diff --git a/beets/dbcore/query.py b/beets/dbcore/query.py
index 46e7562fd..1169b08d9 100644
--- a/beets/dbcore/query.py
+++ b/beets/dbcore/query.py
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ class Period(object):
         ordinal = string.count('-')
         if ordinal >= len(cls.date_formats):
             # Too many components.
-            return None
+            raise InvalidQueryArgumentTypeError(string, 'a valid datetime string')
         date_format = cls.date_formats[ordinal]
         try:
             date = datetime.strptime(string, date_format)
diff --git a/test/test_datequery.py b/test/test_datequery.py
index 0bb1378a3..7acf192c9 100644
--- a/test/test_datequery.py
+++ b/test/test_datequery.py
@@ -121,7 +121,8 @@ class DateQueryConstructTest(unittest.TestCase):
             DateQuery('added', '1409830085..1412422089')
 
     def test_too_many_components(self):
-        DateQuery('added', '12-34-56-78')
+        with self.assertRaises(InvalidQueryArgumentTypeError):
+            DateQuery('added', '12-34-56-78')
 
 
 def suite():