diff --git a/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway/descriptor/services.go b/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway/descriptor/services.go
index c9dfec8e040..a62bd06fe16 100644
--- a/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway/descriptor/services.go
+++ b/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway/descriptor/services.go
@@ -194,7 +194,12 @@ func (r *Registry) newParam(meth *Method, path string) (Parameter, error) {
 	target := fields[l-1].Target
 	switch target.GetType() {
 	case descriptor.FieldDescriptorProto_TYPE_MESSAGE, descriptor.FieldDescriptorProto_TYPE_GROUP:
-		return Parameter{}, fmt.Errorf("aggregate type %s in parameter of %s.%s: %s", target.Type, meth.Service.GetName(), meth.GetName(), path)
+		glog.V(2).Infoln("found aggregate type:", target, target.TypeName)
+		if IsWellKnownType(*target.TypeName) {
+			glog.V(2).Infoln("found well known aggregate type:", target)
+		} else {
+			return Parameter{}, fmt.Errorf("aggregate type %s in parameter of %s.%s: %s", target.Type, meth.Service.GetName(), meth.GetName(), path)
+		}
 	}
 	return Parameter{
 		FieldPath: FieldPath(fields),
diff --git a/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway/descriptor/types.go b/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway/descriptor/types.go
index 248538e7bad..c24bd61c890 100644
--- a/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway/descriptor/types.go
+++ b/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway/descriptor/types.go
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway/httprule"
 )
 
+// IsWellKnownType returns true if the provided fully qualified type name is considered 'well-known'.
+func IsWellKnownType(typeName string) bool {
+	_, ok := wellKnownTypeConv[typeName]
+	return ok
+}
+
 // GoPackage represents a golang package
 type GoPackage struct {
 	// Path is the package path to the package.
@@ -194,6 +200,9 @@ func (p Parameter) ConvertFuncExpr() (string, error) {
 	}
 	typ := p.Target.GetType()
 	conv, ok := tbl[typ]
+	if !ok {
+		conv, ok = wellKnownTypeConv[p.Target.GetTypeName()]
+	}
 	if !ok {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("unsupported field type %s of parameter %s in %s.%s", typ, p.FieldPath, p.Method.Service.GetName(), p.Method.GetName())
 	}
@@ -319,4 +328,9 @@ var (
 		descriptor.FieldDescriptorProto_TYPE_SINT32:   "runtime.Int32P",
 		descriptor.FieldDescriptorProto_TYPE_SINT64:   "runtime.Int64P",
 	}
+
+	wellKnownTypeConv = map[string]string{
+		".google.protobuf.Timestamp": "runtime.Timestamp",
+		".google.protobuf.Duration":  "runtime.Duration",
+	}
 )
diff --git a/protoc-gen-swagger/genswagger/template.go b/protoc-gen-swagger/genswagger/template.go
index 170e0e4befd..80f60b5bc3d 100644
--- a/protoc-gen-swagger/genswagger/template.go
+++ b/protoc-gen-swagger/genswagger/template.go
@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway/descriptor"
 )
 
+var wktSchemas = map[string]schemaCore{
+	".google.protobuf.Timestamp": schemaCore{
+		Type:   "string",
+		Format: "date-time",
+	},
+	".google.protobuf.Duration": schemaCore{
+		Type: "string",
+	},
+}
+
 func listEnumNames(enum *descriptor.Enum) (names []string) {
 	for _, value := range enum.GetValue() {
 		names = append(names, value.GetName())
@@ -161,6 +171,8 @@ func renderMessagesAsDefinition(messages messageMap, d swaggerDefinitionsObject,
 		switch name {
 		case ".google.protobuf.Timestamp":
 			continue
+		case ".google.protobuf.Duration":
+			continue
 		}
 		if opt := msg.GetOptions(); opt != nil && opt.MapEntry != nil && *opt.MapEntry {
 			continue
@@ -213,11 +225,8 @@ func schemaOfField(f *descriptor.Field, reg *descriptor.Registry) swaggerSchemaO
 
 	switch ft := fd.GetType(); ft {
 	case pbdescriptor.FieldDescriptorProto_TYPE_ENUM, pbdescriptor.FieldDescriptorProto_TYPE_MESSAGE, pbdescriptor.FieldDescriptorProto_TYPE_GROUP:
-		if fd.GetTypeName() == ".google.protobuf.Timestamp" && pbdescriptor.FieldDescriptorProto_TYPE_MESSAGE == ft {
-			core = schemaCore{
-				Type:   "string",
-				Format: "date-time",
-			}
+		if wktSchema, ok := wktSchemas[fd.GetTypeName()]; ok {
+			core = wktSchema
 		} else {
 			core = schemaCore{
 				Ref: "#/definitions/" + fullyQualifiedNameToSwaggerName(fd.GetTypeName(), reg),
@@ -446,7 +455,13 @@ func renderServices(services []*descriptor.Service, paths swaggerPathsObject, re
 					var paramType, paramFormat string
 					switch pt := parameter.Target.GetType(); pt {
 					case pbdescriptor.FieldDescriptorProto_TYPE_GROUP, pbdescriptor.FieldDescriptorProto_TYPE_MESSAGE:
-						return fmt.Errorf("only primitive types are allowed in path parameters")
+						if descriptor.IsWellKnownType(parameter.Target.GetTypeName()) {
+							schema := schemaOfField(parameter.Target, reg)
+							paramType = schema.Type
+							paramFormat = schema.Format
+						} else {
+							return fmt.Errorf("only primitive and well-known types are allowed in path parameters")
+						}
 					case pbdescriptor.FieldDescriptorProto_TYPE_ENUM:
 						paramType = fullyQualifiedNameToSwaggerName(parameter.Target.GetTypeName(), reg)
 						paramFormat = ""
diff --git a/runtime/convert.go b/runtime/convert.go
index 1af5cc4ebdd..eb6893b58bc 100644
--- a/runtime/convert.go
+++ b/runtime/convert.go
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ package runtime
 
 import (
 	"strconv"
+
+	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/jsonpb"
+	"github.com/golang/protobuf/ptypes/duration"
+	"github.com/golang/protobuf/ptypes/timestamp"
 )
 
 // String just returns the given string.
@@ -56,3 +60,17 @@ func Uint32(val string) (uint32, error) {
 	}
 	return uint32(i), nil
 }
+
+// Timestamp converts the given RFC3339 formatted string into a timestamp.Timestamp.
+func Timestamp(val string) (*timestamp.Timestamp, error) {
+	var r *timestamp.Timestamp
+	err := jsonpb.UnmarshalString(val, r)
+	return r, err
+}
+
+// Duration converts the given string into a timestamp.Duration.
+func Duration(val string) (*duration.Duration, error) {
+	var r *duration.Duration
+	err := jsonpb.UnmarshalString(val, r)
+	return r, err
+}