diff --git a/src/modules/date/index.ts b/src/modules/date/index.ts
index 111fc4bae6f..ea9d15d7768 100644
--- a/src/modules/date/index.ts
+++ b/src/modules/date/index.ts
@@ -47,10 +47,14 @@ export class DateModule {
    * @since 2.0.1
    */
   past(years?: number, refDate?: string | Date | number): Date {
+    if (years <= 0) {
+      throw new FakerError('Years must be greater than 0.');
+    }
+
     const date = toDate(refDate);
     const range = {
       min: 1000,
-      max: (years || 1) * 365 * 24 * 3600 * 1000,
+      max: (years ?? 1) * 365 * 24 * 3600 * 1000,
     };
 
     let past = date.getTime();
@@ -76,10 +80,14 @@ export class DateModule {
    * @since 2.0.1
    */
   future(years?: number, refDate?: string | Date | number): Date {
+    if (years <= 0) {
+      throw new FakerError('Years must be greater than 0.');
+    }
+
     const date = toDate(refDate);
     const range = {
       min: 1000,
-      max: (years || 1) * 365 * 24 * 3600 * 1000,
+      max: (years ?? 1) * 365 * 24 * 3600 * 1000,
     };
 
     let future = date.getTime();
@@ -157,10 +165,14 @@ export class DateModule {
    * @since 2.0.1
    */
   recent(days?: number, refDate?: string | Date | number): Date {
+    if (days <= 0) {
+      throw new FakerError('Days must be greater than 0.');
+    }
+
     const date = toDate(refDate);
     const range = {
       min: 1000,
-      max: (days || 1) * 24 * 3600 * 1000,
+      max: (days ?? 1) * 24 * 3600 * 1000,
     };
 
     let future = date.getTime();
@@ -186,10 +198,14 @@ export class DateModule {
    * @since 5.0.0
    */
   soon(days?: number, refDate?: string | Date | number): Date {
+    if (days <= 0) {
+      throw new FakerError('Days must be greater than 0.');
+    }
+
     const date = toDate(refDate);
     const range = {
       min: 1000,
-      max: (days || 1) * 24 * 3600 * 1000,
+      max: (days ?? 1) * 24 * 3600 * 1000,
     };
 
     let future = date.getTime();
diff --git a/test/date.spec.ts b/test/date.spec.ts
index d5016e2dc7a..365e2cab7f5 100644
--- a/test/date.spec.ts
+++ b/test/date.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
-import { faker } from '../src';
+import { faker, FakerError } from '../src';
 import { seededTests } from './support/seededRuns';
 
 const converterMap = [
@@ -130,11 +130,11 @@ describe('date', () => {
           expect(date).greaterThanOrEqual(yearsAgo);
         });
 
-        it('should return a past date when years 0', () => {
+        it('should throw an error when years = 0', () => {
           const refDate = new Date();
-          const date = faker.date.past(0, refDate.toISOString());
-
-          expect(date).lessThan(refDate);
+          expect(() => faker.date.past(0, refDate.toISOString())).toThrow(
+            new FakerError('Years must be greater than 0.')
+          );
         });
 
         it.each(converterMap)(
@@ -158,11 +158,11 @@ describe('date', () => {
           expect(date).greaterThan(new Date());
         });
 
-        it('should return a future date when years 0', () => {
+        it('should throw an error when years = 0', () => {
           const refDate = new Date();
-          const date = faker.date.future(0, refDate.toISOString());
-
-          expect(date).greaterThan(refDate); // date should be after the date given
+          expect(() => faker.date.future(0, refDate.toISOString())).toThrow(
+            new FakerError('Years must be greater than 0.')
+          );
         });
 
         it.each(converterMap)(
@@ -218,6 +218,13 @@ describe('date', () => {
           expect(date).lessThanOrEqual(new Date());
         });
 
+        it('should throw an error when days = 0', () => {
+          const refDate = new Date();
+          expect(() => faker.date.recent(0, refDate.toISOString())).toThrow(
+            new FakerError('Days must be greater than 0.')
+          );
+        });
+
         it.each(converterMap)(
           'should return a date N days from the recent past, starting from refDate',
           (converter) => {
@@ -249,6 +256,13 @@ describe('date', () => {
           expect(date).greaterThanOrEqual(new Date());
         });
 
+        it('should throw an error when days = 0', () => {
+          const refDate = new Date();
+          expect(() => faker.date.soon(0, refDate.toISOString())).toThrow(
+            new FakerError('Days must be greater than 0.')
+          );
+        });
+
         it.each(converterMap)(
           'should return a date N days from the recent future, starting from refDate',
           (converter) => {