diff --git a/django/views/static.py b/django/views/static.py
index a2990f1d1d..cc88211876 100644
--- a/django/views/static.py
+++ b/django/views/static.py
@@ -135,6 +135,6 @@ def was_modified_since(header=None, mtime=0, size=0):
             raise ValueError
         if mtime > header_mtime:
             raise ValueError
-    except (AttributeError, ValueError):
+    except (AttributeError, ValueError, OverflowError):
         return True
     return False
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/static.py b/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/static.py
index fdd31b4660..25153e86b0 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/static.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/views/tests/static.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import mimetypes
 from os import path
 
 from django.test import TestCase
+from django.http import HttpResponseNotModified
 from regressiontests.views.urls import media_dir
 
 class StaticTests(TestCase):
@@ -27,3 +28,36 @@ class StaticTests(TestCase):
         file = open(path.join(media_dir, file_name))
         self.assertEquals(file.read(), response.content)
 
+    def test_is_modified_since(self):
+        file_name = 'file.txt'
+        response = self.client.get(
+            '/views/site_media/%s' % file_name,
+            HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE='Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT')
+        file = open(path.join(media_dir, file_name))
+        self.assertEquals(file.read(), response.content)
+
+    def test_not_modified_since(self):
+        file_name = 'file.txt'
+        response = self.client.get(
+            '/views/site_media/%s' % file_name,
+            HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE='Mon, 18 Jan 2038 05:14:07 UTC'
+            # This is 24h before max Unix time. Remember to fix Django and
+            # update this test well before 2038 :)
+            )
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(response, HttpResponseNotModified))
+
+    def test_invalid_if_modified_since(self):
+        """Handle bogus If-Modified-Since values gracefully
+
+        Assume that a file is modified since an invalid timestamp as per RFC
+        2616, section 14.25.
+        """
+        file_name = 'file.txt'
+        invalid_date = 'Mon, 28 May 999999999999 28:25:26 GMT'
+        response = self.client.get('/views/site_media/%s' % file_name,
+                                   HTTP_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE=invalid_date)
+        file = open(path.join(media_dir, file_name))
+        self.assertEquals(file.read(), response.content)
+        self.assertEquals(len(response.content),
+                          int(response['Content-Length']))
+