diff --git a/packages/@orbit/serializers/src/date-serializer.ts b/packages/@orbit/serializers/src/date-serializer.ts
index 61931f01..64190677 100644
--- a/packages/@orbit/serializers/src/date-serializer.ts
+++ b/packages/@orbit/serializers/src/date-serializer.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import { BaseSerializer } from './base-serializer';
 
 export class DateSerializer extends BaseSerializer<Date, string> {
   serialize(arg: Date): string {
-    return `${arg.getFullYear()}-${arg.getMonth() + 1}-${arg.getDate()}`;
+    let YYYY = arg.getFullYear().toString().padStart(4, '0');
+    let MM = (arg.getMonth() + 1).toString().padStart(2, '0');
+    let DD = arg.getDate().toString().padStart(2, '0');
+    return `${YYYY}-${MM}-${DD}`;
   }
 
   deserialize(arg: string): Date {
diff --git a/packages/@orbit/serializers/test/date-serializer-test.ts b/packages/@orbit/serializers/test/date-serializer-test.ts
index 97d9a85b..d79a9ba9 100644
--- a/packages/@orbit/serializers/test/date-serializer-test.ts
+++ b/packages/@orbit/serializers/test/date-serializer-test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ module('DateSerializer', function (hooks) {
     assert.equal(serializer.serialize(new Date(2017, 11, 31)), '2017-12-31');
   });
 
+  test('#serialize returns a date in YYYY-MM-DD form when leading zeros are needed', function (assert) {
+    assert.equal(serializer.serialize(new Date(2017, 4, 31)), '2017-05-31');
+  });
+
   test('#deserialize returns a Date', function (assert) {
     assert.equal(
       serializer.deserialize('2017-12-31')?.toISOString(),