diff --git a/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/java/org/zkoss/ganttz/TaskDetail.java b/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/java/org/zkoss/ganttz/TaskDetail.java
index eb0e0cfb6..948a6d46a 100644
--- a/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/java/org/zkoss/ganttz/TaskDetail.java
+++ b/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/java/org/zkoss/ganttz/TaskDetail.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import java.util.Date;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.zkoss.ganttz.util.TaskBean;
+import org.zkoss.zk.ui.Component;
 import org.zkoss.zk.ui.HtmlMacroComponent;
 import org.zkoss.zk.ui.ext.AfterCompose;
 import org.zkoss.zul.Datebox;
@@ -16,10 +17,6 @@ import org.zkoss.zul.Textbox;
 
 public class TaskDetail extends HtmlMacroComponent implements AfterCompose {
 
-    static String format(Date date) {
-        return dateFormat.format(date);
-    }
-
     private static DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("dd/MM/yyyy");
 
     private static final Log LOG = LogFactory.getLog(TaskDetail.class);
@@ -32,6 +29,10 @@ public class TaskDetail extends HtmlMacroComponent implements AfterCompose {
 
     private Textbox nameBox;
 
+    private Textbox startDateTextBox;
+
+    private Textbox endDateTextBox;
+
     public Textbox getNameBox() {
         return nameBox;
     }
@@ -75,6 +76,47 @@ public class TaskDetail extends HtmlMacroComponent implements AfterCompose {
         return taskBean;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * When a text box associated to a datebox receives focus, the corresponding
+     * datebox is shown
+     * @param component
+     *            the component that has received focus
+     */
+    public void hasReceivedFocus(Component component) {
+        if (component == startDateTextBox) {
+            showDateBox(startDateBox, startDateTextBox);
+        }
+        if (component == endDateTextBox) {
+            showDateBox(endDateBox, endDateTextBox);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void showDateBox(Datebox dateBox, Textbox associatedTextBox) {
+        associatedTextBox.setVisible(false);
+        dateBox.setVisible(true);
+        dateBox.setFocus(true);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * When the dateBox loses focus the corresponding textbox is shown instead.
+     * @param dateBox
+     *            the component that has lost focus
+     */
+    public void dateBoxHasLostFocus(Datebox dateBox) {
+        if (dateBox == startDateBox) {
+            hideDateBox(startDateBox, startDateTextBox);
+        }
+        if (dateBox == endDateBox) {
+            hideDateBox(endDateBox, endDateTextBox);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void hideDateBox(Datebox dateBoxToDissapear,
+            Textbox associatedTextBox) {
+        dateBoxToDissapear.setVisible(false);
+        associatedTextBox.setVisible(true);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void afterCompose() {
         super.afterCompose();
@@ -102,6 +144,29 @@ public class TaskDetail extends HtmlMacroComponent implements AfterCompose {
         getNameBox().setValue(taskBean.getName());
         getStartDateBox().setValue(taskBean.getBeginDate());
         getEndDateBox().setValue(taskBean.getEndDate());
+        getStartDateTextBox().setValue(asString(taskBean.getBeginDate()));
+        getEndDateTextBox().setValue(asString(taskBean.getEndDate()));
     }
 
+    private String asString(Date date) {
+        return dateFormat.format(date);
+    }
+
+    public Textbox getStartDateTextBox() {
+        return startDateTextBox;
+    }
+
+    public void setStartDateTextBox(Textbox startDateTextBox) {
+        this.startDateTextBox = startDateTextBox;
+    }
+
+    public Textbox getEndDateTextBox() {
+        return endDateTextBox;
+    }
+
+    public void setEndDateTextBox(Textbox endDateTextBox) {
+        this.endDateTextBox = endDateTextBox;
+    }
+
+
 }
diff --git a/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/taskdetail.zul b/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/taskdetail.zul
index ba9ef4cf8..1aec9e5a0 100644
--- a/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/taskdetail.zul
+++ b/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/taskdetail.zul
@@ -4,15 +4,19 @@
 ]]>
 </zscript>
 <hbox>
-    <textbox id="nameBox" value="" onChange="top.updateBean();" />           
-    <datebox id="startDateBox" compact="true" onChange="top.updateBean();"/>                                   
-    <datebox id="endDateBox" compact="true" onChange="top.updateBean();" />                             
-</hbox>     
+    <textbox id="nameBox" value="" onChange="top.updateBean();" />
+    <textbox id="startDateTextBox" value="" onChange="top.updateBean();" onFocus="top.hasReceivedFocus(self);" />
+    <datebox id="startDateBox" compact="true" onChange="top.updateBean();" visible="${false}" onBlur="top.dateBoxHasLostFocus(self);"/>
+    <textbox id="endDateTextBox" value="" onChange="top.updateBean();"  onFocus="top.hasReceivedFocus(self);"/>
+    <datebox id="endDateBox" compact="true" onChange="top.updateBean();" visible ="${false}" onBlur="top.dateBoxHasLostFocus(self);"/>
+</hbox>
 
 <zscript><![CDATA[
    top.nameBox = nameBox;
    top.startDateBox = startDateBox;
    top.endDateBox = endDateBox;
+   top.startDateTextBox = startDateTextBox;
+   top.endDateTextBox = endDateTextBox;
 ]]>
 </zscript>
 </zk>
\ No newline at end of file