parse_time
 )
@@ -1152,6 +1152,12 @@ class DateTimeField(Field):
             self.timezone = default_timezone
         super(DateTimeField, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
+    def ensure_pre_1900_safe(self, value):
+        if isinstance(value, datetime.date):
+            if six.PY2 and value.year < 1900:
+                value = datetime_safe.new_datetime(value)
+        return value
+
     def enforce_timezone(self, value):
         """
         When `self.default_timezone` is `None`, always return naive datetimes.
@@ -1162,16 +1168,18 @@ class DateTimeField(Field):
         if field_timezone is not None:
             if timezone.is_aware(value):
                 try:
-                    return value.astimezone(field_timezone)
+                    value = value.astimezone(field_timezone)
                 except OverflowError:
                     self.fail('overflow')
-            try:
-                return timezone.make_aware(value, field_timezone)
-            except InvalidTimeError:
-                self.fail('make_aware', timezone=field_timezone)
+            else:
+                try:
+                    value = timezone.make_aware(value, field_timezone)
+                except InvalidTimeError:
+                    self.fail('make_aware', timezone=field_timezone)
         elif (field_timezone is None) and timezone.is_aware(value):
-            return timezone.make_naive(value, utc)
-        return value
+            value = timezone.make_naive(value, utc)
+
+        return self.ensure_pre_1900_safe(value)
 
     def default_timezone(self):
         return timezone.get_current_timezone() if settings.USE_TZ else None
@@ -1236,6 +1244,12 @@ class DateField(Field):
             self.input_formats = input_formats
         super(DateField, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
+    def ensure_pre_1900_safe(self, value):
+        if isinstance(value, datetime.date):
+            if six.PY2 and value.year < 1900:
+                value = datetime_safe.new_date(value)
+        return value
+
     def to_internal_value(self, value):
         input_formats = getattr(self, 'input_formats', api_settings.DATE_INPUT_FORMATS)
 
@@ -1243,7 +1257,7 @@ class DateField(Field):
             self.fail('datetime')
 
         if isinstance(value, datetime.date):
-            return value
+            return self.ensure_pre_1900_safe(value)
 
         for input_format in input_formats:
             if input_format.lower() == ISO_8601:
@@ -1253,14 +1267,14 @@ class DateField(Field):
                     pass
                 else:
                     if parsed is not None:
-                        return parsed
+                        return self.ensure_pre_1900_safe(parsed)
             else:
                 try:
                     parsed = self.datetime_parser(value, input_format)
                 except (ValueError, TypeError):
                     pass
                 else:
-                    return parsed.date()
+                    return self.ensure_pre_1900_safe(parsed.date())
 
         humanized_format = humanize_datetime.date_formats(input_formats)
         self.fail('invalid', format=humanized_format)
@@ -1283,6 +1297,8 @@ class DateField(Field):
             'read-only field and deal with timezone issues explicitly.'
         )
 
+        value = self.ensure_pre_1900_safe(value)
+
         if output_format.lower() == ISO_8601:
             return value.isoformat()
 
diff --git a/tests/test_fields.py b/tests/test_fields.py
index eee794eaa..cf9779ad9 100644
--- a/tests/test_fields.py
+++ b/tests/test_fields.py
@@ -1120,6 +1120,7 @@ class TestDateField(FieldValues):
     valid_inputs = {
         '2001-01-01': datetime.date(2001, 1, 1),
         datetime.date(2001, 1, 1): datetime.date(2001, 1, 1),
+        '1800-01-01': datetime.date(1800, 1, 1),
     }
     invalid_inputs = {
         'abc': ['Date has wrong format. Use one of these formats instead: YYYY[-MM[-DD]].'],
@@ -1129,6 +1130,8 @@ class TestDateField(FieldValues):
     outputs = {
         datetime.date(2001, 1, 1): '2001-01-01',
         '2001-01-01': '2001-01-01',
+        datetime.date(1800, 1, 1): '1800-01-01',
+        '1800-01-01': '1800-01-01',
         six.text_type('2016-01-10'): '2016-01-10',
         None: None,
         '': None,
@@ -1174,6 +1177,18 @@ class TestNoOutputFormatDateField(FieldValues):
     field = serializers.DateField(format=None)
 
 
+class TestPre1900DateField(FieldValues):
+    """
+    Values for `DateField` prior to 1900
+    """
+    valid_inputs = {}
+    invalid_inputs = {}
+    outputs = {
+        datetime.date(1800, 1, 1): '01 Jan 1800',
+    }
+    field = serializers.DateField(format='%d %b %Y')
+
+
 class TestDateTimeField(FieldValues):
     """
     Valid and invalid values for `DateTimeField`.
@@ -1348,6 +1363,18 @@ class TestNaiveDayLightSavingTimeTimeZoneDateTimeField(FieldValues):
     field = serializers.DateTimeField(default_timezone=MockTimezone())
 
 
+class TestPre1900DateTimeField(FieldValues):
+    """
+    Values for `DateTimeField` prior to 1900.
+    """
+    valid_inputs = {}
+    invalid_inputs = {}
+    outputs = {
+        datetime.datetime(1800, 1, 1, 13, 00): '01:00PM, 01 Jan 1800',
+    }
+    field = serializers.DateTimeField(format='%I:%M%p, %d %b %Y')
+
+
 class TestTimeField(FieldValues):
     """
     Valid and invalid values for `TimeField`.