diff --git a/CRM/Batch/Form/Entry.php b/CRM/Batch/Form/Entry.php
index 60e967723ddb..b5900b044412 100644
--- a/CRM/Batch/Form/Entry.php
+++ b/CRM/Batch/Form/Entry.php
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ public function setDefaultValues() {
 
       $completeStatus = CRM_Contribute_PseudoConstant::getKey('CRM_Contribute_BAO_Contribution', 'contribution_status_id', 'Completed');
       $specialFields = array(
-        'join_date' => $currentDate,
+        'join_date' => date('Y-m-d'),
         'receive_date' => $currentDate,
         'receive_date_time' => $currentTime,
         'contribution_status_id' => $completeStatus,
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ public function postProcess() {
     $params['actualBatchTotal'] = 0;
 
     // get the profile information
-    $batchTypes = CRM_Core_Pseudoconstant::get('CRM_Batch_DAO_Batch', 'type_id', array('flip' => 1), 'validate');
+    $batchTypes = CRM_Core_PseudoConstant::get('CRM_Batch_DAO_Batch', 'type_id', array('flip' => 1), 'validate');
     if (in_array($this->_batchInfo['type_id'], array($batchTypes['Pledge Payment'], $batchTypes['Contribution']))) {
       $this->processContribution($params);
     }
@@ -637,24 +637,13 @@ private function processContribution(&$params) {
    * @return bool
    */
   private function processMembership(&$params) {
-    $dateTypes = array(
-      'join_date' => 'joinDate',
-      'membership_start_date' => 'startDate',
-      'membership_end_date' => 'endDate',
-    );
-
-    $dates = array(
-      'join_date',
-      'start_date',
-      'end_date',
-      'reminder_date',
-    );
 
     // get the price set associated with offline membership
     $priceSetId = CRM_Core_DAO::getFieldValue('CRM_Price_DAO_PriceSet', 'default_membership_type_amount', 'id', 'name');
     $this->_priceSet = $priceSets = current(CRM_Price_BAO_PriceSet::getSetDetail($priceSetId));
 
     if (isset($params['field'])) {
+      // @todo - most of the wrangling in this function is because the api is not being used, especially date stuff.
       $customFields = array();
       foreach ($params['field'] as $key => $value) {
         // if contact is not selected we should skip the row
@@ -669,28 +658,6 @@ private function processMembership(&$params) {
 
         $membershipTypeId = $value['membership_type_id'] = $value['membership_type'][1];
 
-        foreach ($dateTypes as $dateField => $dateVariable) {
-          $$dateVariable = CRM_Utils_Date::processDate($value[$dateField]);
-          $fDate[$dateField] = CRM_Utils_Array::value($dateField, $value);
-        }
-
-        $calcDates = array();
-        $calcDates[$membershipTypeId] = CRM_Member_BAO_MembershipType::getDatesForMembershipType($membershipTypeId,
-          $joinDate, $startDate, $endDate
-        );
-
-        foreach ($calcDates as $memType => $calcDate) {
-          foreach ($dates as $d) {
-            //first give priority to form values then calDates.
-            $date = CRM_Utils_Array::value($d, $value);
-            if (!$date) {
-              $date = CRM_Utils_Array::value($d, $calcDate);
-            }
-
-            $value[$d] = CRM_Utils_Date::processDate($date);
-          }
-        }
-
         if (!empty($value['send_receipt'])) {
           $value['receipt_date'] = date('Y-m-d His');
         }
@@ -810,8 +777,6 @@ private function processMembership(&$params) {
         // end of contribution related section
 
         unset($value['membership_type']);
-        unset($value['membership_start_date']);
-        unset($value['membership_end_date']);
 
         $value['is_renew'] = FALSE;
         if (!empty($params['member_option']) && CRM_Utils_Array::value($key, $params['member_option']) == 2) {
@@ -827,12 +792,11 @@ private function processMembership(&$params) {
               $campaignId = CRM_Utils_Array::value('campaign_id', $this->_values);
             }
           }
-          foreach (array('join_date', 'start_date', 'end_date') as $dateType) {
-            //CRM-18000 - ignore $dateType if its not explicitly passed
-            if (!empty($fDate[$dateType]) || !empty($fDate['membership_' . $dateType])) {
-              $formDates[$dateType] = CRM_Utils_Array::value($dateType, $value);
-            }
-          }
+
+          $formDates = array(
+            'end_date' => CRM_Utils_Array::value('membership_end_date', $value),
+            'start_date' => CRM_Utils_Array::value('membership_start_date', $value),
+          );
           $membershipSource = CRM_Utils_Array::value('source', $value);
           list($membership) = CRM_Member_BAO_Membership::processMembership(
             $value['contact_id'], $value['membership_type_id'], FALSE,
@@ -848,7 +812,44 @@ private function processMembership(&$params) {
           CRM_Member_BAO_Membership::recordMembershipContribution($contrbutionParams);
         }
         else {
-          $membership = CRM_Member_BAO_Membership::create($value, CRM_Core_DAO::$_nullArray);
+          $dateTypes = array(
+            'join_date' => 'joinDate',
+            'membership_start_date' => 'startDate',
+            'membership_end_date' => 'endDate',
+          );
+
+          $dates = array(
+            'join_date',
+            'start_date',
+            'end_date',
+            'reminder_date',
+          );
+          foreach ($dateTypes as $dateField => $dateVariable) {
+            $$dateVariable = CRM_Utils_Date::processDate($value[$dateField]);
+            $fDate[$dateField] = CRM_Utils_Array::value($dateField, $value);
+          }
+
+          $calcDates = array();
+          $calcDates[$membershipTypeId] = CRM_Member_BAO_MembershipType::getDatesForMembershipType($membershipTypeId,
+            $joinDate, $startDate, $endDate
+          );
+
+          foreach ($calcDates as $memType => $calcDate) {
+            foreach ($dates as $d) {
+              //first give priority to form values then calDates.
+              $date = CRM_Utils_Array::value($d, $value);
+              if (!$date) {
+                $date = CRM_Utils_Array::value($d, $calcDate);
+              }
+
+              $value[$d] = CRM_Utils_Date::processDate($date);
+            }
+          }
+
+          unset($value['membership_start_date']);
+          unset($value['membership_end_date']);
+          $ids = array();
+          $membership = CRM_Member_BAO_Membership::create($value, $ids);
         }
 
         //process premiums
diff --git a/CRM/Core/BAO/UFGroup.php b/CRM/Core/BAO/UFGroup.php
index a1f53680799b..3af88e2ffd46 100644
--- a/CRM/Core/BAO/UFGroup.php
+++ b/CRM/Core/BAO/UFGroup.php
@@ -1216,9 +1216,6 @@ public static function getValues(
             elseif (in_array($name, array(
               'birth_date',
               'deceased_date',
-              'membership_start_date',
-              'membership_end_date',
-              'join_date',
             ))) {
               // @todo this set should be determined from metadata, not hard-coded.
               $values[$index] = CRM_Utils_Date::customFormat($details->$name);
@@ -2330,9 +2327,6 @@ public static function buildProfile(
    */
   static public function getNonUpgradedDateFields() {
     return array(
-      'membership_start_date' => 'activityDate',
-      'membership_end_date' => 'activityDate',
-      'join_date' => 'activityDate',
       'receive_date' => 'activityDateTime',
       'receipt_date' => 'activityDateTime',
       'thankyou_date' => 'activityDateTime',
@@ -3321,7 +3315,7 @@ public static function setComponentDefaults(&$fields, $componentId, $component,
       elseif ($name == 'membership_status') {
         $defaults[$fldName] = $values['status_id'];
       }
-      elseif ($customFieldInfo = CRM_Core_BAO_CustomField::getKeyID($name, TRUE)) {
+      elseif (CRM_Core_BAO_CustomField::getKeyID($name, TRUE) !== array(NULL, NULL)) {
         if (empty($formattedGroupTree)) {
           //get the groupTree as per subTypes.
           $groupTree = array();
@@ -3373,6 +3367,9 @@ public static function setComponentDefaults(&$fields, $componentId, $component,
           }
         }
       }
+      elseif (isset($values[$fldName])) {
+        $defaults[$fldName] = $values[$fldName];
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/CRM/Member/BAO/Membership.php b/CRM/Member/BAO/Membership.php
index 4831547ca356..527ba6435873 100644
--- a/CRM/Member/BAO/Membership.php
+++ b/CRM/Member/BAO/Membership.php
@@ -1942,7 +1942,7 @@ public static function processMembership($contactID, $membershipTypeID, $is_test
         // Insert renewed dates for CURRENT membership
         $memParams = array();
         $memParams['join_date'] = CRM_Utils_Date::isoToMysql($membership->join_date);
-        $memParams['start_date'] = CRM_Utils_Date::isoToMysql($membership->start_date);
+        $memParams['start_date'] = CRM_Utils_Array::value('start_date', $formDates, CRM_Utils_Date::isoToMysql($membership->start_date));
         $memParams['end_date'] = CRM_Utils_Array::value('end_date', $formDates);
         if (empty($memParams['end_date'])) {
           $memParams['end_date'] = CRM_Utils_Array::value('end_date', $dates);
diff --git a/CRM/Member/Form/Task/Batch.php b/CRM/Member/Form/Task/Batch.php
index 389f1343a931..dedefe52d22f 100644
--- a/CRM/Member/Form/Task/Batch.php
+++ b/CRM/Member/Form/Task/Batch.php
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ public function buildQuickForm() {
 
     $this->assign('profileTitle', $this->_title);
     $this->assign('componentIds', $this->_memberIds);
-    $fileFieldExists = FALSE;
 
     //load all campaigns.
     if (array_key_exists('member_campaign_id', $this->_fields)) {
@@ -194,7 +193,6 @@ public function setDefaultValues() {
 
     $defaults = array();
     foreach ($this->_memberIds as $memberId) {
-      $details[$memberId] = array();
       CRM_Core_BAO_UFGroup::setProfileDefaults(NULL, $this->_fields, $defaults, FALSE, $memberId, 'Membership');
     }
 
diff --git a/templates/CRM/Batch/Form/Entry.tpl b/templates/CRM/Batch/Form/Entry.tpl
index a54396e8e011..6be276ec9e95 100644
--- a/templates/CRM/Batch/Form/Entry.tpl
+++ b/templates/CRM/Batch/Form/Entry.tpl
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@
         {/if}
         {foreach from=$fields item=field key=fieldName}
           {assign var=n value=$field.name}
-          {if in_array( $n, array( 'thankyou_date', 'cancel_date', 'receipt_date', 'receive_date', 'join_date', 'membership_start_date', 'membership_end_date' ) ) }
+          {if in_array( $n, array( 'thankyou_date', 'cancel_date', 'receipt_date', 'receive_date') ) }
             <div class="compressed crm-grid-cell">
               <span class="crm-batch-{$n}-{$rowNumber}">
                 {include file="CRM/common/jcalendar.tpl" elementName=$n elementIndex=$rowNumber batchUpdate=1}
@@ -255,7 +255,8 @@ function checkColumns(parentRow) {
   parentRow.find('div .required').each(function () {
     //special case to handle contact autocomplete select
     var fieldId = cj(this).attr('id');
-    if (fieldId.substring(0, 16) == 'primary_contact_') {
+    // datepicker hasTimeEntry would not have an id - not sure why.
+    if (typeof fieldId != 'undefined' && fieldId.substring(0, 16) == 'primary_contact_') {
       // if display value is set then make sure we also check if contact id is set
       if (!cj(this).val()) {
         inValidRow++;
@@ -386,7 +387,7 @@ function updateContactInfo(blockNo, prefix) {
                 cj('select[id="member_option_' + blockNo + '"]').prop('disabled', false).val(2);
                 cj('select[id="field_' + blockNo + '_membership_type_0"]').val(memTypeContactId).change();
                 cj('select[id="field_' + blockNo + '_membership_type_1"]').val(membershipTypeId).change();
-                setDateFieldValue('join_date', membershipJoinDate, blockNo)
+                cj('#field_' + blockNo + '_' + 'join_date').val(membershipJoinDate).trigger('change');
               }
               });
           }
diff --git a/templates/CRM/Member/Form/Task/Batch.tpl b/templates/CRM/Member/Form/Task/Batch.tpl
index b5ff8c9fadf9..9a7aaad8e1fe 100644
--- a/templates/CRM/Member/Form/Task/Batch.tpl
+++ b/templates/CRM/Member/Form/Task/Batch.tpl
@@ -51,11 +51,7 @@
 
               {foreach from=$fields item=field key=fieldName}
                 {assign var=n value=$field.name}
-                {if ($n eq 'join_date') or ($n eq 'membership_start_date') or ($n eq 'membership_end_date')}
-                   <td class="compressed">{include file="CRM/common/jcalendar.tpl" elementName=$n elementIndex=$mid batchUpdate=1}</td>
-                {else}
-                  <td class="compressed">{$form.field.$mid.$n.html}</td>
-                {/if}
+                <td class="compressed">{$form.field.$mid.$n.html}</td>
               {/foreach}
              </tr>
             {/foreach}