diff --git a/src/Validators/DateTimeDiff.php b/src/Validators/DateTimeDiff.php
index 74b52d1fc..c429e3f81 100644
--- a/src/Validators/DateTimeDiff.php
+++ b/src/Validators/DateTimeDiff.php
@@ -139,6 +139,10 @@ private function createDateTimeObject(mixed $input): DateTimeInterface|null
             }
         }
 
+        if (!$this->isDateTime($this->format, (string) $input)) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
         $format = $this->getExceptionalFormats()[$this->format] ?? $this->format;
         $dateTime = DateTimeImmutable::createFromFormat($format, (string) $input);
         if ($dateTime === false) {
diff --git a/tests/unit/Validators/DateTimeDiffTest.php b/tests/unit/Validators/DateTimeDiffTest.php
index 5ee71bc29..43f214828 100644
--- a/tests/unit/Validators/DateTimeDiffTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/Validators/DateTimeDiffTest.php
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ public static function providerForValidInput(): array
             'years + DateTime' => [new DateTimeDiff('years', Stub::pass(1)), new DateTimeImmutable()],
             'years + string' => [new DateTimeDiff('years', Stub::pass(1)), '2020-01-01'],
             'years + string + format' => [new DateTimeDiff('years', Stub::pass(1), 'Y-m-d'), '2020-01-01'],
+            'years + leap day + format' => [new DateTimeDiff('years', Stub::pass(1), 'Y-m-d'), '2024-02-29'],
+            'years + string + exceptional format' => [
+                new DateTimeDiff('years', Stub::pass(1), 'c'),
+                '2020-01-01T00:00:00+00:00',
+            ],
             'years + string + format + now' => [
                 new DateTimeDiff('years', Stub::pass(1), 'Y-m-d', new DateTimeImmutable()),
                 '2020-01-01',
@@ -80,6 +85,14 @@ public static function providerForInvalidInput(): array
                 new DateTimeDiff('years', Stub::fail(1), 'Y-m-d'),
                 'invalid date',
             ],
+            'impossible date, with passing rule' => [
+                new DateTimeDiff('years', Stub::pass(1), 'Y-m-d'),
+                '2023-02-30',
+            ],
+            'impossible date in exceptional format, with passing rule' => [
+                new DateTimeDiff('years', Stub::pass(1), 'c'),
+                '2023-02-30T00:00:00+00:00',
+            ],
         ] + array_map(
             static fn(array $args): array => [new DateTimeDiff('years', Stub::fail(1)), new DateTimeImmutable()],
             iterator_to_array(self::providerForNonScalarValues()),