diff --git a/ceilometer/api/controllers/v2.py b/ceilometer/api/controllers/v2.py
index 1d78c376c..de10be4f0 100644
--- a/ceilometer/api/controllers/v2.py
+++ b/ceilometer/api/controllers/v2.py
@@ -593,8 +593,8 @@ def _get_query_timestamps(args=None):
     query_end: Final timestamp to use for query
     end_timestamp: end_timestamp parameter from request
     search_offset: search_offset parameter from request
-
     """
+
     if args is None:
         return {'query_start': None,
                 'query_end': None,
@@ -603,23 +603,25 @@ def _get_query_timestamps(args=None):
                 'search_offset': 0}
     search_offset = int(args.get('search_offset', 0))
 
+    def _parse_timestamp(timestamp):
+        if not timestamp:
+            return None
+        try:
+            iso_timestamp = timeutils.parse_isotime(timestamp)
+            iso_timestamp = iso_timestamp.replace(tzinfo=None)
+        except ValueError:
+            raise wsme.exc.InvalidInput('timestamp', timestamp,
+                                        'invalid timestamp format')
+        return iso_timestamp
+
     start_timestamp = args.get('start_timestamp')
-    if start_timestamp:
-        start_timestamp = timeutils.parse_isotime(start_timestamp)
-        start_timestamp = start_timestamp.replace(tzinfo=None)
-        query_start = (start_timestamp -
-                       datetime.timedelta(minutes=search_offset))
-    else:
-        query_start = None
-
     end_timestamp = args.get('end_timestamp')
-    if end_timestamp:
-        end_timestamp = timeutils.parse_isotime(end_timestamp)
-        end_timestamp = end_timestamp.replace(tzinfo=None)
-        query_end = end_timestamp + datetime.timedelta(minutes=search_offset)
-    else:
-        query_end = None
-
+    start_timestamp = _parse_timestamp(start_timestamp)
+    end_timestamp = _parse_timestamp(end_timestamp)
+    query_start = start_timestamp - datetime.timedelta(
+        minutes=search_offset) if start_timestamp else None
+    query_end = end_timestamp + datetime.timedelta(
+        minutes=search_offset) if end_timestamp else None
     return {'query_start': query_start,
             'query_end': query_end,
             'start_timestamp': start_timestamp,
diff --git a/ceilometer/tests/api/v2/test_query.py b/ceilometer/tests/api/v2/test_query.py
index c23f5d384..5967e3b90 100644
--- a/ceilometer/tests/api/v2/test_query.py
+++ b/ceilometer/tests/api/v2/test_query.py
@@ -321,3 +321,15 @@ class TestQueryToKwArgs(tests_base.BaseTestCase):
                                           storage.SampleFilter.__init__)
             for o in ['user', 'project', 'resource']:
                 self.assertEqual('fake_%s_id' % o, kwargs.get(o))
+
+    def test_timestamp_validation(self):
+        q = [api.Query(field='timestamp',
+                       op='le',
+                       value='123')]
+
+        exc = self.assertRaises(
+            wsme.exc.InvalidInput,
+            api._query_to_kwargs, q, storage.SampleFilter.__init__)
+        expected_exc = wsme.exc.InvalidInput('timestamp', '123',
+                                             'invalid timestamp format')
+        self.assertEqual(str(expected_exc), str(exc))