diff --git a/src/uu/du/src/du.rs b/src/uu/du/src/du.rs
index b71d5f44c..0de16121a 100644
--- a/src/uu/du/src/du.rs
+++ b/src/uu/du/src/du.rs
@@ -721,6 +721,12 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
         excludes: build_exclude_patterns(&matches)?,
     };
 
+    let time_format = if time.is_some() {
+        parse_time_style(matches.get_one::<String>("time-style").map(|s| s.as_str()))?.to_string()
+    } else {
+        "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M".to_string()
+    };
+
     let stat_printer = StatPrinter {
         max_depth,
         size_format,
@@ -737,8 +743,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
             .transpose()?,
         apparent_size: matches.get_flag(options::APPARENT_SIZE) || matches.get_flag(options::BYTES),
         time,
-        time_format: parse_time_style(matches.get_one::<String>("time-style").map(|s| s.as_str()))?
-            .to_string(),
+        time_format,
         line_ending: LineEnding::from_zero_flag(matches.get_flag(options::NULL)),
     };
 
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_du.rs b/tests/by-util/test_du.rs
index 92469b6f5..dbd2c9c94 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_du.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_du.rs
@@ -1116,3 +1116,13 @@ fn test_du_files0_from_combined() {
 
     assert!(stderr.contains("file operands cannot be combined with --files0-from"));
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_invalid_time_style() {
+    let ts = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    ts.ucmd()
+        .arg("-s")
+        .arg("--time-style=banana")
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_does_not_contain("du: invalid argument 'banana' for 'time style'");
+}