diff --git a/src/format/mod.rs b/src/format/mod.rs
index efd6f76..f120014 100644
--- a/src/format/mod.rs
+++ b/src/format/mod.rs
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@
 //! Formatting utilities for date and time.
 
 use std::fmt;
+use std::str::FromStr;
 use std::error::Error;
 
-use {Datelike, Timelike};
+use {Datelike, Timelike, Weekday, ParseWeekdayError};
 use div::{div_floor, mod_floor};
 use offset::Offset;
 use offset::fixed::FixedOffset;
@@ -557,3 +558,41 @@ impl<'a, I: Iterator<Item=Item<'a>> + Clone> fmt::Display for DelayedFormat<I> {
     }
 }
 
+// this implementation is here only because we need some private code from `scan`
+
+/// Parsing a `str` into a `Weekday` uses the format [`%W`](../../format/strftime/index.html).
+///
+/// # Example
+///
+/// ~~~~
+/// use chrono::Weekday;
+///
+/// assert_eq!("Sunday".parse::<Weekday>(), Ok(Weekday::Sun));
+/// assert!("any day".parse::<Weekday>().is_err());
+/// ~~~~
+///
+/// The parsing is case-insensitive.
+///
+/// ~~~~
+/// # use chrono::Weekday;
+/// assert_eq!("mON".parse::<Weekday>(), Ok(Weekday::Mon));
+/// ~~~~
+///
+/// Only the shortest form (e.g. `sun`) and the longest form (e.g. `sunday`) is accepted.
+///
+/// ~~~~
+/// # use chrono::Weekday;
+/// assert!("thurs".parse::<Weekday>().is_err());
+/// ~~~~
+impl FromStr for Weekday {
+    type Err = ParseWeekdayError;
+
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        if let Ok(("", w)) = scan::short_or_long_weekday(s) {
+            Ok(w)
+        } else {
+            Err(ParseWeekdayError { _dummy: () })
+        }
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 685cbf1..a6af13b 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -573,25 +573,22 @@ impl num::traits::FromPrimitive for Weekday {
     }
 }
 
-use std::str::FromStr;
+use std::fmt;
 
-impl FromStr for Weekday {
-    type Err = String;
+/// An error resulting from reading `Weekday` value with `FromStr`.
+#[derive(Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct ParseWeekdayError {
+    _dummy: (),
+}
 
-    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
-        match s.to_string().to_lowercase().as_ref() {
-            "mon" | "monday" => Ok(Weekday::Mon),
-            "tue" | "tuesday" => Ok(Weekday::Tue),
-            "wed" | "wednesday" => Ok(Weekday::Wed),
-            "thu" | "thur" | "thursday" => Ok(Weekday::Thu),
-            "fri" | "friday" => Ok(Weekday::Fri),
-            "sat" | "saturday" => Ok(Weekday::Sat),
-            "sun" | "sunday" => Ok(Weekday::Sun),
-            other => Err(format!("unknown Weekday {}", other)),
-        }
+impl fmt::Debug for ParseWeekdayError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+        write!(f, "ParseWeekdayError {{ .. }}")
     }
 }
 
+// the actual `FromStr` implementation is in the `format` module to leverage the existing code
+
 #[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 mod weekday_serde {
     use super::Weekday;
@@ -665,7 +662,6 @@ mod weekday_serde {
             ("\"wednesday\"", Wed),
             ("\"thu\"", Thu),
             ("\"thursday\"", Thu),
-            ("\"thur\"", Thu),
             ("\"fri\"", Fri),
             ("\"friday\"", Fri),
             ("\"sat\"", Sat),
@@ -684,6 +680,8 @@ mod weekday_serde {
             "\"monDAYs\"",
             "\"mond\"",
             "mon",
+            "\"thur\"",
+            "\"thurs\"",
         ];
 
         for str in errors {