diff --git a/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml b/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
index 35554d114..dfa706680 100644
--- a/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
+++ b/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
     <changes>
         <release version="3.5-beta7" date="2009-??-??">
+           <action dev="POI-DEVELOPERS" type="fix">47411 - Explicitly set the 1900 date system when creating XSSF workbooks</action>
            <action dev="POI-DEVELOPERS" type="add">47400 - Support fo text extraction of footnotes, endnotes and comments in HWPF</action>
            <action dev="POI-DEVELOPERS" type="fix">47415 - Fixed PageSettingsBlock to allow multiple PLS records</action>
            <action dev="POI-DEVELOPERS" type="fix">47412 - Fixed concurrency issue with EscherProperties.initProps()</action>
diff --git a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFWorkbook.java b/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFWorkbook.java
index 461fe6039..5d509260e 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFWorkbook.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFWorkbook.java
@@ -215,6 +215,11 @@ public class XSSFWorkbook extends POIXMLDocument implements Workbook, Iterable<X
      */
     private void onWorkbookCreate() {
         workbook = CTWorkbook.Factory.newInstance();
+
+        // don't EVER use the 1904 date system
+        CTWorkbookPr workbookPr = workbook.addNewWorkbookPr();
+        workbookPr.setDate1904(false);
+
         CTBookViews bvs = workbook.addNewBookViews();
         CTBookView bv = bvs.addNewWorkbookView();
         bv.setActiveTab(0);
diff --git a/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFWorkbook.java b/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFWorkbook.java
index 33de41f84..749b92114 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFWorkbook.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFWorkbook.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import org.apache.poi.openxml4j.opc.PackagePart;
 import org.apache.poi.openxml4j.opc.PackagingURIHelper;
 import org.openxmlformats.schemas.spreadsheetml.x2006.main.CTSheet;
 import org.openxmlformats.schemas.spreadsheetml.x2006.main.CTWorkbook;
+import org.openxmlformats.schemas.spreadsheetml.x2006.main.CTWorkbookPr;
 
 public final class TestXSSFWorkbook extends BaseTestWorkbook {
 
@@ -49,7 +50,14 @@ public final class TestXSSFWorkbook extends BaseTestWorkbook {
 	 */
 	public void testSaveLoadNew() throws Exception {
 		XSSFWorkbook workbook = new XSSFWorkbook();
-		Sheet sheet1 = workbook.createSheet("sheet1");
+
+        //check that the default date system is set to 1900
+        CTWorkbookPr pr = workbook.getCTWorkbook().getWorkbookPr();
+        assertNotNull(pr);
+        assertTrue(pr.isSetDate1904());
+        assertFalse("XSSF must use the 1900 date system", pr.getDate1904());
+
+        Sheet sheet1 = workbook.createSheet("sheet1");
 		Sheet sheet2 = workbook.createSheet("sheet2");
 		workbook.createSheet("sheet3");