diff --git a/canplayer.c b/canplayer.c
index 51adc77..3d053d2 100644
--- a/canplayer.c
+++ b/canplayer.c
@@ -425,6 +425,15 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			return 1;
 		}
 
+		/*
+		 * ensure the fractions of seconds are 6 decimal places long to catch
+		 * 3rd party or handcrafted logfiles that treat the timestamp as float
+		 */
+		if (strchr(buf, ')') - strchr(buf, '.') != 7) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "timestamp format in logfile requires 6 decimal places\n");
+			return 1;
+		}
+
 		if (use_timestamps) { /* throttle sending due to logfile timestamps */
 
 			gettimeofday(&today_tv, NULL);