diff --git a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/_datetime.h b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/_datetime.h
index 3c216d85690f..5f04eb017254 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/_datetime.h
+++ b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/_datetime.h
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 #ifndef _NPY_PRIVATE__DATETIME_H_
 #define _NPY_PRIVATE__DATETIME_H_
 
+/*
+ * Set to non-zero to make np.array() automatically convert python datetime.date
+ * and datetime.datetime to np.datetime64.
+ */
+#define NPY_ARRAY_AUTOCONVERT_PYDATETIME 0
+
 NPY_NO_EXPORT char *_datetime_strings[NPY_DATETIME_NUMUNITS];
 
 NPY_NO_EXPORT int _days_per_month_table[2][12];
@@ -20,6 +26,12 @@ is_leapyear(npy_int64 year);
 NPY_NO_EXPORT npy_int64
 get_datetimestruct_days(const npy_datetimestruct *dts);
 
+/*
+ * Gets a descr for a Date or Datetime
+ */
+NPY_NO_EXPORT PyArray_Descr *
+get_datetime_dtype_for_obj(PyObject *obj);
+
 /*
  * Creates a datetime or timedelta dtype using a copy of the provided metadata.
  */
diff --git a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/common.c b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/common.c
index 89d4c5f63ac7..299935db990a 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/common.c
+++ b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/common.c
@@ -14,10 +14,14 @@
 #include "common.h"
 #include "buffer.h"
 
+#include "_datetime.h"
 
 NPY_NO_EXPORT PyArray_Descr *
 _array_find_python_scalar_type(PyObject *op)
 {
+#if NPY_ARRAY_AUTOCONVERT_PYDATETIME
+    PyArray_Descr *res;
+#endif
     if (PyFloat_Check(op)) {
         return PyArray_DescrFromType(PyArray_DOUBLE);
     }
@@ -41,6 +45,14 @@ _array_find_python_scalar_type(PyObject *op)
         }
         return PyArray_DescrFromType(PyArray_LONGLONG);
     }
+#if NPY_ARRAY_AUTOCONVERT_PYDATETIME
+    else {
+        res = get_datetime_dtype_for_obj(op);
+        if (res != NULL) {
+            return res;
+        }
+    }
+#endif
     return NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/datetime.c b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/datetime.c
index 7a0bafbf28c7..3c5f72a8c531 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/datetime.c
+++ b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/datetime.c
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
 #include "_datetime.h"
 #include "datetime_strings.h"
 
+static PyObject *dtype_us;
+static PyObject *dtype_D;
+
 /*
  * Imports the PyDateTime functions so we can create these objects.
  * This is called during module initialization
@@ -32,7 +35,17 @@
 NPY_NO_EXPORT void
 numpy_pydatetime_import()
 {
+    PyArray_DatetimeMetaData meta;
+
     PyDateTime_IMPORT;
+
+    meta.num = 1;
+
+    meta.base = NPY_FR_us;
+    dtype_us = create_datetime_dtype(PyArray_DATETIME, &meta);
+
+    meta.base = NPY_FR_D;
+    dtype_D = create_datetime_dtype(PyArray_DATETIME, &meta);
 }
 
 /* Exported as DATETIMEUNITS in multiarraymodule.c */
@@ -683,6 +696,23 @@ PyArray_TimedeltaToTimedeltaStruct(npy_timedelta val, NPY_DATETIMEUNIT fr,
     memset(result, -1, sizeof(npy_timedeltastruct));
 }
 
+/*
+ * Gets a descr for a Date or Datetime
+ */
+NPY_NO_EXPORT PyArray_Descr *
+get_datetime_dtype_for_obj(PyObject *datetime)
+{
+    if (PyDateTime_Check(datetime)) {
+        Py_INCREF(dtype_us);
+        return dtype_us;
+    } else if (PyDate_Check(datetime)) {
+        Py_INCREF(dtype_D);
+        return dtype_D;
+    } else {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+}
+
 /*
  * Creates a datetime or timedelta dtype using a copy of the provided metadata.
  */