diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/custom_column_widgets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/custom_column_widgets.py
index a907970fcc..d73e3cd9d9 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/custom_column_widgets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/custom_column_widgets.py
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 import os
 from functools import partial
 
-from PyQt5.Qt import (QComboBox, QLabel, QSpinBox, QDoubleSpinBox, QDateTimeEdit,
+from PyQt5.Qt import (QComboBox, QLabel, QSpinBox, QDoubleSpinBox,
         QDateTime, QGroupBox, QVBoxLayout, QSizePolicy, QGridLayout, QUrl,
         QSpacerItem, QIcon, QCheckBox, QWidget, QHBoxLayout, QLineEdit,
-        QPushButton, QMessageBox, QToolButton, Qt, QPlainTextEdit)
+        QPushButton, QMessageBox, QToolButton, QPlainTextEdit)
 
 from calibre.utils.date import qt_to_dt, now, as_local_time, as_utc, internal_iso_format_string
 from calibre.gui2.complete2 import EditWithComplete
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from calibre.utils.config import tweaks
 from calibre.utils.icu import sort_key
 from calibre.library.comments import comments_to_html
 from calibre.gui2.library.delegates import ClearingDoubleSpinBox, ClearingSpinBox
-from calibre.gui2.widgets2 import RatingEditor
+from calibre.gui2.widgets2 import RatingEditor, DateTimeEdit as DateTimeEditBase
 from polyglot.builtins import unicode_type
 
 
@@ -275,15 +275,15 @@ class Rating(Base):
         self.signals_to_disconnect.append(self.widgets[1].currentTextChanged)
 
 
-class DateTimeEdit(QDateTimeEdit):
+class DateTimeEdit(DateTimeEditBase):
 
     def focusInEvent(self, x):
         self.setSpecialValueText('')
-        QDateTimeEdit.focusInEvent(self, x)
+        DateTimeEditBase.focusInEvent(self, x)
 
     def focusOutEvent(self, x):
         self.setSpecialValueText(_('Undefined'))
-        QDateTimeEdit.focusOutEvent(self, x)
+        DateTimeEditBase.focusOutEvent(self, x)
 
     def set_to_today(self):
         self.setDateTime(now())
@@ -292,16 +292,6 @@ class DateTimeEdit(QDateTimeEdit):
         self.setDateTime(now())
         self.setDateTime(UNDEFINED_QDATETIME)
 
-    def keyPressEvent(self, ev):
-        if ev.key() == Qt.Key_Minus:
-            ev.accept()
-            self.setDateTime(self.minimumDateTime())
-        elif ev.key() == Qt.Key_Equal:
-            ev.accept()
-            self.setDateTime(QDateTime.currentDateTime())
-        else:
-            return QDateTimeEdit.keyPressEvent(self, ev)
-
 
 class DateTime(Base):
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
index 48dae76705..61fbfa51bb 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ from calibre.gui2.custom_column_widgets import populate_metadata_page
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.metadata_bulk_ui import Ui_MetadataBulkDialog
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.tag_editor import TagEditor
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.template_line_editor import TemplateLineEditor
-from calibre.gui2.metadata.basic_widgets import CalendarWidget
 from calibre.utils.config import JSONConfig, dynamic, prefs, tweaks
 from calibre.utils.date import qt_to_dt, internal_iso_format_string
 from calibre.utils.icu import capitalize, sort_key
@@ -503,10 +502,6 @@ class MetadataBulkDialog(QDialog, Ui_MetadataBulkDialog):
         self.series.editTextChanged.connect(self.series_changed)
         self.tag_editor_button.clicked.connect(self.tag_editor)
         self.autonumber_series.stateChanged[int].connect(self.auto_number_changed)
-        self.pubdate.setMinimumDateTime(UNDEFINED_QDATETIME)
-        self.pubdate_cw = CalendarWidget(self.pubdate)
-        self.pubdate_cw.setVerticalHeaderFormat(self.pubdate_cw.NoVerticalHeader)
-        self.pubdate.setCalendarWidget(self.pubdate_cw)
         pubdate_format = tweaks['gui_pubdate_display_format']
         if pubdate_format == 'iso':
             pubdate_format = internal_iso_format_string()
@@ -516,10 +511,6 @@ class MetadataBulkDialog(QDialog, Ui_MetadataBulkDialog):
         self.clear_pubdate_button.clicked.connect(self.clear_pubdate)
         self.pubdate.dateTimeChanged.connect(self.do_apply_pubdate)
         self.adddate.setDateTime(QDateTime.currentDateTime())
-        self.adddate.setMinimumDateTime(UNDEFINED_QDATETIME)
-        self.adddate_cw = CalendarWidget(self.adddate)
-        self.adddate_cw.setVerticalHeaderFormat(self.adddate_cw.NoVerticalHeader)
-        self.adddate.setCalendarWidget(self.adddate_cw)
         adddate_format = tweaks['gui_timestamp_display_format']
         if adddate_format == 'iso':
             adddate_format = internal_iso_format_string()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.ui
index 8f415b90e0..406d327713 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.ui
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ from the value in the box</string>
         <item row="10" column="2">
          <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout_4">
           <item>
-           <widget class="QDateTimeEdit" name="pubdate">
+           <widget class="DateTimeEdit" name="pubdate">
             <property name="displayFormat">
              <string>MMM yyyy</string>
             </property>
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ from the value in the box</string>
         <item row="9" column="2">
          <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout_5">
           <item>
-           <widget class="QDateTimeEdit" name="adddate">
+           <widget class="DateTimeEdit" name="adddate">
             <property name="displayFormat">
              <string>d MMM yyyy</string>
             </property>
@@ -726,8 +726,8 @@ for e.g., EPUB to EPUB, calibre saves the original EPUB
         <rect>
          <x>0</x>
          <y>0</y>
-         <width>935</width>
-         <height>639</height>
+         <width>777</width>
+         <height>388</height>
         </rect>
        </property>
        <layout class="QGridLayout" name="vargrid">
@@ -1205,8 +1205,8 @@ not multiple and the destination field is multiple</string>
             <rect>
              <x>0</x>
              <y>0</y>
-             <width>917</width>
-             <height>319</height>
+             <width>203</width>
+             <height>70</height>
             </rect>
            </property>
            <layout class="QGridLayout" name="testgrid">
@@ -1329,6 +1329,11 @@ is completed. This can be slow on large libraries.</string>
    <extends>QComboBox</extends>
    <header>calibre/gui2/widgets2.h</header>
   </customwidget>
+  <customwidget>
+   <class>DateTimeEdit</class>
+   <extends>QDateTimeEdit</extends>
+   <header>calibre/gui2/widgets2.h</header>
+  </customwidget>
  </customwidgets>
  <tabstops>
   <tabstop>central_widget</tabstop>
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py b/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py
index cfd040c981..9b86fe9f9c 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from calibre.ebooks.metadata import rating_to_stars
 from calibre.gui2 import UNDEFINED_QDATETIME, rating_font
 from calibre.constants import iswindows
 from calibre.gui2.widgets import EnLineEdit
-from calibre.gui2.widgets2 import populate_standard_spinbox_context_menu, RatingEditor
+from calibre.gui2.widgets2 import populate_standard_spinbox_context_menu, RatingEditor, DateTimeEdit as DateTimeEditBase
 from calibre.gui2.complete2 import EditWithComplete
 from calibre.utils.date import now, format_date, qt_to_dt, is_date_undefined, internal_iso_format_string
 
@@ -112,43 +112,15 @@ class UpdateEditorGeometry(object):
         editor.setGeometry(initial_geometry)
 
 
-class DateTimeEdit(QDateTimeEdit):  # {{{
+class DateTimeEdit(DateTimeEditBase):  # {{{
 
     def __init__(self, parent, format_):
-        QDateTimeEdit.__init__(self, parent)
+        DateTimeEditBase.__init__(self, parent)
         self.setFrame(False)
-        self.setMinimumDateTime(UNDEFINED_QDATETIME)
-        self.setSpecialValueText(_('Undefined'))
-        self.setCalendarPopup(True)
         if format_ == 'iso':
             format_ = internal_iso_format_string()
         self.setDisplayFormat(format_)
 
-    def contextMenuEvent(self, ev):
-        m = QMenu(self)
-        m.addAction(_('Set date to undefined') + '\t' + QKeySequence(Qt.Key_Minus).toString(QKeySequence.NativeText),
-                    self.clear_date)
-        m.addAction(_('Set date to today') + '\t' + QKeySequence(Qt.Key_Equal).toString(QKeySequence.NativeText),
-                    self.today_date)
-        m.addSeparator()
-        populate_standard_spinbox_context_menu(self, m)
-        m.popup(ev.globalPos())
-
-    def today_date(self):
-        self.setDateTime(QDateTime.currentDateTime())
-
-    def clear_date(self):
-        self.setDateTime(UNDEFINED_QDATETIME)
-
-    def keyPressEvent(self, ev):
-        if ev.key() == Qt.Key_Minus:
-            ev.accept()
-            self.clear_date()
-        elif ev.key() == Qt.Key_Equal:
-            self.today_date()
-            ev.accept()
-        else:
-            return QDateTimeEdit.keyPressEvent(self, ev)
 # }}}
 
 # Number Editor  {{{
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
index 93a61e15b6..902945c6d2 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
@@ -10,20 +10,20 @@ import textwrap, re, os, shutil, weakref
 from datetime import date, datetime
 
 from PyQt5.Qt import (
-    Qt, QDateTimeEdit, pyqtSignal, QMessageBox, QIcon, QToolButton, QWidget,
+    Qt, pyqtSignal, QMessageBox, QIcon, QToolButton, QWidget,
     QLabel, QGridLayout, QApplication, QDoubleSpinBox, QListWidgetItem, QSize,
     QPixmap, QDialog, QMenu, QLineEdit, QSizePolicy, QKeySequence,
-    QDialogButtonBox, QAction, QCalendarWidget, QDate, QDateTime, QUndoCommand,
+    QDialogButtonBox, QAction, QDateTime, QUndoCommand,
     QUndoStack, QVBoxLayout, QPlainTextEdit, QUrl)
 
 from calibre.gui2.widgets import EnLineEdit, FormatList as _FormatList, ImageView
-from calibre.gui2.widgets2 import access_key, populate_standard_spinbox_context_menu, RightClickButton, Dialog, RatingEditor
+from calibre.gui2.widgets2 import access_key, populate_standard_spinbox_context_menu, RightClickButton, Dialog, RatingEditor, DateTimeEdit
 from calibre.utils.icu import sort_key
 from calibre.utils.config import tweaks, prefs
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata import (
     title_sort, string_to_authors, check_isbn, authors_to_sort_string)
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.meta import get_metadata
-from calibre.gui2 import (file_icon_provider, UNDEFINED_QDATETIME,
+from calibre.gui2 import (file_icon_provider,
         choose_files, error_dialog, choose_images, gprefs)
 from calibre.gui2.complete2 import EditWithComplete
 from calibre.utils.date import (
@@ -1797,14 +1797,7 @@ class PublisherEdit(EditWithComplete, ToMetadataMixin):  # {{{
 # DateEdit {{{
 
 
-class CalendarWidget(QCalendarWidget):
-
-    def showEvent(self, ev):
-        if self.selectedDate().year() == UNDEFINED_DATE.year:
-            self.setSelectedDate(QDate.currentDate())
-
-
-class DateEdit(make_undoable(QDateTimeEdit), ToMetadataMixin):
+class DateEdit(make_undoable(DateTimeEdit), ToMetadataMixin):
 
     TOOLTIP = ''
     LABEL = _('&Date:')
@@ -1824,12 +1817,6 @@ class DateEdit(make_undoable(QDateTimeEdit), ToMetadataMixin):
         elif fmt == 'iso':
             fmt = internal_iso_format_string()
         self.setDisplayFormat(fmt)
-        self.setCalendarPopup(True)
-        self.cw = CalendarWidget(self)
-        self.cw.setVerticalHeaderFormat(self.cw.NoVerticalHeader)
-        self.setCalendarWidget(self.cw)
-        self.setMinimumDateTime(UNDEFINED_QDATETIME)
-        self.setSpecialValueText(_('Undefined'))
         if create_clear_button:
             self.clear_button = QToolButton(parent)
             self.clear_button.setIcon(QIcon(I('trash.png')))
@@ -1867,13 +1854,7 @@ class DateEdit(make_undoable(QDateTimeEdit), ToMetadataMixin):
         return o != c
 
     def keyPressEvent(self, ev):
-        if ev.key() == Qt.Key_Minus:
-            ev.accept()
-            self.setDateTime(self.minimumDateTime())
-        elif ev.key() == Qt.Key_Equal:
-            ev.accept()
-            self.setDateTime(QDateTime.currentDateTime())
-        elif ev.key() == Qt.Key_Up and is_date_undefined(self.current_val):
+        if ev.key() == Qt.Key_Up and is_date_undefined(self.current_val):
             self.setDateTime(QDateTime.currentDateTime())
         elif ev.key() == Qt.Key_Tab and is_date_undefined(self.current_val):
             ev.ignore()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/widgets2.py b/src/calibre/gui2/widgets2.py
index c221d4af6f..7feef8a2ef 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/widgets2.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/widgets2.py
@@ -7,18 +7,20 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_litera
 import weakref
 
 from PyQt5.Qt import (
-    QApplication, QCheckBox, QColor, QColorDialog, QComboBox, QDialog,
-    QDialogButtonBox, QFont, QFontInfo, QFontMetrics, QIcon, QKeySequence, QLabel,
-    QLayout, QPalette, QPixmap, QPoint, QPushButton, QRect, QScrollArea, QSize,
+    QApplication, QByteArray, QCalendarWidget, QCheckBox, QColor, QColorDialog,
+    QComboBox, QDate, QDateTime, QDateTimeEdit, QDialog, QDialogButtonBox, QFont,
+    QFontInfo, QFontMetrics, QIcon, QKeySequence, QLabel, QLayout, QLineEdit, QMenu,
+    QMimeData, QPalette, QPixmap, QPoint, QPushButton, QRect, QScrollArea, QSize,
     QSizePolicy, QStyle, QStyledItemDelegate, Qt, QTabWidget, QTextBrowser,
-    QToolButton, QUndoCommand, QUndoStack, QWidget, pyqtSignal, QByteArray
+    QToolButton, QUndoCommand, QUndoStack, QWidget, pyqtSignal, pyqtSlot
 )
 
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata import rating_to_stars
-from calibre.gui2 import gprefs, rating_font
+from calibre.gui2 import UNDEFINED_QDATETIME, gprefs, rating_font
 from calibre.gui2.complete2 import EditWithComplete, LineEdit
 from calibre.gui2.widgets import history
 from calibre.utils.config_base import tweaks
+from calibre.utils.date import UNDEFINED_DATE
 from polyglot.builtins import unicode_type
 from polyglot.functools import lru_cache
 
@@ -555,6 +557,93 @@ def to_plain_text(self):
     return ans.rstrip('\0')
 
 
+class LineEditForDateTimeEdit(QLineEdit):
+
+    date_time_pasted = pyqtSignal(object)
+    date_time_copied = pyqtSignal(object)
+    MIME_TYPE = 'application/x-calibre-datetime-value'
+
+    @pyqtSlot()
+    def copy(self):
+        self.date_time_copied.emit(self.selectedText())
+
+    @pyqtSlot()
+    def paste(self):
+        md = QApplication.instance().clipboard().mimeData()
+        if md.hasFormat(self.MIME_TYPE):
+            self.date_time_pasted.emit(QDateTime.fromString(md.data(self.MIME_TYPE).data().decode('ascii'), Qt.ISODate))
+        else:
+            QLineEdit.paste(self)
+
+
+class CalendarWidget(QCalendarWidget):
+
+    def showEvent(self, ev):
+        if self.selectedDate().year() == UNDEFINED_DATE.year:
+            self.setSelectedDate(QDate.currentDate())
+
+
+class DateTimeEdit(QDateTimeEdit):
+
+    def __init__(self, parent=None):
+        QDateTimeEdit.__init__(self, parent)
+        le = LineEditForDateTimeEdit(self)
+        self.setLineEdit(le)
+        le.date_time_pasted.connect(self.date_time_pasted, type=Qt.QueuedConnection)
+        le.date_time_copied.connect(self.date_time_copied, type=Qt.QueuedConnection)
+        self.setMinimumDateTime(UNDEFINED_QDATETIME)
+        self.setCalendarPopup(True)
+        self.cw = CalendarWidget(self)
+        self.cw.setVerticalHeaderFormat(self.cw.NoVerticalHeader)
+        self.setCalendarWidget(self.cw)
+        self.setSpecialValueText(_('Undefined'))
+
+    def date_time_copied(self, text):
+        md = QMimeData()
+        md.setText(text or self.dateTime().toString())
+        md.setData(LineEditForDateTimeEdit.MIME_TYPE, self.dateTime().toString(Qt.ISODate).encode('ascii'))
+        QApplication.instance().clipboard().setMimeData(md)
+
+    def date_time_pasted(self, qt_dt):
+        self.setDateTime(qt_dt)
+
+    def create_context_menu(self):
+        m = QMenu(self)
+        m.addAction(_('Set date to undefined') + '\t' + QKeySequence(Qt.Key_Minus).toString(QKeySequence.NativeText),
+                    self.clear_date)
+        m.addAction(_('Set date to today') + '\t' + QKeySequence(Qt.Key_Equal).toString(QKeySequence.NativeText),
+                    self.today_date)
+        m.addSeparator()
+        populate_standard_spinbox_context_menu(self, m)
+        return m
+
+    def contextMenuEvent(self, ev):
+        m = self.create_context_menu()
+        m.popup(ev.globalPos())
+
+    def today_date(self):
+        self.setDateTime(QDateTime.currentDateTime())
+
+    def clear_date(self):
+        self.setDateTime(UNDEFINED_QDATETIME)
+
+    def keyPressEvent(self, ev):
+        if ev.key() == Qt.Key_Minus:
+            ev.accept()
+            self.clear_date()
+        elif ev.key() == Qt.Key_Equal:
+            self.today_date()
+            ev.accept()
+        elif ev.matches(QKeySequence.Copy):
+            self.lineEdit().copy()
+            ev.accept()
+        elif ev.matches(QKeySequence.Paste):
+            self.lineEdit().paste()
+            ev.accept()
+        else:
+            return QDateTimeEdit.keyPressEvent(self, ev)
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     from calibre.gui2 import Application
     app = Application([])