diff --git a/picard/script/functions.py b/picard/script/functions.py
index 9a0eae1f3..874f07a26 100644
--- a/picard/script/functions.py
+++ b/picard/script/functions.py
@@ -1446,7 +1446,8 @@ def func_day(parser, date_to_parse, date_order='ymd'):
 
 Returns the input date in the specified `format`, which is based on the standard
     Python `strftime` [format codes](https://strftime.org/). If no `format` is
-    specified the date will be returned in the form `2020-02-05`.
+    specified the date will be returned in the form `2020-02-05`.  If the date or
+    format are invalid an empty string will be returned.
 
     The default order for the input date is "ymd".  This can be changed by specifying
     either "dmy" or "mdy".
@@ -1464,10 +1465,8 @@ def func_dateformat(parser, date_to_parse, date_format=None, date_order='ymd'):
     try:
         date_object = datetime.date(int(yr), int(mo), int(da))
     except ValueError:
-        stackitem = parser._function_stack.get()
-        raise ScriptRuntimeError(stackitem, "Invalid date")
+        return ''
     try:
         return date_object.strftime(date_format)
     except ValueError:
-        stackitem = parser._function_stack.get()
-        raise ScriptRuntimeError(stackitem, "Unsupported format code")
+        return ''
diff --git a/test/test_script.py b/test/test_script.py
index a35743b52..f7b167d5e 100644
--- a/test/test_script.py
+++ b/test/test_script.py
@@ -1692,7 +1692,6 @@ class ScriptParserTest(PicardTestCase):
         # Test missing elements
         self.assertScriptResultEquals("$month(,)", "", context)
         self.assertScriptResultEquals("$month(-21-2021,mdy)", "", context)
-        # self.assertScriptResultEquals("$month(21--2021,dmy)", "", context)
 
         # Tests with invalid number of arguments
         areg = r"^\d+:\d+:\$month: Wrong number of arguments for \$month: Expected between 1 and 2, "
@@ -1721,7 +1720,6 @@ class ScriptParserTest(PicardTestCase):
         # Test missing elements
         self.assertScriptResultEquals("$day(,)", "", context)
         self.assertScriptResultEquals("$day(-07-2021,dmy)", "", context)
-        # self.assertScriptResultEquals("$day(07--2021,mdy)", "", context)
 
         # Tests with invalid number of arguments
         areg = r"^\d+:\d+:\$day: Wrong number of arguments for \$day: Expected between 1 and 2, "
@@ -1747,25 +1745,14 @@ class ScriptParserTest(PicardTestCase):
 
         # Test with invalid overrides
         self.assertScriptResultEquals("$dateformat(2021-07-21,,myd)", "2021-07-21", context)
-        areg = r"^\d+:\d+:\$dateformat: Invalid date"
-        # with self.assertRaisesRegex(ScriptError, areg):
-        #     self.parser.eval("$dateformat(2021-07-21,,,.)")
-        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ScriptError, areg):
-            self.parser.eval("$dateformat(2021-07-21,,dmy)")
-        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ScriptError, areg):
-            self.parser.eval("$dateformat(2021-07-21,,mdy)")
-        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ScriptError, areg):
-            self.parser.eval("$dateformat(2021-July-21)")
-        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ScriptError, areg):
-            self.parser.eval("$dateformat(2021)")
-        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ScriptError, areg):
-            self.parser.eval("$dateformat(2021-07)")
-        # with self.assertRaisesRegex(ScriptError, areg):
-        #     self.parser.eval("$dateformat(2021--21)")
+        self.assertScriptResultEquals("$dateformat(2021-07-21,,dmy)", "", context)
+        self.assertScriptResultEquals("$dateformat(2021-07-21,,mdy)", "", context)
+        self.assertScriptResultEquals("$dateformat(2021-July-21)", "", context)
+        self.assertScriptResultEquals("$dateformat(2021)", "", context)
+        self.assertScriptResultEquals("$dateformat(2021-07)", "", context)
 
         # Test missing elements
-        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ScriptError, areg):
-            self.parser.eval("$dateformat(,)")
+        self.assertScriptResultEquals("$dateformat(,)", "", context)
 
         # Tests with invalid number of arguments
         areg = r"^\d+:\d+:\$dateformat: Wrong number of arguments for \$dateformat: Expected between 1 and 3, "