diff --git a/devices/clients/SDP_statistics.py b/devices/clients/SDP_statistics.py
index f8baff46c6c8a8e589118fe7bad8a07af984ed4f..b8417ef58876b2fbad65bdf0771a830237233ae0 100644
--- a/devices/clients/SDP_statistics.py
+++ b/devices/clients/SDP_statistics.py
@@ -212,13 +212,16 @@ class StatisticsPacket(object):
         return unpack("<Q",self.packet[24:32])[0]
 
     def timestamp(self) -> datetime:
-        """ Returns the timestamp of the data in this packet. """
+        """ Returns the timestamp of the data in this packet. 
+        
+            Returns datetime.min if the block_serial_number in the packet is not set (0),
+            Returns datetime.max if the timestamp cannot be represented in python (likely because it is too large). """
 
         try:
             return datetime.fromtimestamp(self.block_serial_number * self.block_period(), timezone.utc)
         except ValueError:
             # Let's not barf anytime we want to print a header
-            return datetime.fromtimestamp(0, timezone.utc)
+            return datetime.max
 
     def header(self) -> dict:
         """ Return all the header fields as a dict. """