diff -urp includes.orig/date_api_argument_handler.inc includes/date_api_argument_handler.inc
--- includes.orig/date_api_argument_handler.inc	2009-10-01 20:21:18.000000000 -0400
+++ includes/date_api_argument_handler.inc	2009-10-08 20:33:20.000000000 -0400
@@ -106,9 +106,8 @@ class date_api_argument_handler extends 
       if (empty($check_fields)) {
         form_error($form['date_fields'], t('You must select at least one date field for this argument.'));
       }
-      if (!preg_match('@\-[0-9]*:[\+|\-][0-9]*@', $form_state['values']['options']['year_range'])
-        && !preg_match('@[0-9]{4}:[0-9]{4}@', $form_state['values']['options']['year_range'])) {
-        form_error($form['year_range'], t('Date year range must be in the format -9:+9 or 2005:2010.'));
+      if (!preg_match('/^(?:\-[0-9]{1,4}|[0-9]{4}):(?:[\+|\-][0-9]{1,4}|[0-9]{4})$/', $form_state['values']['options']['year_range'])) {
+        form_error($form['year_range'], t('Date year range must be in the format -9:+9, 2005:2010, -9:2010, or 2005:+9'));
       }
     }
   }
diff -urp includes.orig/date_api_filter_handler.inc includes/date_api_filter_handler.inc
--- includes.orig/date_api_filter_handler.inc	2009-10-08 20:33:32.000000000 -0400
+++ includes/date_api_filter_handler.inc	2009-10-08 17:21:23.000000000 -0400
@@ -147,9 +147,8 @@ class date_api_filter_handler extends vi
     if (empty($check_fields)) {
       form_error($form['date_fields'], t('You must select at least one date field for this filter.'));
     }
-    if (!preg_match('@\-[0-9]*:[\+|\-][0-9]*@', $form_state['values']['options']['year_range'])
-      && !preg_match('@[0-9]{4}:[0-9]{4}@', $form_state['values']['options']['year_range'])) {
-      form_error($form['year_range'], t('Date year range must be in the format -9:+9 or 2005:2010.'));
+    if (!preg_match('/^(?:\-[0-9]{1,4}|[0-9]{4}):(?:[\+|\-][0-9]{1,4}|[0-9]{4})$/', $form_state['values']['options']['year_range'])) {
+      form_error($form['year_range'], t('Date year range must be in the format -9:+9, 2005:2010, -9:2010, or 2005:+9'));
     }
   }