diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/prs505/sony_cache.py b/src/calibre/devices/prs505/sony_cache.py
index 46ccf1f3d2..a444c9e5e2 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/prs505/sony_cache.py
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/prs505/sony_cache.py
@@ -46,7 +46,11 @@ def strptime(src):
     return time.strptime(' '.join(src), '%w, %d %m %Y %H:%M:%S %Z')
 
 def strftime(epoch, zone=time.localtime):
-    src = time.strftime("%w, %d %m %Y %H:%M:%S GMT", zone(epoch)).split()
+    try:
+        src = time.strftime("%w, %d %m %Y %H:%M:%S GMT", zone(epoch)).split()
+    except:
+        src = time.strftime("%w, %d %m %Y %H:%M:%S GMT", zone()).split()
+
     src[0] = INVERSE_DAY_MAP[int(src[0][:-1])]+','
     src[2] = INVERSE_MONTH_MAP[int(src[2])]
     return ' '.join(src)