diff --git a/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c b/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c
index e2876317e38..01a71cfd63d 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c
+++ b/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c
@@ -7932,7 +7932,12 @@ static void do_versions(FileData *fd, Library *lib, Main *main)
 		char build_commit_datetime[32];
 		time_t temp_time = main->build_commit_timestamp;
 		struct tm *tm = gmtime(&temp_time);
-		strftime(build_commit_datetime, sizeof(build_commit_datetime), "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M", tm);
+		if (LIKELY(tm)) {
+			strftime(build_commit_datetime, sizeof(build_commit_datetime), "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M", tm);
+		}
+		else {
+			BLI_strncpy(build_commit_datetime, "date-unknown", sizeof(build_commit_datetime));
+		}
 
 		printf("read file %s\n  Version %d sub %d date %s hash %s\n",
 		       fd->relabase, main->versionfile, main->subversionfile,
diff --git a/source/creator/creator.c b/source/creator/creator.c
index 508847af5e3..adedab80338 100644
--- a/source/creator/creator.c
+++ b/source/creator/creator.c
@@ -1516,8 +1516,15 @@ int main(int argc, const char **argv)
 	{
 		time_t temp_time = build_commit_timestamp;
 		struct tm *tm = gmtime(&temp_time);
-		strftime(build_commit_date, sizeof(build_commit_date), "%Y-%m-%d", tm);
-		strftime(build_commit_time, sizeof(build_commit_time), "%H:%M", tm);
+		if (LIKELY(tm)) {
+			strftime(build_commit_date, sizeof(build_commit_date), "%Y-%m-%d", tm);
+			strftime(build_commit_time, sizeof(build_commit_time), "%H:%M", tm);
+		}
+		else {
+			const char *unknown = "date-unknown";
+			BLI_strncpy(build_commit_date, unknown, sizeof(build_commit_date));
+			BLI_strncpy(build_commit_time, unknown, sizeof(build_commit_time));
+		}
 	}
 #endif