diff --git a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/cookie/NetscapeDraftSpec.java b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/cookie/NetscapeDraftSpec.java
index c0225b7a4..f5e4981c5 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/cookie/NetscapeDraftSpec.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/cookie/NetscapeDraftSpec.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 @NotThreadSafe // superclass is @NotThreadSafe
 public class NetscapeDraftSpec extends CookieSpecBase {
 
-    protected static final String EXPIRES_PATTERN = "EEE, dd-MMM-yyyy HH:mm:ss z";
+    protected static final String EXPIRES_PATTERN = "EEE, dd-MMM-yy HH:mm:ss z";
     
     private final String[] datepatterns; 
     
diff --git a/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/impl/cookie/TestCookieNetscapeDraft.java b/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/impl/cookie/TestCookieNetscapeDraft.java
index 1d97b6567..404837f1e 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/impl/cookie/TestCookieNetscapeDraft.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/impl/cookie/TestCookieNetscapeDraft.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 package org.apache.http.impl.cookie;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Calendar;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import junit.framework.Test;
@@ -44,8 +45,6 @@
 
 /**
  * Test cases for Netscape cookie draft
- *
- * 
  */
 public class TestCookieNetscapeDraft extends TestCase {
 
@@ -166,10 +165,44 @@ public void testNetscapeCookieExpireAttribute() throws Exception {
         CookieOrigin origin = new CookieOrigin("myhost.mydomain.com", 80, "/", false);
         List<Cookie> cookies = cookiespec.parse(header, origin);
         cookiespec.validate(cookies.get(0), origin);
-        header = new BasicHeader("Set-Cookie", 
+        assertNotNull(cookies);
+        assertEquals(1, cookies.size());
+        Cookie cookie = cookies.get(0);
+        Calendar c = Calendar.getInstance();
+        c.setTime(cookie.getExpiryDate());
+        int year = c.get(Calendar.YEAR);
+        assertEquals(2070, year);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Expire attribute with two digit year.
+     */
+    public void testNetscapeCookieExpireAttributeTwoDigitYear() throws Exception {
+        CookieSpec cookiespec = new NetscapeDraftSpec();
+        Header header = new BasicHeader("Set-Cookie", 
+            "name=value; path=/; domain=.mydomain.com; expires=Thursday, 01-Jan-70 00:00:10 GMT; comment=no_comment");
+        CookieOrigin origin = new CookieOrigin("myhost.mydomain.com", 80, "/", false);
+        List<Cookie> cookies = cookiespec.parse(header, origin);
+        cookiespec.validate(cookies.get(0), origin);
+        assertNotNull(cookies);
+        assertEquals(1, cookies.size());
+        Cookie cookie = cookies.get(0);
+        Calendar c = Calendar.getInstance();
+        c.setTime(cookie.getExpiryDate());
+        int year = c.get(Calendar.YEAR);
+        assertEquals(2070, year);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Invalid expire attribute.
+     */
+    public void testNetscapeCookieInvalidExpireAttribute() throws Exception {
+        CookieSpec cookiespec = new NetscapeDraftSpec();
+        CookieOrigin origin = new CookieOrigin("myhost.mydomain.com", 80, "/", false);
+        Header header = new BasicHeader("Set-Cookie", 
             "name=value; path=/; domain=.mydomain.com; expires=Thu 01-Jan-2070 00:00:10 GMT; comment=no_comment");
         try {
-            cookies = cookiespec.parse(header, origin);
+            List<Cookie> cookies = cookiespec.parse(header, origin);
             cookiespec.validate(cookies.get(0), origin);
             fail("MalformedCookieException exception should have been thrown");
         } catch (MalformedCookieException e) {