diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index 741f8956..14d245b6 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -245,6 +245,19 @@ def test_date() -> None:
         tomlkit.date("12:34:56")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "raw",
+    [
+        "1979-05-13T12:34:56",
+        "1979-05-13T12:34:56Z",
+        "1979-05-13T12:34:56+02:00",
+    ],
+)
+def test_date_rejects_datetime_strings(raw: str) -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=r"date\(\) only accepts date strings"):
+        tomlkit.date(raw)
+
+
 def test_time() -> None:
     dt = tomlkit.time("12:34:56")
 
diff --git a/tomlkit/api.py b/tomlkit/api.py
index a7f3abdd..e19d6635 100644
--- a/tomlkit/api.py
+++ b/tomlkit/api.py
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ def string(
 def date(raw: str) -> Date:
     """Create a TOML date."""
     value = parse_rfc3339(raw)
-    if not isinstance(value, _datetime.date):
+    if isinstance(value, _datetime.datetime) or not isinstance(value, _datetime.date):
         raise ValueError("date() only accepts date strings.")
 
     return item(value)