diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/promotecontroller.py b/r2/r2/controllers/promotecontroller.py
index 2a3804b19..79755a5df 100644
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/promotecontroller.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/promotecontroller.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 ###############################################################################
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
+from babel.dates import format_date
 from babel.numbers import format_number
 import json
 import urllib
@@ -705,6 +706,16 @@ class PromoteApiController(ApiController):
                             errors.DATE_TOO_LATE, errors.BAD_DATE_RANGE)):
             return
 
+        # check that start is not so late that authorization hold will expire
+        if not c.user_is_sponsor:
+            max_start = promote.get_max_startdate()
+            if start > max_start:
+                c.errors.add(errors.DATE_TOO_LATE,
+                             msg_params={'day': max_start.strftime("%m/%d/%Y")},
+                             field='startdate')
+                form.has_errors('startdate', errors.DATE_TOO_LATE)
+                return
+
         # Limit the number of PromoCampaigns a Link can have
         # Note that the front end should prevent the user from getting
         # this far
@@ -828,6 +839,15 @@ class PromoteApiController(ApiController):
         if campaign_has_oversold_error(form, campaign):
             return
 
+        # check that start is not so late that authorization hold will expire
+        max_start = promote.get_max_startdate()
+        if campaign.start_date > max_start:
+            msg = _("please change campaign start date to %(date)s or earlier")
+            date = format_date(max_start, format="short", locale=c.locale)
+            msg %= {'date': date}
+            form.set_html(".status", msg)
+            return
+
         address_modified = not pay_id or edit
         form_has_errors = False
         if address_modified:
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py b/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
index 96b09c8f9..fbc522c1f 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
@@ -3484,26 +3484,29 @@ class PromoteLinkForm(Templated):
         now = promote.promo_datetime_now()
 
         if c.user_is_sponsor:
-            mindate = now
+            min_start = now
         elif promote.is_accepted(link):
-            mindate = make_offset_date(now, 1, business_days=True)
+            min_start = make_offset_date(now, 1, business_days=True)
         else:
-            mindate = make_offset_date(now, g.min_promote_future,
-                                       business_days=True)
+            min_start = make_offset_date(now, g.min_promote_future,
+                                         business_days=True)
 
         if c.user_is_sponsor:
-            max_days = 366
+            max_end = now + datetime.timedelta(days=366)
         else:
-            max_days = g.max_promote_future
+            max_end = now + datetime.timedelta(days=g.max_promote_future)
 
-        maxstart = now + datetime.timedelta(max_days-1)
-        maxend = maxstart + datetime.timedelta(days=1)
-        self.maxstart = maxstart.strftime("%m/%d/%Y")
-        self.maxend = maxend.strftime("%m/%d/%Y")
+        if c.user_is_sponsor:
+            max_start = max_end - datetime.timedelta(days=1)
+        else:
+            max_start = promote.get_max_startdate()
 
-        self.startdate = mindate.strftime("%m/%d/%Y")
-        enddate = mindate + datetime.timedelta(days=2)
-        self.enddate = enddate.strftime("%m/%d/%Y")
+        self.max_start = max_start.strftime("%m/%d/%Y")
+        self.max_end = max_end.strftime("%m/%d/%Y")
+
+        self.min_start = self.default_start = min_start.strftime("%m/%d/%Y")
+        default_end = min_start + datetime.timedelta(days=2)
+        self.default_end = default_end.strftime("%m/%d/%Y")
 
         self.subreddit_selector = SubredditSelector()
 
@@ -3557,8 +3560,8 @@ class PromoteLinkForm(Templated):
             srnames.update(names)
         srs = Subreddit._by_name(srnames)
         srs[''] = Frontpage
-        inv_start = mindate
-        inv_end = mindate + datetime.timedelta(days=14)
+        inv_start = min_start
+        inv_end = min_start + datetime.timedelta(days=14)
         sr_inventory = inventory.get_available_pageviews(
             srs.values(), inv_start, inv_end, datestr=True)
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/promote.py b/r2/r2/lib/promote.py
index 36cd3c962..bfe2a4efa 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/promote.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/promote.py
@@ -398,6 +398,13 @@ def promo_datetime_now(offset=None):
     return now
 
 
+def get_max_startdate():
+    # authorization hold happens now but expires after 30 days. charge
+    # happens 1 day before the campaign launches. the latest a campaign
+    # can start is 30 days from now (it will get charged in 29 days).
+    return promo_datetime_now() + timedelta(days=30)
+
+
 def accept_promotion(link):
     update_promote_status(link, PROMOTE_STATUS.accepted)
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/promotelinkform.html b/r2/r2/templates/promotelinkform.html
index 9d0b90100..b8241f62d 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/promotelinkform.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/promotelinkform.html
@@ -298,10 +298,10 @@ ${self.javascript_setup()}
           <tr>
             <th>${_("start")}</th>
             <td class="prefright">
-              <input type="hidden" id="date-min" value="${thing.startdate}">
-              <input type="hidden" id="date-start-max" value="${thing.maxstart}">
-              <input type="hidden" id="date-end-max" value="${thing.maxend}">
-              <%self:datepicker name="startdate", value="${thing.startdate}"
+              <input type="hidden" id="date-min" value="${thing.min_start}">
+              <input type="hidden" id="date-start-max" value="${thing.max_start}">
+              <input type="hidden" id="date-end-max" value="${thing.max_end}">
+              <%self:datepicker name="startdate", value="${thing.default_start}"
                                 minDateSrc="date-min" maxDateSrc="date-start-max"
                                 initfuncname="init_startdate">
                 function(elem) {
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ ${self.javascript_setup()}
           <tr>
             <th>${_("end")}</th>
             <td class="prefright">
-              <%self:datepicker name="enddate", value="${thing.enddate}"
+              <%self:datepicker name="enddate", value="${thing.default_end}"
                                 minDateSrc="startdate" maxDateSrc="date-end-max"
                                 initfuncname="init_enddate" min_date_offset="86400000">
                 function(elem) { r.sponsored.on_date_change(); }