diff --git a/Src/Newtonsoft.Json.Tests/JsonTextReaderTest.cs b/Src/Newtonsoft.Json.Tests/JsonTextReaderTest.cs
index e0156daa..9b3ef943 100644
--- a/Src/Newtonsoft.Json.Tests/JsonTextReaderTest.cs
+++ b/Src/Newtonsoft.Json.Tests/JsonTextReaderTest.cs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Globalization;
 using System.Text;
 using NUnit.Framework;
 using Newtonsoft.Json;
@@ -799,6 +800,78 @@ bye", reader.Value);
       Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
       Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.EndObject, reader.TokenType);
     }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void ReadAsDateTimeOffsetIsoDate()
+    {
+      string json = @"{""Offset"":""2011-08-01T21:25Z""}";
+
+      JsonTextReader reader = new JsonTextReader(new StringReader(json));
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.StartObject, reader.TokenType);
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.PropertyName, reader.TokenType);
+
+      reader.ReadAsDateTimeOffset();
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.Date, reader.TokenType);
+      Assert.AreEqual(typeof(DateTimeOffset), reader.ValueType);
+      Assert.AreEqual(new DateTimeOffset(new DateTime(2011, 8, 1, 21, 25, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc), TimeSpan.Zero), reader.Value);
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.EndObject, reader.TokenType);
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void ReadAsDateTimeOffsetUnitedStatesDate()
+    {
+      string json = @"{""Offset"":""1/30/2011""}";
+
+      JsonTextReader reader = new JsonTextReader(new StringReader(json));
+      reader.Culture = new CultureInfo("en-US");
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.StartObject, reader.TokenType);
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.PropertyName, reader.TokenType);
+
+      reader.ReadAsDateTimeOffset();
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.Date, reader.TokenType);
+      Assert.AreEqual(typeof(DateTimeOffset), reader.ValueType);
+
+      DateTimeOffset dt = (DateTimeOffset)reader.Value;
+      Assert.AreEqual(new DateTime(2011, 1, 30, 0, 0, 0, DateTimeKind.Unspecified), dt.DateTime);
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.EndObject, reader.TokenType);
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void ReadAsDateTimeOffsetNewZealandDate()
+    {
+      string json = @"{""Offset"":""30/1/2011""}";
+
+      JsonTextReader reader = new JsonTextReader(new StringReader(json));
+      reader.Culture = new CultureInfo("en-NZ");
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.StartObject, reader.TokenType);
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.PropertyName, reader.TokenType);
+
+      reader.ReadAsDateTimeOffset();
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.Date, reader.TokenType);
+      Assert.AreEqual(typeof(DateTimeOffset), reader.ValueType);
+
+      DateTimeOffset dt = (DateTimeOffset)reader.Value;
+      Assert.AreEqual(new DateTime(2011, 1, 30, 0, 0, 0, DateTimeKind.Unspecified), dt.DateTime);
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.EndObject, reader.TokenType);
+    }
 #endif
 
     [Test]
@@ -822,5 +895,28 @@ bye", reader.Value);
       Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
       Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.EndObject, reader.TokenType);
     }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void ReadAsDecimalFrench()
+    {
+      string json = @"{""decimal"":""9,99""}";
+
+      JsonTextReader reader = new JsonTextReader(new StringReader(json));
+      reader.Culture = new CultureInfo("fr-FR");
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.StartObject, reader.TokenType);
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.PropertyName, reader.TokenType);
+
+      decimal? d = reader.ReadAsDecimal();
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.Float, reader.TokenType);
+      Assert.AreEqual(typeof(decimal), reader.ValueType);
+      Assert.AreEqual(9.99m, d);
+
+      Assert.IsTrue(reader.Read());
+      Assert.AreEqual(JsonToken.EndObject, reader.TokenType);
+    }
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/JsonTextReader.cs b/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/JsonTextReader.cs
index b458d0ea..bb553a27 100644
--- a/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/JsonTextReader.cs
+++ b/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/JsonTextReader.cs
@@ -55,6 +55,16 @@ namespace Newtonsoft.Json
     private int _currentLineNumber;
     private bool _end;
     private ReadType _readType;
+    private CultureInfo _culture;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the culture used when reading JSON. Defaults to <see cref="CultureInfo.CurrentCulture"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    public CultureInfo Culture
+    {
+      get { return _culture ?? CultureInfo.CurrentCulture; }
+      set { _culture = value; }
+    }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="JsonReader"/> class with the specified <see cref="TextReader"/>.
@@ -357,7 +367,7 @@ namespace Newtonsoft.Json
         return (decimal?)Value;
 
       decimal d;
-      if (TokenType == JsonToken.String && decimal.TryParse((string)Value, NumberStyles.Number, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, out d))
+      if (TokenType == JsonToken.String && decimal.TryParse((string)Value, NumberStyles.Number, Culture, out d))
       {
         SetToken(JsonToken.Float, d);
         return d;
@@ -386,6 +396,13 @@ namespace Newtonsoft.Json
       if (TokenType == JsonToken.Date)
         return (DateTimeOffset)Value;
 
+      DateTimeOffset dt;
+      if (TokenType == JsonToken.String && DateTimeOffset.TryParse((string)Value, Culture, DateTimeStyles.None, out dt))
+      {
+        SetToken(JsonToken.Date, dt);
+        return dt;
+      }
+
       throw CreateJsonReaderException("Unexpected token when reading date: {0}. Line {1}, position {2}.", TokenType, _currentLineNumber, _currentLinePosition);
     }
 #endif