diff --git a/src/read.rs b/src/read.rs
index 235bd119..247a3ac8 100644
--- a/src/read.rs
+++ b/src/read.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,20 @@ mod ffi {
     pub const S_IFREG: u32 = 0o0100000;
 }
 
+const TM_1980_01_01 : ::time::Tm = ::time::Tm {
+	tm_sec: 0,
+	tm_min: 0,
+	tm_hour: 0,
+	tm_mday: 1,
+	tm_mon: 0,
+	tm_year: 80,
+	tm_wday: 2,
+	tm_yday: 0,
+	tm_isdst: -1,
+	tm_utcoff: 0,
+	tm_nsec: 0
+};
+
 /// Wrapper for reading the contents of a ZIP file.
 ///
 /// ```
@@ -339,7 +353,7 @@ fn central_header_to_zip_file<R: Read+io::Seek>(reader: &mut R, archive_offset:
         version_made_by: version_made_by as u8,
         encrypted: encrypted,
         compression_method: CompressionMethod::from_u16(compression_method),
-        last_modified_time: try!(::time::Tm::from_msdos(MsDosDateTime::new(last_mod_time, last_mod_date))),
+        last_modified_time: ::time::Tm::from_msdos(MsDosDateTime::new(last_mod_time, last_mod_date)).unwrap_or(TM_1980_01_01),
         crc32: crc32,
         compressed_size: compressed_size as u64,
         uncompressed_size: uncompressed_size as u64,
diff --git a/tests/invalid_date.rs b/tests/invalid_date.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..87c436b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/invalid_date.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+extern crate zip;
+
+use zip::read::ZipArchive;
+use std::io::Cursor;
+
+const BUF : &[u8] = &[
+  0x50, 0x4b, 0x03, 0x04, 0x0a, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x12, 0x00, 0x1c, 0x00, 0x69, 0x6e, 0x76, 0x61, 0x6c, 0x69,
+  0x64, 0x5f, 0x74, 0x69, 0x6d, 0x65, 0x73, 0x74, 0x61, 0x6d, 0x70, 0x2f,
+  0x55, 0x54, 0x09, 0x00, 0x03, 0xf4, 0x5c, 0x88, 0x5a, 0xf4, 0x5c, 0x88,
+  0x5a, 0x75, 0x78, 0x0b, 0x00, 0x01, 0x04, 0xe8, 0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 0x04,
+  0x0a, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x50, 0x4b, 0x01, 0x02, 0x1e, 0x03, 0x0a, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, // time part: 0 seconds, 0 minutes, 0 hours
+  0x00, 0x00, // date part: day 0 (invalid), month 0 (invalid), year 0 (1980)
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x12, 0x00, 0x18, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x10, 0x00, 0xed, 0x41, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x69, 0x6e, 0x76, 0x61, 0x6c, 0x69, 0x64, 0x5f, 0x74, 0x69,
+  0x6d, 0x65, 0x73, 0x74, 0x61, 0x6d, 0x70, 0x2f, 0x55, 0x54, 0x05, 0x00,
+  0x03, 0xf4, 0x5c, 0x88, 0x5a, 0x75, 0x78, 0x0b, 0x00, 0x01, 0x04, 0xe8,
+  0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 0x04, 0x0a, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x50, 0x4b, 0x05, 0x06,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x58, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+  0x4c, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00
+];
+
+#[test]
+fn main() {
+    let _archive = ZipArchive::new(Cursor::new(BUF)).unwrap();
+}