diff --git a/http-signature-normalization-actix/examples/client.rs b/http-signature-normalization-actix/examples/client.rs
index ba887a2..46cc204 100644
--- a/http-signature-normalization-actix/examples/client.rs
+++ b/http-signature-normalization-actix/examples/client.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ use actix_rt::task::JoinError;
 use awc::Client;
 use http_signature_normalization_actix::prelude::*;
 use sha2::{Digest, Sha256};
-use std::time::SystemTime;
 use tracing::{error, info};
 use tracing_error::ErrorLayer;
 use tracing_subscriber::{layer::SubscriberExt, EnvFilter};
@@ -14,7 +13,6 @@ async fn request(config: Config) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         .post("http://127.0.0.1:8010/")
         .append_header(("User-Agent", "Actix Web"))
         .append_header(("Accept", "text/plain"))
-        .insert_header(actix_web::http::header::Date(SystemTime::now().into()))
         .signature_with_digest(config, "my-key-id", digest, "Hewwo-owo", |s| {
             info!("Signing String\n{}", s);
             Ok(base64::encode(s)) as Result<_, MyError>
diff --git a/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/digest/sign.rs b/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/digest/sign.rs
index a028cb0..67acbea 100644
--- a/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/digest/sign.rs
+++ b/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/digest/sign.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use actix_http::{header::InvalidHeaderValue};
+use actix_http::header::InvalidHeaderValue;
 use actix_rt::task::JoinError;
 use awc::ClientRequest;
 use std::{fmt::Display, future::Future, pin::Pin};
diff --git a/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/lib.rs b/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/lib.rs
index 05c9dd2..b63946e 100644
--- a/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/lib.rs
+++ b/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/lib.rs
@@ -273,6 +273,9 @@ pub struct Config {
 
     /// Whether to set the Host header
     set_host: bool,
+
+    /// Whether to set the Date header
+    set_date: bool,
 }
 
 #[cfg(feature = "client")]
@@ -324,17 +327,21 @@ mod client {
     #[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
     /// An error when preparing to sign a request
     pub enum PrepareSignError {
-        #[error("Failed to read header, {0}")]
+        #[error("Failed to read header")]
         /// An error occurred when reading the request's headers
         Header(#[from] ToStrError),
 
-        #[error("{0}")]
+        #[error("Missing required header")]
         /// Some headers were marked as required, but are missing
         RequiredError(#[from] RequiredError),
 
         #[error("No host provided for URL, {0}")]
         /// Missing host
         Host(String),
+
+        #[error("Failed to set header")]
+        /// Invalid Date header
+        InvalidHeader(#[from] actix_http::header::InvalidHeaderValue),
     }
 }
 
@@ -421,6 +428,7 @@ impl Config {
         Config {
             config: self.config,
             set_host: true,
+            set_date: self.set_date,
         }
     }
 
@@ -432,6 +440,7 @@ impl Config {
         Config {
             config: self.config.mastodon_compat(),
             set_host: true,
+            set_date: true,
         }
     }
 
@@ -442,6 +451,7 @@ impl Config {
         Config {
             config: self.config.require_digest(),
             set_host: self.set_host,
+            set_date: self.set_date,
         }
     }
 
@@ -453,6 +463,7 @@ impl Config {
         Config {
             config: self.config.dont_use_created_field(),
             set_host: self.set_host,
+            set_date: self.set_date,
         }
     }
 
@@ -461,6 +472,7 @@ impl Config {
         Config {
             config: self.config.set_expiration(expires_after),
             set_host: self.set_host,
+            set_date: self.set_date,
         }
     }
 
@@ -469,6 +481,7 @@ impl Config {
         Config {
             config: self.config.require_header(header),
             set_host: self.set_host,
+            set_date: self.set_date,
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/sign.rs b/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/sign.rs
index 165c087..261062e 100644
--- a/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/sign.rs
+++ b/http-signature-normalization-actix/src/sign.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-use actix_http::{header::InvalidHeaderValue};
-use awc::ClientRequest;
-use actix_rt::task::JoinError;
-use std::{fmt::Display, future::Future, pin::Pin};
-
 use crate::{create::Signed, Config, PrepareSignError, Sign};
+use actix_rt::task::JoinError;
+use awc::{
+    http::header::{HttpDate, InvalidHeaderValue, TryIntoHeaderValue},
+    ClientRequest,
+};
+use std::{fmt::Display, future::Future, pin::Pin, time::SystemTime};
 
 impl Sign for ClientRequest {
     fn authorization_signature<F, E, K>(
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ impl Sign for ClientRequest {
         Self: Sized,
     {
         Box::pin(async move {
-            let signed = prepare(&self, &config, key_id, f).await?;
+            let signed = prepare(&mut self, &config, key_id, f).await?;
             signed.authorization_header(self.headers_mut())?;
             Ok(self)
         })
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ impl Sign for ClientRequest {
         Self: Sized,
     {
         Box::pin(async move {
-            let signed = prepare(&self, &config, key_id, f).await?;
+            let signed = prepare(&mut self, &config, key_id, f).await?;
             signed.signature_header(self.headers_mut())?;
             Ok(self)
         })
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ impl Sign for ClientRequest {
 }
 
 async fn prepare<F, E, K>(
-    request: &ClientRequest,
+    request: &mut ClientRequest,
     config: &Config,
     key_id: K,
     f: F,
@@ -66,6 +67,17 @@ where
     E: From<JoinError> + From<PrepareSignError> + std::fmt::Debug + Send + 'static,
     K: Display,
 {
+    if config.set_date {
+        if !request.headers().contains_key("date") {
+            request.headers_mut().insert(
+                actix_http::header::DATE,
+                HttpDate::from(SystemTime::now())
+                    .try_into_value()
+                    .expect("Date is valid"),
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
     let mut headers = request.headers().clone();
     if config.set_host {
         let header_string = request