diff --git a/src/cryptonote_core/account.cpp b/src/cryptonote_core/account.cpp
index 89ad4184..60256148 100644
--- a/src/cryptonote_core/account.cpp
+++ b/src/cryptonote_core/account.cpp
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ DISABLE_VS_WARNINGS(4244 4345)
 
     generate_keys(m_keys.m_account_address.m_view_public_key, m_keys.m_view_secret_key, second, two_random ? false : true);
 
-    struct tm timestamp;
+    struct tm timestamp = {0};
     timestamp.tm_year = 2014 - 1900;  // year 2014
     timestamp.tm_mon = 6 - 1;  // month june
     timestamp.tm_mday = 8;  // 8th of june
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ DISABLE_VS_WARNINGS(4244 4345)
 
     if (recover)
     {
-      m_creation_timestamp = mktime(&timestamp);
+      m_creation_timestamp = std::max(mktime(&timestamp), (long)0);
     }
     else
     {
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ DISABLE_VS_WARNINGS(4244 4345)
     m_keys.m_spend_secret_key = spendkey;
     m_keys.m_view_secret_key = viewkey;
 
-    struct tm timestamp;
+    struct tm timestamp = {0};
     timestamp.tm_year = 2014 - 1900;  // year 2014
     timestamp.tm_mon = 4 - 1;  // month april
     timestamp.tm_mday = 15;  // 15th of april
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ DISABLE_VS_WARNINGS(4244 4345)
     timestamp.tm_min = 0;
     timestamp.tm_sec = 0;
 
-    m_creation_timestamp = mktime(&timestamp);
+    m_creation_timestamp = std::max(mktime(&timestamp), (long)0);
   }
   //-----------------------------------------------------------------
   void account_base::create_from_viewkey(const cryptonote::account_public_address& address, const crypto::secret_key& viewkey)