diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 07cbb95..cd9978e 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "php81_bc/strftime",
-  "version": "0.0.6",
+  "version": "0.0.7",
   "description": "Locale-formatted strftime using IntlDateFormatter (PHP 8.1 compatible)",
   "license": "MIT",
   "authors": [
diff --git a/src/php-8.1-strftime.php b/src/php-8.1-strftime.php
index 41e4010..ebdbff6 100644
--- a/src/php-8.1-strftime.php
+++ b/src/php-8.1-strftime.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
   use DateTime;
   use DateTimeZone;
   use DateTimeInterface;
+  use Exception;
   use IntlDateFormatter;
   use InvalidArgumentException;
 
@@ -29,7 +30,11 @@ function strftime (string $format, $timestamp = null, ?string $locale = null) :
     if (!($timestamp instanceof DateTimeInterface)) {
       $timestamp = is_int($timestamp) ? '@' . $timestamp : (string) $timestamp;
 
-      $timestamp = new DateTime($timestamp);
+      try {
+        $timestamp = new DateTime($timestamp);
+      } catch (Exception $e) {
+        throw new InvalidArgumentException('$timestamp argument is neither a valid UNIX timestamp, a valid date-time string or a DateTime object.', 0, $e);
+      }
     }
 
     $timestamp->setTimezone(new DateTimeZone(date_default_timezone_get()));
diff --git a/tests/strftimeTest.php b/tests/strftimeTest.php
index ed7ae9b..0c62df3 100644
--- a/tests/strftimeTest.php
+++ b/tests/strftimeTest.php
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 <?php
+  declare(strict_types=1);
+
   use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
   use function PHP81_BC\strftime;
 
@@ -24,4 +26,9 @@ public function test_datetime_timestamp () {
       $result = strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S', new DateTime($this->str_date));
       $this->assertEquals('2022-03-12 01:02:03', $result);
     }
+
+    public function test_exception () {
+      $this->expectException(InvalidArgumentException::class);
+      $result = strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S', 'InvalidArgumentException');
+    }
   }