diff --git a/packages/localize/src/date/formatDate.js b/packages/localize/src/date/formatDate.js
index c544ab8ec..3353a7989 100644
--- a/packages/localize/src/date/formatDate.js
+++ b/packages/localize/src/date/formatDate.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { normalizeDate } from './normalizeDate.js';
  */
 export function formatDate(date, options) {
   if (!(date instanceof Date)) {
-    return '0000-00-00';
+    return '';
   }
   const formatOptions = options || {};
   // make sure months and days are always 2-digits
diff --git a/packages/localize/test/date/formatDate.test.js b/packages/localize/test/date/formatDate.test.js
index 4efd8a8d1..1acb2a62b 100644
--- a/packages/localize/test/date/formatDate.test.js
+++ b/packages/localize/test/date/formatDate.test.js
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ describe('formatDate', () => {
     expect(formatDate(parsedDate, options)).to.equal('maandag 01 januari 1940');
   });
 
-  it('returns a zero-date when input is not a Date object', async () => {
+  it('returns empty string when input is not a Date object', async () => {
     const date = '1-1-2016';
-    expect(formatDate(date)).to.equal('0000-00-00');
+    expect(formatDate(date)).to.equal('');
   });
 });