diff --git a/src/libsync/owncloudpropagator.cpp b/src/libsync/owncloudpropagator.cpp
index f33f309d63..38caf0e3c0 100644
--- a/src/libsync/owncloudpropagator.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/owncloudpropagator.cpp
@@ -1126,6 +1126,13 @@ void PropagateDirectory::slotSubJobsFinished(SyncFileItem::Status status)
         if (_item->_instruction == CSYNC_INSTRUCTION_NEW && _item->_direction == SyncFileItem::Down) {
             // special case for local MKDIR, set local directory mtime
             // (it's not synced later at all, but can be nice to have it set initially)
+
+            if (_item->_modtime <= 0) {
+                status = _item->_status = SyncFileItem::NormalError;
+                _item->_errorString = tr("Error updating metadata due to invalid modified time");
+                qCWarning(lcDirectory) << "Error writing to the database for file" << _item->_file;
+            }
+
             FileSystem::setModTime(propagator()->fullLocalPath(_item->destination()), _item->_modtime);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/libsync/vfs/suffix/vfs_suffix.cpp b/src/libsync/vfs/suffix/vfs_suffix.cpp
index a34d223823..ada1c46a44 100644
--- a/src/libsync/vfs/suffix/vfs_suffix.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/vfs/suffix/vfs_suffix.cpp
@@ -68,12 +68,20 @@ bool VfsSuffix::isHydrating() const
 
 Result<void, QString> VfsSuffix::updateMetadata(const QString &filePath, time_t modtime, qint64, const QByteArray &)
 {
+    if (modtime <= 0) {
+        return {tr("Error updating metadata due to invalid modified time")};
+    }
+
     FileSystem::setModTime(filePath, modtime);
     return {};
 }
 
 Result<void, QString> VfsSuffix::createPlaceholder(const SyncFileItem &item)
 {
+    if (item._modtime <= 0) {
+        return {tr("Error updating metadata due to invalid modified time")};
+    }
+
     // The concrete shape of the placeholder is also used in isDehydratedPlaceholder() below
     QString fn = _setupParams.filesystemPath + item._file;
     if (!fn.endsWith(fileSuffix())) {
diff --git a/src/libsync/vfs/xattr/vfs_xattr.cpp b/src/libsync/vfs/xattr/vfs_xattr.cpp
index 614949ce50..ce3a64e3e2 100644
--- a/src/libsync/vfs/xattr/vfs_xattr.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/vfs/xattr/vfs_xattr.cpp
@@ -69,12 +69,20 @@ bool VfsXAttr::isHydrating() const
 
 Result<void, QString> VfsXAttr::updateMetadata(const QString &filePath, time_t modtime, qint64, const QByteArray &)
 {
+    if (modtime <= 0) {
+        return {tr("Error updating metadata due to invalid modified time")};
+    }
+
     FileSystem::setModTime(filePath, modtime);
     return {};
 }
 
 Result<void, QString> VfsXAttr::createPlaceholder(const SyncFileItem &item)
 {
+    if (item._modtime <= 0) {
+        return {tr("Error updating metadata due to invalid modified time")};
+    }
+
     const auto path = QString(_setupParams.filesystemPath + item._file);
     QFile file(path);
     if (file.exists() && file.size() > 1