diff --git a/decode.go b/decode.go
index ab2b8f7..74eda3c 100644
--- a/decode.go
+++ b/decode.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import (
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
+	"time"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -211,6 +212,16 @@
 //   returned to call SetYAML() with the value of *out once it's defined.
 //
 func (d *decoder) setter(tag string, out *reflect.Value, good *bool) (set func()) {
+	if (*out).Kind() != reflect.Ptr && (*out).CanAddr() {
+		setter, _ := (*out).Addr().Interface().(Setter)
+		if setter != nil {
+			var arg interface{}
+			*out = reflect.ValueOf(&arg).Elem()
+			return func() {
+				*good = setter.SetYAML(tag, arg)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	again := true
 	for again {
 		again = false
@@ -279,6 +290,8 @@
 	return good
 }
 
+var durationType = reflect.TypeOf(time.Duration(0))
+
 func (d *decoder) scalar(n *node, out reflect.Value) (good bool) {
 	var tag string
 	var resolved interface{}
@@ -321,6 +334,14 @@
 				out.SetInt(int64(resolved))
 				good = true
 			}
+		case string:
+			if out.Type() == durationType {
+				d, err := time.ParseDuration(resolved)
+				if err == nil {
+					out.SetInt(int64(d))
+					good = true
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	case reflect.Uint, reflect.Uint8, reflect.Uint16, reflect.Uint32, reflect.Uint64, reflect.Uintptr:
 		switch resolved := resolved.(type) {
diff --git a/decode_test.go b/decode_test.go
index 5702909..d2b45b3 100644
--- a/decode_test.go
+++ b/decode_test.go
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 package yaml_test
 
 import (
-	. "launchpad.net/gocheck"
+	. "gopkg.in/check.v1"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v1"
 	"math"
 	"reflect"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var unmarshalIntTest = 123
@@ -364,6 +365,12 @@
 		"a: 50cent_of_dollar",
 		map[string]interface{}{"a": "50cent_of_dollar"},
 	},
+
+	// Duration
+	{
+		"a: 3s",
+		map[string]time.Duration{"a": 3 * time.Second},
+	},
 }
 
 type inlineB struct {
@@ -458,17 +465,31 @@
 	return true
 }
 
-type typeWithSetterField struct {
+type setterPointerType struct {
 	Field *typeWithSetter "_"
 }
 
-func (s *S) TestUnmarshalWithSetter(c *C) {
+type setterValueType struct {
+	Field typeWithSetter "_"
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestUnmarshalWithPointerSetter(c *C) {
 	for _, item := range setterTests {
-		obj := &typeWithSetterField{}
+		obj := &setterPointerType{}
 		err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(item.data), obj)
 		c.Assert(err, IsNil)
-		c.Assert(obj.Field, NotNil,
-			Commentf("Pointer not initialized (%#v)", item.value))
+		c.Assert(obj.Field, NotNil, Commentf("Pointer not initialized (%#v)", item.value))
+		c.Assert(obj.Field.tag, Equals, item.tag)
+		c.Assert(obj.Field.value, DeepEquals, item.value)
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestUnmarshalWithValueSetter(c *C) {
+	for _, item := range setterTests {
+		obj := &setterValueType{}
+		err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(item.data), obj)
+		c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+		c.Assert(obj.Field, NotNil, Commentf("Pointer not initialized (%#v)", item.value))
 		c.Assert(obj.Field.tag, Equals, item.tag)
 		c.Assert(obj.Field.value, DeepEquals, item.value)
 	}
diff --git a/encode.go b/encode.go
index c700443..1d928b0 100644
--- a/encode.go
+++ b/encode.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
+	"time"
 )
 
 type encoder struct {
@@ -85,7 +86,11 @@
 	case reflect.String:
 		e.stringv(tag, in)
 	case reflect.Int, reflect.Int8, reflect.Int16, reflect.Int32, reflect.Int64:
-		e.intv(tag, in)
+		if in.Type() == durationType {
+			e.stringv(tag, reflect.ValueOf(in.Interface().(time.Duration).String()))
+		} else {
+			e.intv(tag, in)
+		}
 	case reflect.Uint, reflect.Uint8, reflect.Uint16, reflect.Uint32, reflect.Uint64, reflect.Uintptr:
 		e.uintv(tag, in)
 	case reflect.Float32, reflect.Float64:
diff --git a/encode_test.go b/encode_test.go
index 0ab65b9..c7461d5 100644
--- a/encode_test.go
+++ b/encode_test.go
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	. "launchpad.net/gocheck"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v1"
+	. "gopkg.in/check.v1"
 	"math"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var marshalIntTest = 123
@@ -212,6 +213,12 @@
 		}{1, inlineB{2, inlineC{3}}},
 		"a: 1\nb: 2\nc: 3\n",
 	},
+
+	// Duration
+	{
+		map[string]time.Duration{"a": 3 * time.Second},
+		"a: 3s\n",
+	},
 }
 
 func (s *S) TestMarshal(c *C) {
diff --git a/suite_test.go b/suite_test.go
index 111d756..c5cf1ed 100644
--- a/suite_test.go
+++ b/suite_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package yaml_test
 
 import (
-	. "launchpad.net/gocheck"
+	. "gopkg.in/check.v1"
 	"testing"
 )