diff --git a/internal/pkg/build/build.go b/internal/pkg/build/build.go
index 83abf5e0ff..0ffa990e6f 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/build/build.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/build/build.go
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ func (i Info) FullVersion() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s [%s built %s] (FIPS-distribution: %v)", i.Version, i.Commit, i.BuildTime, FIPSDistribution)
 }
 
-// Time parses the given string using RFC3339, or returns an empty time.Time.
-func Time(stime string) time.Time {
+// Time parses the given string using RFC3339, or returns an error if parsing fails.
+func Time(stime string) (time.Time, error) {
 	t, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, stime)
 	if err != nil {
-		return time.Time{}
+		return time.Time{}, err
 	}
-	return t
-}
+	return t, nil
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 72ceee6e9e..d5cb261774 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -29,10 +29,16 @@ var (
 )
 
 func main() {
+	buildTime, err := build.Time(BuildTime)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "invalid build time %q: %v\n", BuildTime, err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
 	cmd := fleet.NewCommand(build.Info{
 		Version:   Version,
 		Commit:    Commit,
-		BuildTime: build.Time(BuildTime),
+		BuildTime: buildTime,
 	})
 	if err := cmd.Execute(); err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)