diff --git a/R/step_epi_slide.R b/R/step_epi_slide.R
index 9714971fa..2254e9554 100644
--- a/R/step_epi_slide.R
+++ b/R/step_epi_slide.R
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ step_epi_slide <-
   function(recipe,
            ...,
            .f,
-           before = 0L,
-           after = 0L,
+           before = NULL,
+           after = NULL,
            role = "predictor",
            prefix = "epi_slide_",
            f_name = clean_f_name(.f),
@@ -55,8 +55,12 @@ step_epi_slide <-
       cli_abort("This recipe step can only operate on an {.cls epi_recipe}.")
     }
     .f <- validate_slide_fun(.f)
-    epiprocess:::validate_slide_window_arg(before, attributes(recipe$template)$metadata$time_type)
-    epiprocess:::validate_slide_window_arg(after, attributes(recipe$template)$metadata$time_type)
+    if (!is.null(before)) {
+      epiprocess:::validate_slide_window_arg(before, attributes(recipe$template)$metadata$time_type)
+    }
+    if (!is.null(after)) {
+      epiprocess:::validate_slide_window_arg(after, attributes(recipe$template)$metadata$time_type)
+    }
     arg_is_chr_scalar(role, prefix, id)
     arg_is_lgl_scalar(skip)
 
@@ -136,7 +140,6 @@ prep.step_epi_slide <- function(x, training, info = NULL, ...) {
 
 #' @export
 bake.step_epi_slide <- function(object, new_data, ...) {
-  recipes::check_new_data(names(object$columns), object, new_data)
   col_names <- object$columns
   name_prefix <- paste0(object$prefix, object$f_name, "_")
   newnames <- glue::glue("{name_prefix}{col_names}")
@@ -153,6 +156,10 @@ bake.step_epi_slide <- function(object, new_data, ...) {
       class = "epipredict__step__name_collision_error"
     )
   }
+  # make sure that new_data is actually an epi_df
+  if (!inherits(new_data, "epi_df")) {
+    new_data <- new_data %>% as_epi_df()
+  }
   # TODO: Uncomment this whenever we make the optimized versions available.
   # if (any(vapply(c(mean, sum), \(x) identical(x, object$.f), logical(1L)))) {
   #   cli_warn(
diff --git a/man/step_epi_slide.Rd b/man/step_epi_slide.Rd
index 46bb386ad..d6559e081 100644
--- a/man/step_epi_slide.Rd
+++ b/man/step_epi_slide.Rd
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ step_epi_slide(
   recipe,
   ...,
   .f,
-  before = 0L,
-  after = 0L,
+  before = NULL,
+  after = NULL,
   role = "predictor",
   prefix = "epi_slide_",
   f_name = clean_f_name(.f),
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/step_epi_slide.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/step_epi_slide.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ea392d0b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/step_epi_slide.md
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# epi_slide works on weekly data with one of before/ahead set
+
+    Code
+      baked
+    Output
+      An `epi_df` object, 40 x 4 with metadata:
+      * geo_type  = state
+      * time_type = week
+      * as_of     = 1999-09-09
+      
+      # A tibble: 40 x 4
+         geo_value time_value value epi_slide__.f_value
+       * <chr>     <date>     <int>               <dbl>
+       1 ca        2022-01-01     2                 2  
+       2 ca        2022-01-08     3                 2.5
+       3 ca        2022-01-15     4                 3  
+       4 ca        2022-01-22     5                 3.5
+       5 ca        2022-01-29     6                 4.5
+       6 ca        2022-02-05     7                 5.5
+       7 ca        2022-02-12     8                 6.5
+       8 ca        2022-02-19     9                 7.5
+       9 ca        2022-02-26    10                 8.5
+      10 ca        2022-03-05    11                 9.5
+      # i 30 more rows
+
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-step_epi_slide.R b/tests/testthat/test-step_epi_slide.R
index 29e046eae..dff7a8a4b 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-step_epi_slide.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-step_epi_slide.R
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ edf <- data.frame(
 ) %>%
   as_epi_df()
 
+tt_week <- seq(as.Date("2022-01-01"), by = "1 week", length.out = 20)
+edf_weekly <- data.frame(
+  time_value = c(tt_week, tt_week),
+  geo_value = rep(c("ca", "ny"), each = 20L),
+  value = c(2:21, 3:22)
+) %>%
+  as_epi_df()
+
 r <- epi_recipe(edf)
 rolled_before <- edf %>%
   group_by(geo_value) %>%
@@ -73,3 +81,14 @@ test_that("epi_slide handles different function specs", {
   expect_equal(blfun[[4]], rolled_before)
   expect_equal(nblfun[[4]], rolled_before)
 })
+
+test_that("epi_slide works on weekly data with one of before/ahead set", {
+  expect_no_error(
+    baked <- epi_recipe(edf_weekly) %>%
+      step_epi_slide(value, .f = "mean", before = as.difftime(3, units = "weeks")) %>%
+      prep(edf_weekly) %>%
+      bake(new_data = NULL)
+  )
+  attributes(baked)$metadata$as_of <- as.Date("1999-09-09")
+  expect_snapshot(baked)
+})