diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/DataTransformer/BaseDateTimeTransformer.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/DataTransformer/BaseDateTimeTransformer.php
index e4e8932ee9..9c1b92d741 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/DataTransformer/BaseDateTimeTransformer.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/DataTransformer/BaseDateTimeTransformer.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 namespace Symfony\Component\Form\Extension\Core\DataTransformer;
 
 use Symfony\Component\Form\DataTransformerInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Form\Exception\InvalidArgumentException;
 use Symfony\Component\Form\Exception\UnexpectedTypeException;
 
 abstract class BaseDateTimeTransformer implements DataTransformerInterface
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ abstract class BaseDateTimeTransformer implements DataTransformerInterface
      * @param string $outputTimezone The name of the output timezone
      *
      * @throws UnexpectedTypeException if a timezone is not a string
+     * @throws InvalidArgumentException if a timezone is not valid
      */
     public function __construct($inputTimezone = null, $outputTimezone = null)
     {
@@ -48,5 +50,18 @@ abstract class BaseDateTimeTransformer implements DataTransformerInterface
 
         $this->inputTimezone = $inputTimezone ?: date_default_timezone_get();
         $this->outputTimezone = $outputTimezone ?: date_default_timezone_get();
+
+        // Check if input and output timezones are valid
+        try {
+            new \DateTimeZone($this->inputTimezone);
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+            throw new InvalidArgumentException(sprintf('Input timezone is invalid: %s.', $this->inputTimezone), $e->getCode(), $e);
+        }
+
+        try {
+            new \DateTimeZone($this->outputTimezone);
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+            throw new InvalidArgumentException(sprintf('Output timezone is invalid: %s.', $this->outputTimezone), $e->getCode(), $e);
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/DataTransformer/BaseDateTimeTransformerTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/DataTransformer/BaseDateTimeTransformerTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8f2d16bb1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/DataTransformer/BaseDateTimeTransformerTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Symfony package.
+ *
+ * (c) Fabien Potencier <fabien.potencier@symfony-project.com>
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace Symfony\Component\Form\Tests\Extension\Core\DataTransformer;
+
+class BaseDateTimeTransformerTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
+{
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \Symfony\Component\Form\Exception\InvalidArgumentException
+     * @expectedExceptionMessage this_timezone_does_not_exist
+     */
+    public function testConstructFailsIfInputTimezoneIsInvalid()
+    {
+        $this->getMock(
+            'Symfony\Component\Form\Extension\Core\DataTransformer\BaseDateTimeTransformer',
+            array(),
+            array('this_timezone_does_not_exist')
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \Symfony\Component\Form\Exception\InvalidArgumentException
+     * @expectedExceptionMessage that_timezone_does_not_exist
+     */
+    public function testConstructFailsIfOutputTimezoneIsInvalid()
+    {
+        $this->getMock(
+            'Symfony\Component\Form\Extension\Core\DataTransformer\BaseDateTimeTransformer',
+            array(),
+            array(null, 'that_timezone_does_not_exist')
+        );
+    }
+}