diff --git a/static/directives/datetime-picker.html b/static/directives/datetime-picker.html
index 25f57d701..653c3869a 100644
--- a/static/directives/datetime-picker.html
+++ b/static/directives/datetime-picker.html
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 <span class="datetime-picker-element">
-   <input class="form-control" type="text" ng-model="entered_datetime"/>
+   <input class="form-control" type="text" ng-model="selected_datetime"/>
 </span>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/static/js/directives/ui/datetime-picker.js b/static/js/directives/ui/datetime-picker.js
index e498850af..9b22c451a 100644
--- a/static/js/directives/ui/datetime-picker.js
+++ b/static/js/directives/ui/datetime-picker.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ angular.module('quay').directive('datetimePicker', function () {
       'datetime': '=datetime',
     },
     controller: function($scope, $element) {
-       $scope.entered_datetime = null;
+      var datetimeSet = false;
 
        $(function() {
          $element.find('input').datetimepicker({
@@ -24,11 +24,15 @@ angular.module('quay').directive('datetimePicker', function () {
          });
 
          $element.find('input').on("dp.change", function (e) {
-            $scope.datetime = e.date ? e.date.unix() : null;
+            $scope.$apply(function() {
+              $scope.datetime = e.date ? e.date.unix() : null;
+            });
          });
        });
 
-       $scope.$watch('entered_datetime', function(value) {
+       $scope.$watch('selected_datetime', function(value) {
+         if (!datetimeSet) { return; }
+
          if (!value) {
            if ($scope.datetime) {
              $scope.datetime = null;
@@ -39,14 +43,16 @@ angular.module('quay').directive('datetimePicker', function () {
          $scope.datetime = (new Date(value)).getTime()/1000;
        });
 
-       $scope.$watch('datetime', function(value) {
-         if (!value) {
-           $scope.entered_datetime = null;
-           return;
-         }
+      $scope.$watch('datetime', function(value) {
+        if (!value) {
+          $scope.selected_datetime = null;
+          datetimeSet = true;
+          return;
+        }
 
-         $scope.entered_datetime = moment.unix(value).format('LLL');
-       });
+        $scope.selected_datetime = moment.unix(value).format('LLL');
+        datetimeSet = true;
+    });
     }
   };
   return directiveDefinitionObject;