diff --git a/base/checked.jl b/base/checked.jl
index 7c6a401fa6337..0677aa2de3089 100644
--- a/base/checked.jl
+++ b/base/checked.jl
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@
 
 module Checked
 
-import Base: checked_neg, checked_abs, checked_add, checked_sub, checked_mul,
-       checked_div, checked_rem, checked_fld, checked_mod, checked_cld
 export checked_neg, checked_abs, checked_add, checked_sub, checked_mul,
        checked_div, checked_rem, checked_fld, checked_mod, checked_cld
 
@@ -15,6 +13,29 @@ import Core.Intrinsics: box, unbox,
        checked_uadd_int, checked_usub_int, checked_umul_int, checked_udiv_int,
        checked_urem_int
 
+# define promotion behavior for checked operations
+checked_add(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_add(promote(x,y)...)
+checked_sub(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_sub(promote(x,y)...)
+checked_mul(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_mul(promote(x,y)...)
+checked_div(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_div(promote(x,y)...)
+checked_rem(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_rem(promote(x,y)...)
+checked_fld(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_fld(promote(x,y)...)
+checked_mod(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_mod(promote(x,y)...)
+checked_cld(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_cld(promote(x,y)...)
+
+# fallback catchall rules to prevent infinite recursion if promotion succeeds,
+# but no method exists to handle those types
+checked_neg{T<:Integer}(x::T) = no_op_err("checked_neg", T)
+checked_abs{T<:Integer}(x::T) = no_op_err("checked_abs", T)
+checked_add{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_add", T)
+checked_sub{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_sub", T)
+checked_mul{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_mul", T)
+checked_div{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_div", T)
+checked_rem{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_rem", T)
+checked_fld{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_fld", T)
+checked_mod{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_mod", T)
+checked_cld{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_cld", T)
+
 typealias SignedInt Union{Int8,Int16,Int32,Int64,Int128}
 typealias UnsignedInt Union{UInt8,UInt16,UInt32,UInt64,UInt128}
 
diff --git a/base/coreimg.jl b/base/coreimg.jl
index 5a91910ff7c41..97853f0c56128 100644
--- a/base/coreimg.jl
+++ b/base/coreimg.jl
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ include("number.jl")
 include("int.jl")
 include("operators.jl")
 include("pointer.jl")
-checked_add{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = x+y
-checked_sub{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = x-y
+const checked_add = +
+const checked_sub = -
 
 # core array operations
 include("abstractarray.jl")
diff --git a/base/dates/types.jl b/base/dates/types.jl
index 8da30f5a4a31c..cbb9a1ed86f07 100644
--- a/base/dates/types.jl
+++ b/base/dates/types.jl
@@ -49,13 +49,20 @@ abstract TimeType <: AbstractTime
 # DateTime is a millisecond precision UTInstant interpreted by ISOCalendar
 immutable DateTime <: TimeType
     instant::UTInstant{Millisecond}
+    DateTime(instant::UTInstant{Millisecond}) = new(instant)
 end
 
 # DateTime is a day precision UTInstant interpreted by ISOCalendar
 immutable Date <: TimeType
     instant::UTInstant{Day}
+    Date(instant::UTInstant{Day}) = new(instant)
 end
 
+# Fallback constructors
+_c(x) = convert(Int64,x)
+DateTime(y,m=1,d=1,h=0,mi=0,s=0,ms=0) = DateTime(_c(y),_c(m),_c(d),_c(h),_c(mi),_c(s),_c(ms))
+Date(y,m=1,d=1) = Date(_c(y),_c(m),_c(d))
+
 # Convert y,m,d to # of Rata Die days
 # Works by shifting the beginning of the year to March 1,
 # so a leap day is the very last day of the year
@@ -154,11 +161,6 @@ function Date(periods::Period...)
     return Date(y,m,d)
 end
 
-# Fallback constructors
-_c(x) = convert(Int64,x)
-DateTime(y,m=1,d=1,h=0,mi=0,s=0,ms=0) = DateTime(_c(y),_c(m),_c(d),_c(h),_c(mi),_c(s),_c(ms))
-Date(y,m=1,d=1) = Date(_c(y),_c(m),_c(d))
-
 # Traits, Equality
 Base.isfinite{T<:TimeType}(::Union{Type{T},T}) = true
 calendar(dt::DateTime) = ISOCalendar
diff --git a/base/promotion.jl b/base/promotion.jl
index 37eab035949c8..b71ed7c4d5191 100644
--- a/base/promotion.jl
+++ b/base/promotion.jl
@@ -200,15 +200,6 @@ max(x::Real, y::Real) = max(promote(x,y)...)
 min(x::Real, y::Real) = min(promote(x,y)...)
 minmax(x::Real, y::Real) = minmax(promote(x, y)...)
 
-checked_add(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_add(promote(x,y)...)
-checked_sub(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_sub(promote(x,y)...)
-checked_mul(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_mul(promote(x,y)...)
-checked_div(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_div(promote(x,y)...)
-checked_rem(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_rem(promote(x,y)...)
-checked_fld(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_fld(promote(x,y)...)
-checked_mod(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_mod(promote(x,y)...)
-checked_cld(x::Integer, y::Integer) = checked_cld(promote(x,y)...)
-
 # "Promotion" that takes a Functor into account. You can override this
 # as needed. For example, if you need to provide a custom result type
 # for the multiplication of two types,
@@ -249,14 +240,3 @@ minmax(x::Real) = (x, x)
 max{T<:Real}(x::T, y::T) = ifelse(y < x, x, y)
 min{T<:Real}(x::T, y::T) = ifelse(y < x, y, x)
 minmax{T<:Real}(x::T, y::T) = y < x ? (y, x) : (x, y)
-
-checked_neg{T<:Integer}(x::T) = no_op_err("checked_neg", T)
-checked_abs{T<:Integer}(x::T) = no_op_err("checked_abs", T)
-checked_add{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_add", T)
-checked_sub{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_sub", T)
-checked_mul{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_mul", T)
-checked_div{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_div", T)
-checked_rem{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_rem", T)
-checked_fld{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_fld", T)
-checked_mod{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_mod", T)
-checked_cld{T<:Integer}(x::T, y::T) = no_op_err("checked_cld", T)