diff --git a/tests/datasets/test_utils.py b/tests/datasets/test_utils.py
index a76b7ee4180..f2a8f758f7f 100644
--- a/tests/datasets/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/datasets/test_utils.py
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ def test_invalid_t(self) -> None:
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "date_string,format,min_datetime,max_datetime",
     [
-        ("", "", datetime(1970, 1, 1).timestamp(), datetime.max.timestamp()),
+        ("", "", 0, datetime.max.timestamp()),
         (
             "2021",
             "%Y",
diff --git a/torchgeo/datasets/geo.py b/torchgeo/datasets/geo.py
index 0e33589e0c6..32295045a83 100644
--- a/torchgeo/datasets/geo.py
+++ b/torchgeo/datasets/geo.py
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ def __init__(
                     # Skip files that rasterio is unable to read
                     continue
                 else:
-                    mint = datetime(1970, 1, 1).timestamp()
+                    mint = 0.0
                     maxt = datetime.max.timestamp()
                     if "date" in match.groupdict():
                         date = match.group("date")
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ def __init__(
                 # Skip files that fiona is unable to read
                 continue
             else:
-                mint = datetime(1970, 1, 1).timestamp()
+                mint = 0
                 maxt = datetime.max.timestamp()
                 coords = (minx, maxx, miny, maxy, mint, maxt)
                 self.index.insert(i, coords, filepath)
diff --git a/torchgeo/datasets/utils.py b/torchgeo/datasets/utils.py
index 17c41a56658..a59ef9b8f78 100644
--- a/torchgeo/datasets/utils.py
+++ b/torchgeo/datasets/utils.py
@@ -279,8 +279,7 @@ def disambiguate_timestamp(date_str: str, format: str) -> Tuple[float, float]:
 
     if not any([f"%{c}" in format for c in "yYcxG"]):
         # No temporal info
-        mint = datetime(1970, 1, 1)
-        maxt = datetime.max
+        return 0, datetime.max.timestamp()
     elif not any([f"%{c}" in format for c in "bBmjUWcxV"]):
         # Year resolution
         maxt = datetime(mint.year, 12, 31, 23, 59, 59, 999999)