diff --git a/src/backend/model/threading/MetadataLoader.ts b/src/backend/model/threading/MetadataLoader.ts
index 137c1186..c4208cb4 100644
--- a/src/backend/model/threading/MetadataLoader.ts
+++ b/src/backend/model/threading/MetadataLoader.ts
@@ -199,15 +199,21 @@ export class MetadataLoader {
               if (iptcData.caption) {
                 metadata.caption = iptcData.caption.replace(/\0/g, '').trim();
               }
-              metadata.keywords = iptcData.keywords || [];
+              if (Array.isArray(iptcData.keywords)) {
+                metadata.keywords = iptcData.keywords;
+              }
 
-              metadata.creationDate = ((iptcData.date_time ? iptcData.date_time.getTime() : metadata.creationDate) as number);
+              if (iptcData.date_time) {
+                metadata.creationDate = iptcData.date_time.getTime();
+              }
 
             } catch (err) {
               // Logger.debug(LOG_TAG, 'Error parsing iptc data', fullPath, err);
             }
 
-            metadata.creationDate = Math.max(metadata.creationDate || 0, 0);
+            if (!metadata.creationDate) { // creationDate can be negative, when it was created before epoch (1970)
+              metadata.creationDate = 0;
+            }
 
             try {
               // TODO: clean up the three different exif readers,
diff --git a/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/before_epoch.jpg b/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/before_epoch.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..17f9d301
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/before_epoch.jpg differ
diff --git a/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/before_epoch.json b/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/before_epoch.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e4722492
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/before_epoch.json
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+{
+  "cameraData": {
+    "ISO": 800,
+    "exposure": 0.008,
+    "fStop": 5.6,
+    "focalLength": 85,
+    "lens": "EF-S15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM",
+    "make": "Canon",
+    "model": "Canon EOS 600D"
+  },
+  "caption": "Bambi Caption",
+  "creationDate": -11630935227000,
+  "faces": [
+    {
+      "box": {
+        "height": 2,
+        "left": 4,
+        "top": 2,
+        "width": 2
+      },
+      "name": "Bambi"
+    }
+  ],
+  "fileSize": 19145,
+  "keywords": [
+    "USA",
+    "USA Road trip",
+    "Yosemite"
+  ],
+  "orientation": 1,
+  "positionData": {
+    "GPSData": {
+      "altitude": 1960,
+      "latitude": 37.74805833333333,
+      "longitude": -119.51402333333333
+    },
+    "city": "Yosemite Nemzeti Park",
+    "country": "United States",
+    "state": "California"
+  },
+  "rating": 2,
+  "size": {
+    "height": 7,
+    "width": 10
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/date_error.json b/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/date_error.json
index 364c0d0f..a5f34a3e 100644
--- a/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/date_error.json
+++ b/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/date_error.json
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     "make": "NIKON",
     "model": "E880"
   },
-  "creationDate": 0,
+  "creationDate": -2211753600000,
   "fileSize": 72850,
   "orientation": 1,
   "size": {
diff --git a/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/no_metadata.jpg b/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/no_metadata.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..13ac4b1b
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/no_metadata.jpg differ
diff --git a/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/no_metadata.json b/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/no_metadata.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9801ee72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/backend/assets/edge_case_exif_data/no_metadata.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "creationDate": 1621859678578,
+  "fileSize": 5860,
+  "orientation": 1,
+  "size": {
+    "height": 7,
+    "width": 10
+  }
+}