diff --git a/scheduler.module b/scheduler.module
index 5339efd..eaa01cf 100644
--- a/scheduler.module
+++ b/scheduler.module
@@ -336,7 +336,9 @@ function scheduler_form_alter(&$form, $form_state) {
         );
       }
 
-      $description_format = t('Format: %time.', array('%time' => format_date(time(), 'custom', $date_format)));
+      $description_format = t('Format: %time. Relative dates are available, Examples: now, now +1 day, 12AM today, Monday next week. <a href=\"@relative_format\">More examples of relative date formats in the PHP documentation</a>.',
+              array('%time' => format_date(time(), 'custom', $date_format), '@relative_format' => 'http://www.php.net/manual/en/datetime.formats.relative.php')
+      );
       if ($publishing_enabled) {
         $description_blank = '';
         if (!$publishing_required) {
@@ -489,7 +491,11 @@ function _scheduler_strtotime($str) {
     if (_scheduler_use_date_popup()) {
       $date_format = SCHEDULER_DATE_FORMAT;
     }
-    $time = _scheduler_strptime(trim($str), $date_format);
+    if (($time = strtotime(trim($str))) !== false) {
+      return $time;
+    } else {
+      $time = _scheduler_strptime(trim($str), $date_format);
+    }
   }
   else {
     // $str is empty
@@ -627,7 +633,7 @@ function scheduler_node_validate($node, $form) {
   if (!empty($node->publish_on) && !is_numeric($node->publish_on)) {
     $publishtime = _scheduler_strtotime($node->publish_on);
     if ($publishtime === FALSE) {
-      form_set_error('publish_on', t("The 'publish on' value does not match the expected format of %time", array('%time' => format_date(REQUEST_TIME, 'custom', $date_format))));
+      form_set_error('publish_on', t("The 'publish on' value does not match the expected format of %time or any relative dates format", array('%time' => format_date(REQUEST_TIME, 'custom', $date_format))));
     }
     elseif ($publishtime && $publishtime < REQUEST_TIME) {
       form_set_error('publish_on', t("The 'publish on' date must be in the future"));
@@ -637,7 +643,7 @@ function scheduler_node_validate($node, $form) {
   if (!empty($node->unpublish_on) && !is_numeric($node->unpublish_on)) {
     $unpublishtime = _scheduler_strtotime($node->unpublish_on);
     if ($unpublishtime === FALSE) {
-      form_set_error('unpublish_on', t("The 'unpublish on' value does not match the expected format of %time", array('%time' => format_date(REQUEST_TIME, 'custom', $date_format))));
+      form_set_error('unpublish_on', t("The 'unpublish on' value does not match the expected format of %time or any relative dates format", array('%time' => format_date(REQUEST_TIME, 'custom', $date_format))));
     }
     elseif ($unpublishtime && $unpublishtime < REQUEST_TIME) {
       form_set_error('unpublish_on', t("The 'unpublish on' date must be in the future"));