diff --git a/src/basic/time-util.c b/src/basic/time-util.c
index 5d278d42cb..0601d4fa92 100644
--- a/src/basic/time-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/time-util.c
@@ -282,8 +282,11 @@ static char *format_timestamp_internal(
                 return NULL; /* Timestamp is unset */
 
         /* Let's not format times with years > 9999 */
-        if (t > USEC_TIMESTAMP_FORMATTABLE_MAX)
-                return NULL;
+        if (t > USEC_TIMESTAMP_FORMATTABLE_MAX) {
+                assert(l >= strlen("--- XXXX-XX-XX XX:XX:XX") + 1);
+                strcpy(buf, "--- XXXX-XX-XX XX:XX:XX");
+                return buf;
+        }
 
         sec = (time_t) (t / USEC_PER_SEC); /* Round down */
 
diff --git a/src/shared/logs-show.c b/src/shared/logs-show.c
index 365c913009..401f363052 100644
--- a/src/shared/logs-show.c
+++ b/src/shared/logs-show.c
@@ -301,11 +301,6 @@ static int output_timestamp_realtime(FILE *f, sd_journal *j, OutputMode mode, Ou
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to get realtime timestamp: %m");
 
-        if (x > USEC_TIMESTAMP_FORMATTABLE_MAX) {
-                log_error("Timestamp cannot be printed");
-                return -EINVAL;
-        }
-
         if (IN_SET(mode, OUTPUT_SHORT_FULL, OUTPUT_WITH_UNIT)) {
                 const char *k;
 
@@ -314,7 +309,7 @@ static int output_timestamp_realtime(FILE *f, sd_journal *j, OutputMode mode, Ou
                 else
                         k = format_timestamp(buf, sizeof(buf), x);
                 if (!k) {
-                        log_error("Failed to format timestamp.");
+                        log_error("Failed to format timestamp: %"PRIu64, x);
                         return -EINVAL;
                 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/test-time-util.c b/src/test/test-time-util.c
index 5b8e7c7b35..ab4b7ce282 100644
--- a/src/test/test-time-util.c
+++ b/src/test/test-time-util.c
@@ -287,11 +287,12 @@ static void test_format_timestamp_utc(void) {
 
 #if SIZEOF_TIME_T == 8
         test_format_timestamp_utc_one(USEC_TIMESTAMP_FORMATTABLE_MAX, "Thu 9999-12-30 23:59:59 UTC");
+        test_format_timestamp_utc_one(USEC_TIMESTAMP_FORMATTABLE_MAX + 1, "--- XXXX-XX-XX XX:XX:XX");
 #elif SIZEOF_TIME_T == 4
         test_format_timestamp_utc_one(USEC_TIMESTAMP_FORMATTABLE_MAX, "Tue 2038-01-19 03:14:07 UTC");
+        test_format_timestamp_utc_one(USEC_TIMESTAMP_FORMATTABLE_MAX + 1, "--- XXXX-XX-XX XX:XX:XX");
 #endif
 
-        test_format_timestamp_utc_one(USEC_TIMESTAMP_FORMATTABLE_MAX+1, NULL);
         test_format_timestamp_utc_one(USEC_INFINITY, NULL);
 }