diff --git a/stores/yaml/store.go b/stores/yaml/store.go
index 5d5c41d8d..3c0888d80 100644
--- a/stores/yaml/store.go
+++ b/stores/yaml/store.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/getsops/sops/v3"
 	"github.com/getsops/sops/v3/config"
@@ -83,6 +84,9 @@ func (store Store) nodeToTreeValue(node *yaml.Node, commentsWereHandled bool) (i
 	case yaml.ScalarNode:
 		var result interface{}
 		node.Decode(&result)
+		if time, ok := result.(time.Time); ok {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unsupported time element found: %q", time)
+		}
 		return result, nil
 	case yaml.AliasNode:
 		return store.nodeToTreeValue(node.Alias, false)
diff --git a/stores/yaml/store_test.go b/stores/yaml/store_test.go
index 5c8a59953..ae47661bf 100644
--- a/stores/yaml/store_test.go
+++ b/stores/yaml/store_test.go
@@ -255,6 +255,13 @@ func TestLoadAliasesPlainFile(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, ALIASES_BRANCHES, branches)
 }
 
+func TestLoadPlainFileTime(t *testing.T) {
+	branches, err := (&Store{}).LoadPlainFile([]byte("foo: 2025-02-15"))
+	assert.NotNil(t, err)
+	assert.Nil(t, branches)
+	assert.Equal(t, `Error unmarshaling input YAML: Unsupported time element found: "2025-02-15 00:00:00 +0000 UTC"`, err.Error())
+}
+
 func TestComment1(t *testing.T) {
 	// First iteration: load and store
 	branches, err := (&Store{}).LoadPlainFile(COMMENT_1)