diff --git a/src/main/java/com/joestelmach/natty/Parser.java b/src/main/java/com/joestelmach/natty/Parser.java
index 76c0ff81..e5097fe0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/joestelmach/natty/Parser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/joestelmach/natty/Parser.java
@@ -2,14 +2,13 @@
 
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.TimeZone;
-import java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
-import java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter;
 
 import org.antlr.runtime.ANTLRInputStream;
 import org.antlr.runtime.CommonTokenStream;
@@ -18,6 +17,8 @@
 import org.antlr.runtime.tree.CommonTree;
 import org.antlr.runtime.tree.CommonTreeNodeStream;
 import org.antlr.runtime.tree.Tree;
+import org.apache.commons.lang.builder.EqualsBuilder;
+import org.apache.commons.lang.builder.HashCodeBuilder;
 
 import com.joestelmach.natty.generated.DateLexer;
 import com.joestelmach.natty.generated.DateParser;
@@ -28,7 +29,10 @@
  * 
  * @author Joe Stelmach
  */
-public class Parser {
+public class Parser implements Serializable {
+
+  private static final long serialVersionUID = 233282586086252203L;
+
   private TimeZone _defaultTimeZone;
   
   private static final Logger _logger = Logger.getLogger("com.joestelmach.natty");
@@ -313,4 +317,27 @@ else if(skip) {
       }
     }
   }
+  
+  @Override
+  public int hashCode() {
+	  // use two randomly chosen prime numbers
+      return new HashCodeBuilder(17, 31).
+          append(_defaultTimeZone).
+          toHashCode();
+  }
+  
+  @Override
+  public boolean equals(Object obj) {
+	  boolean isEqual = false;
+	  
+	  if (obj instanceof Parser) {
+		  Parser other = (Parser) obj;
+		  
+		  isEqual = new EqualsBuilder().
+				  append(_defaultTimeZone, other._defaultTimeZone).
+				  isEquals();
+	  }
+	  
+	  return isEqual;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/joestelmach/natty/ParserTest.java b/src/test/java/com/joestelmach/natty/ParserTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f8ba61d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/com/joestelmach/natty/ParserTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package com.joestelmach.natty;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+
+import java.util.TimeZone;
+
+import org.apache.commons.lang.SerializationUtils;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class ParserTest {	
+
+	@Test
+	public void testParser() {
+		// Test serializing of a basic parser which does not have a
+		// user-supplied TimeZone.
+		Parser parser = new Parser();
+		
+		byte[] serialized = SerializationUtils.serialize(parser);
+		Parser deserialized = (Parser) SerializationUtils.deserialize(serialized);
+		
+		// Check the parser
+		// Note: if a.equals(b), then a.hashcode() MUST equal b.hashcode()
+		// see http://stackoverflow.com/a/27609 for more.
+		assertEquals(parser, deserialized);
+		assertEquals(parser.hashCode(), deserialized.hashCode());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testParserTimeZone() {
+		// TODO this could be improved by mocking TimeZone since it is not part
+		// of the system under test.
+		TimeZone defaultTimeZone = TimeZone.getDefault();
+		
+		// Test serializing of an alternate parser with a
+		// user-supplied TimeZone.
+		Parser parser = new Parser(defaultTimeZone);
+		
+		byte[] serialized = SerializationUtils.serialize(parser);
+		Parser deserialized = (Parser) SerializationUtils.deserialize(serialized);
+		
+		// Check the parser
+		// Note: if a.equals(b), then a.hashcode() MUST equal b.hashcode()
+		// see http://stackoverflow.com/a/27609 for more.
+		assertEquals(parser, deserialized);
+		assertEquals(parser.hashCode(), deserialized.hashCode());
+	}
+}