--- shadow-4.0.6/src/chage.c	2004-11-18 21:36:19.617616944 +0100
+++ shadow-4.0.16/src/chage.c	2006-06-08 00:30:20.837211299 +0300
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
 extern int sp_dbm_mode;
 #endif
 
-#define	EPOCH		"1969-12-31"
+#define	EPOCH_SHORT	"12/31/69"
 
 /* local function prototypes */
 static void usage (void);
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@
 	change_field (buf, sizeof buf,
 		      _("Last Password Change (YYYY-MM-DD)"));
 
-	if (strcmp (buf, EPOCH) == 0)
+	if (strcmp (buf, EPOCH_SHORT) == 0)
 		lastday = -1;
 	else if ((lastday = strtoday (buf)) == -1)
 		return 0;
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@
 	change_field (buf, sizeof buf,
 		      _("Account Expiration Date (YYYY-MM-DD)"));
 
-	if (strcmp (buf, EPOCH) == 0)
+	if (strcmp (buf, EPOCH_SHORT) == 0)
 		expdays = -1;
 	else if ((expdays = strtoday (buf)) == -1)
 		return 0;
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@
 	 * password expiring or not.
 	 */
 	printf (_("Account expires\t\t\t\t\t\t: "));
-	if (expdays < 0) {
+	if (expdays == -1) {
 		printf (_("never\n"));
 	} else {
 		expires = expdays * SCALE;
@@ -403,7 +403,10 @@
 			case 'E':
 				Eflg++;
 				if (!isnum (optarg))
-					expdays = strtoday (optarg);
+					if (strcmp (optarg, EPOCH_SHORT) == 0)
+						expdays = -1;
+					else
+						expdays = strtoday (optarg);
 				else
 					expdays = strtol (optarg, 0, 10);
 				break;