diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5cc7528..754e744 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ typed fields in a struct, and supports required and optional vars with defaults.
 
 go-envvar is inspired by the javascript library https://github.com/plaid/envvar.
 
+go-envvar supports fields of most primative types (e.g. int, string, bool,
+float64) as well as any type which implements the
+[encoding.TextUnmarshaler](https://golang.org/pkg/encoding/#TextUnmarshaler)
+interface.
+
 ## Example Usage
 
 ```go
@@ -28,9 +33,10 @@ type serverEnvVars struct {
 	MaxConns uint `envvar:"MAX_CONNECTIONS" default:"100"`
 	// Similar to GO_PORT, HOST_NAME is required.
 	HostName string `envvar:"HOST_NAME"`
-	// envvar struct tag is not required if the field name
-	// matches the envvar name.
-	HOST_NAME string
+	// Time values are also supported. Parse uses the UnmarshalText method of
+	// time.Time in order to set the value of the field. In this case, the
+	// UnmarshalText method expects the string value to be in RFC 3339 format.
+	StartTime time.Time `envvar:"START_TIME" default:"2017-10-31T14:18:00Z"`
 }
 
 func main() {
diff --git a/envvar/envvar.go b/envvar/envvar.go
index 8b8e473..514faaf 100644
--- a/envvar/envvar.go
+++ b/envvar/envvar.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package envvar
 
 import (
+	"encoding"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@ import (
 // Parse will return an UnsetVariableError if a required environment variable
 // was not set. It will also return an error if there was a problem converting
 // environment variable values to the proper type or setting the fields of v.
+//
+// If a field of v implements the encoding.TextUnmarshaler interface, Parse will
+// call the UnmarshalText method on the field in order to set its value.
 func Parse(v interface{}) error {
 	// Make sure the type of v is what we expect.
 	typ := reflect.TypeOf(v)
@@ -147,6 +151,42 @@ func (e ErrorList) Error() string {
 // setFieldVal first converts v to the type of structField, then uses reflection
 // to set the field to the converted value.
 func setFieldVal(structField reflect.Value, name string, v string) error {
+
+	// Check if the struct field type implements the encoding.TextUnmarshaler
+	// interface.
+	if structField.Type().Implements(reflect.TypeOf([]encoding.TextUnmarshaler{}).Elem()) {
+		// Call the UnmarshalText method using reflection.
+		results := structField.MethodByName("UnmarshalText").Call([]reflect.Value{reflect.ValueOf([]byte(v))})
+		if !results[0].IsNil() {
+			err := results[0].Interface().(error)
+			return InvalidVariableError{name, v, err}
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Check if *a pointer to* the struct field type implements the
+	// encoding.TextUnmarshaler interface. If it does and the struct value is
+	// addressable, call the UnmarshalText method using reflection.
+	if reflect.PtrTo(structField.Type()).Implements(reflect.TypeOf([]encoding.TextUnmarshaler{}).Elem()) {
+		// CanAddr tells us if reflect is able to get a pointer to the struct field
+		// value. This should always be true, because the Parse method is strict
+		// about accepting a pointer to a struct type. However, if it's not true the
+		// Addr() call will panic, so it is good practice to leave this check in
+		// place. (In the reflect package, a struct field is considered addressable
+		// if we originally received a pointer to the struct type).
+		if structField.CanAddr() {
+			results := structField.Addr().MethodByName("UnmarshalText").Call([]reflect.Value{reflect.ValueOf([]byte(v))})
+			if !results[0].IsNil() {
+				err := results[0].Interface().(error)
+				return InvalidVariableError{name, v, err}
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	// If the field type does not implement the encoding.TextUnmarshaler
+	// interface, we can try decoding some basic primitive types and setting the
+	// value of the struct field with reflection.
 	switch structField.Kind() {
 	case reflect.String:
 		structField.SetString(v)
diff --git a/envvar/envvar_test.go b/envvar/envvar_test.go
index 856fd22..042f9ac 100644
--- a/envvar/envvar_test.go
+++ b/envvar/envvar_test.go
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 package envvar
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
 	"regexp"
 	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
@@ -25,6 +28,9 @@ func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
 		"FLOAT32": "0.001234",
 		"FLOAT64": "23.7",
 		"BOOL":    "true",
+		"TIME":    "2017-10-31T14:18:00Z",
+		"CUSTOM":  "foo,bar,baz",
+		"WRAPPER": "a,b,c",
 	}
 	expected := typedVars{
 		STRING:  "foo",
@@ -41,8 +47,24 @@ func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
 		FLOAT32: 0.001234,
 		FLOAT64: 23.7,
 		BOOL:    true,
+		TIME:    time.Date(2017, 10, 31, 14, 18, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+		CUSTOM: customUnmarshaler{
+			strings: []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"},
+		},
+		WRAPPER: customUnmarshalerWrapper{
+			um: &customUnmarshaler{
+				strings: []string{"a", "b", "c"},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	// Note that we have to initialize the WRAPPER type so that its field is
+	// non-nil. No other types need to be initialized.
+	holder := &typedVars{
+		WRAPPER: customUnmarshalerWrapper{
+			um: &customUnmarshaler{},
+		},
 	}
-	testParse(t, vars, &typedVars{}, expected)
+	testParse(t, vars, holder, expected)
 }
 
 func TestParseCustomNames(t *testing.T) {
@@ -77,8 +99,24 @@ func TestParseDefaultVals(t *testing.T) {
 		FLOAT32: 0.001234,
 		FLOAT64: 23.7,
 		BOOL:    true,
+		TIME:    time.Date(1992, 9, 29, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+		CUSTOM: customUnmarshaler{
+			strings: []string{"one", "two", "three"},
+		},
+		WRAPPER: customUnmarshalerWrapper{
+			um: &customUnmarshaler{
+				strings: []string{"apple", "banana", "cranberry"},
+			},
+		},
 	}
-	testParse(t, nil, &defaultVars{}, expected)
+	// Note that we have to initialize the WRAPPER type so that its field is
+	// non-nil. No other types need to be initialized.
+	holder := &defaultVars{
+		WRAPPER: customUnmarshalerWrapper{
+			um: &customUnmarshaler{},
+		},
+	}
+	testParse(t, nil, holder, expected)
 }
 
 func TestParseCustomNameAndDefaultVal(t *testing.T) {
@@ -121,7 +159,7 @@ func TestParseRequiredVars(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestParseWithInvalidArgs(t *testing.T) {
+func TestParseErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := []struct {
 		holder        interface{}
 		expectedError string
@@ -228,6 +266,77 @@ func expectInvalidVariableError(t *testing.T, err error) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestUnmarshalTextError(t *testing.T) {
+	holder := &alwaysErrorVars{}
+	err := setFieldVal(reflect.ValueOf(holder).Elem().Field(0), "alwaysError", "")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected InvalidVariableError, but got nil error")
+	} else if _, ok := err.(InvalidVariableError); !ok {
+		t.Errorf("Expected InvalidVariableError, but got %s", err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestUnmarshalTextErrorPtr(t *testing.T) {
+	holder := &alwaysErrorVarsPtr{}
+	err := setFieldVal(reflect.ValueOf(holder).Elem().Field(0), "alwaysErrorPtr", "")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected InvalidVariableError, but got nil error")
+	} else if _, ok := err.(InvalidVariableError); !ok {
+		t.Errorf("Expected InvalidVariableError, but got %s", err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
+// customUnmarshaler implements the UnmarshalText method.
+type customUnmarshaler struct {
+	strings []string
+}
+
+// UnmarshalText simply splits the text by the separator: ",".
+func (cu *customUnmarshaler) UnmarshalText(text []byte) error {
+	cu.strings = strings.Split(string(text), ",")
+	return nil
+}
+
+// customUnmarshalerWrapper also implements the UnmarshalText method by calling
+// it on its own *customUnmarshaler.
+type customUnmarshalerWrapper struct {
+	um *customUnmarshaler
+}
+
+// UnmarshalText simply calls um.UnmarshalText. Note that here we use a
+// non-pointer receiver. It still works because the um field is a pointer. We
+// just need to be sure to check if um is nil first.
+func (cuw customUnmarshalerWrapper) UnmarshalText(text []byte) error {
+	if cuw.um == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return cuw.um.UnmarshalText(text)
+}
+
+// alwaysErrorUnmarshaler implements the UnmarshalText method by always
+// returning an error.
+type alwaysErrorUnmarshaler struct{}
+
+func (aeu alwaysErrorUnmarshaler) UnmarshalText(text []byte) error {
+	return errors.New("this function always returns an error")
+}
+
+type alwaysErrorVars struct {
+	AlwaysError alwaysErrorUnmarshaler
+}
+
+// alwaysErrorUnmarshalerPtr is like alwaysErrorUnmarshaler but implements
+// the UnmarshalText method with a pointer receiver.
+type alwaysErrorUnmarshalerPtr struct{}
+
+func (aue *alwaysErrorUnmarshalerPtr) UnmarshalText(text []byte) error {
+	return errors.New("this function always returns an error")
+}
+
+type alwaysErrorVarsPtr struct {
+	AlwaysErrorPtr alwaysErrorUnmarshalerPtr
+}
+
 type typedVars struct {
 	STRING  string
 	INT     int
@@ -243,6 +352,9 @@ type typedVars struct {
 	FLOAT32 float32
 	FLOAT64 float64
 	BOOL    bool
+	TIME    time.Time
+	CUSTOM  customUnmarshaler
+	WRAPPER customUnmarshalerWrapper
 }
 
 type customNamedVars struct {
@@ -253,20 +365,23 @@ type customNamedVars struct {
 }
 
 type defaultVars struct {
-	STRING  string  `default:"foo"`
-	INT     int     `default:"272309480983"`
-	INT8    int8    `default:"-4"`
-	INT16   int16   `default:"15893"`
-	INT32   int32   `default:"-230984"`
-	INT64   int64   `default:"12"`
-	UINT    uint    `default:"42"`
-	UINT8   uint8   `default:"13"`
-	UINT16  uint16  `default:"1337"`
-	UINT32  uint32  `default:"348904"`
-	UINT64  uint64  `default:"12093803"`
-	FLOAT32 float32 `default:"0.001234"`
-	FLOAT64 float64 `default:"23.7"`
-	BOOL    bool    `default:"true"`
+	STRING  string                   `default:"foo"`
+	INT     int                      `default:"272309480983"`
+	INT8    int8                     `default:"-4"`
+	INT16   int16                    `default:"15893"`
+	INT32   int32                    `default:"-230984"`
+	INT64   int64                    `default:"12"`
+	UINT    uint                     `default:"42"`
+	UINT8   uint8                    `default:"13"`
+	UINT16  uint16                   `default:"1337"`
+	UINT32  uint32                   `default:"348904"`
+	UINT64  uint64                   `default:"12093803"`
+	FLOAT32 float32                  `default:"0.001234"`
+	FLOAT64 float64                  `default:"23.7"`
+	BOOL    bool                     `default:"true"`
+	TIME    time.Time                `default:"1992-09-29T00:00:00Z"`
+	CUSTOM  customUnmarshaler        `default:"one,two,three"`
+	WRAPPER customUnmarshalerWrapper `default:"apple,banana,cranberry"`
 }
 
 type customNameAndDefaultVars struct {