diff --git a/tests/unit/datepicker/datepicker_options.js b/tests/unit/datepicker/datepicker_options.js
index 8a716144b..5bdf415e0 100644
--- a/tests/unit/datepicker/datepicker_options.js
+++ b/tests/unit/datepicker/datepicker_options.js
@@ -267,14 +267,21 @@ test('miscellaneous', function() {
 		}
 		return range;
 	};
+	var curYear = new Date().getFullYear();
 	inp.val('02/04/2008').datepicker('show');
 	equals(dp.find('.ui-datepicker-year').text(), '2008', 'Year range - read-only default');
 	inp.datepicker('hide').datepicker('option', {changeYear: true}).datepicker('show');		
 	equals(dp.find('.ui-datepicker-year').text(), genRange(2008 - 10, 21), 'Year range - changeable default');
-	inp.datepicker('hide').datepicker('option', {yearRange: '-6:+2', changeYear: true}).datepicker('show');
-	equals(dp.find('.ui-datepicker-year').text(), genRange(2008 - 6, 9), 'Year range - -6:+2');
+	inp.datepicker('hide').datepicker('option', {yearRange: 'c-6:c+2', changeYear: true}).datepicker('show');
+	equals(dp.find('.ui-datepicker-year').text(), genRange(2008 - 6, 9), 'Year range - c-6:c+2');
 	inp.datepicker('hide').datepicker('option', {yearRange: '2000:2010', changeYear: true}).datepicker('show');
 	equals(dp.find('.ui-datepicker-year').text(), genRange(2000, 11), 'Year range - 2000:2010');
+	inp.datepicker('hide').datepicker('option', {yearRange: '-5:+3', changeYear: true}).datepicker('show');
+	equals(dp.find('.ui-datepicker-year').text(), genRange(curYear - 5, 9), 'Year range - -5:+3');
+	inp.datepicker('hide').datepicker('option', {yearRange: '2000:-5', changeYear: true}).datepicker('show');
+	equals(dp.find('.ui-datepicker-year').text(), genRange(2000, curYear - 2004), 'Year range - 2000:-5');
+	inp.datepicker('hide').datepicker('option', {yearRange: '', changeYear: true}).datepicker('show');
+	equals(dp.find('.ui-datepicker-year').text(), genRange(curYear, 1), 'Year range - -6:+2');
 
 	// Navigation as date format
 	inp.datepicker('option', {showButtonPanel: true});
diff --git a/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker.js b/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker.js
index 757692cd4..92585547f 100644
--- a/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker.js
+++ b/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker.js
@@ -74,8 +74,9 @@ function Datepicker() {
 		gotoCurrent: false, // True if today link goes back to current selection instead
 		changeMonth: false, // True if month can be selected directly, false if only prev/next
 		changeYear: false, // True if year can be selected directly, false if only prev/next
-		yearRange: '-10:+10', // Range of years to display in drop-down,
-			// either relative to current year (-nn:+nn) or absolute (nnnn:nnnn)
+		yearRange: 'c-10:c+10', // Range of years to display in drop-down,
+			// either relative to today's year (-nn:+nn), relative to currently displayed year
+			// (c-nn:c+nn), absolute (nnnn:nnnn), or a combination of the above (nnnn:-n)
 		showOtherMonths: false, // True to show dates in other months, false to leave blank
 		selectOtherMonths: false, // True to allow selection of dates in other months, false for unselectable
 		showWeek: false, // True to show week of the year, false to not show it
@@ -1511,18 +1512,15 @@ $.extend(Datepicker.prototype, {
 		else {
 			// determine range of years to display
 			var years = this._get(inst, 'yearRange').split(':');
-			var year = 0;
-			var endYear = 0;
-			if (years.length != 2) {
-				year = drawYear - 10;
-				endYear = drawYear + 10;
-			} else if (years[0].charAt(0) == '+' || years[0].charAt(0) == '-') {
-				year = drawYear + parseInt(years[0], 10);
-				endYear = drawYear + parseInt(years[1], 10);
-			} else {
-				year = parseInt(years[0], 10);
-				endYear = parseInt(years[1], 10);
-			}
+			var thisYear = new Date().getFullYear();
+			var determineYear = function(value) {
+				var year = (value.match(/c[+-].*/) ? drawYear + parseInt(value.substring(1), 10) :
+					(value.match(/[+-].*/) ? thisYear + parseInt(value, 10) :
+					parseInt(value, 10)));
+				return (isNaN(year) ? thisYear : year);
+			};
+			var year = determineYear(years[0]);
+			var endYear = Math.max(year, determineYear(years[1] || ''));
 			year = (minDate ? Math.max(year, minDate.getFullYear()) : year);
 			endYear = (maxDate ? Math.min(endYear, maxDate.getFullYear()) : endYear);
 			html += '<select class="ui-datepicker-year" ' +