diff --git a/src/timedate/timedated.c b/src/timedate/timedated.c
index 6ee49c5975..64d35d2b36 100644
--- a/src/timedate/timedated.c
+++ b/src/timedate/timedated.c
@@ -890,6 +890,10 @@ static int method_set_time(sd_bus_message *m, void *userdata, sd_bus_error *erro
         } else
                 timespec_store(&ts, (usec_t) utc);
 
+        /* refuse the request when the time is before systemd build date time*/
+        if (ts.tv_sec < TIME_EPOCH)
+                return sd_bus_error_set(error, SD_BUS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS, "Requested to set the clock to time before build time, refusing.");
+
         r = bus_verify_polkit_async_full(
                         m,
                         "org.freedesktop.timedate1.set-time",
diff --git a/test/units/TEST-30-ONCLOCKCHANGE.sh b/test/units/TEST-30-ONCLOCKCHANGE.sh
index 83698b8da6..235b278f60 100755
--- a/test/units/TEST-30-ONCLOCKCHANGE.sh
+++ b/test/units/TEST-30-ONCLOCKCHANGE.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,14 @@ systemd-analyze log-level debug
 systemctl disable --now systemd-timesyncd.service
 
 timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Berlin
-timedatectl set-time 1980-10-15
+
+# A future timestamp needs to be used, otherwise 'timedatectl set-time' fails
+# if a timestamp older than the TIME_EPOCH is specified.
+current_time=$(date)
+
+future_time=$(date -d "$current_time + 1 year" +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
+
+timedatectl set-time "$future_time"
 
 systemd-run --on-timezone-change touch /tmp/timezone-changed
 systemd-run --on-clock-change touch /tmp/clock-changed
@@ -20,7 +27,9 @@ timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Kyiv
 
 while test ! -f /tmp/timezone-changed ; do sleep .5 ; done
 
-timedatectl set-time 2018-1-1
+future_time=$(date -d "$current_time + 1 year + 1 month" +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
+
+timedatectl set-time "$future_time"
 
 while test ! -f /tmp/clock-changed ; do sleep .5 ; done