diff --git a/issues/_template/metadata.sh b/issues/_template/metadata.sh
index 74d9d18..d204ae9 100644
--- a/issues/_template/metadata.sh
+++ b/issues/_template/metadata.sh
@@ -1 +1 @@
-PUBLISHED_DATE="%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"
+PUBLISHED_DATE="YYYY-mm-ddTHH:MM:SSZ"
diff --git a/issues/issue-2/metadata.sh b/issues/issue-2/metadata.sh
index d2225d5..74d9d18 100644
--- a/issues/issue-2/metadata.sh
+++ b/issues/issue-2/metadata.sh
@@ -1 +1 @@
-PUBLISHED_DATE="2021-10-15T00:00:00Z"
+PUBLISHED_DATE="%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"
diff --git a/issues/tools/make_issue.sh b/issues/tools/make_issue.sh
index 0c75216..c1bfedb 100755
--- a/issues/tools/make_issue.sh
+++ b/issues/tools/make_issue.sh
@@ -55,5 +55,11 @@ else
 fi
 
 # replace date
-HUMAN_DATE="$(date -j -f "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ" "${PUBLISHED_DATE}" +"%B %e, %Y")"
-sed -i "s/__DATE__/${HUMAN_DATE}/" $DESTFILENAME
+HUMAN_DATE="$(date -j -f "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ" "${PUBLISHED_DATE}" +"%B %e, %Y")" 2>/dev/null
+
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "warn: Please fill metadata.sh with ISO-8601 valid date"
+    sed -i "s/__DATE__/NOT_SET_YET/" $DESTFILENAME
+else
+    sed -i "s/__DATE__/${HUMAN_DATE}/" $DESTFILENAME
+fi