diff --git a/application/libraries/Ilch/Functions.php b/application/libraries/Ilch/Functions.php
index 07f49a871..96f10ae81 100644
--- a/application/libraries/Ilch/Functions.php
+++ b/application/libraries/Ilch/Functions.php
@@ -469,15 +469,13 @@ function group(string $file)
  */
 function validateDate(?string $date, string $format = 'Y-m-d H:i:s'): bool
 {
-    foreach (["\0", "%00"] as $nullByte) {
-        if ((0 === substr_compare($date ?? '', $nullByte, - 1))) {
-            // Return false when $date contains null bytes.
-            // This avoids "createFromFormat(): Argument must not contain any null bytes".
-            return false;
-        }
+    if (!$date || (strpos($date, chr(0)) !== false)) {
+        // Return false when $date contains null bytes.
+        // This avoids "createFromFormat(): Argument must not contain any null bytes".
+        return false;
     }
 
-    $d = DateTime::createFromFormat($format, $date ?? '');
+    $d = DateTime::createFromFormat($format, $date);
     return $d && $d->format($format) === $date;
 }
 
diff --git a/application/modules/shop/views/index/cart.php b/application/modules/shop/views/index/cart.php
index a5d775d12..c8cd549bb 100644
--- a/application/modules/shop/views/index/cart.php
+++ b/application/modules/shop/views/index/cart.php
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
             }
         }
 
-        $_SESSION['shopping_willCollect'] = $_POST['willCollect'];
+        $_SESSION['shopping_willCollect'] = $_POST['willCollect'] ?? null;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index efe32b4e6..0dd07ea6d 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 $serverTimeZone = @date_default_timezone_get();
 date_default_timezone_set('UTC');
 
-define('VERSION', '2.2.4');
+define('VERSION', '2.2.5');
 define('SERVER_TIMEZONE', $serverTimeZone);
 define('DEFAULT_MODULE', 'page');
 define('DEFAULT_LAYOUT', 'index');
diff --git a/tests/libraries/ilch/FunctionsTest.php b/tests/libraries/ilch/FunctionsTest.php
index dd3ccebe5..9484d30dc 100644
--- a/tests/libraries/ilch/FunctionsTest.php
+++ b/tests/libraries/ilch/FunctionsTest.php
@@ -239,4 +239,34 @@ public function dpForTestFormatBytes(): array
             'yottabytes' => ['params' => ['bytes' => 2417851639229258349412352, 'decimals' => 0], '2 YB'],
         ];
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Tests the validateDate function.
+     *
+     * @dataProvider dpForTestValidateDate
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testValidateDate(array $params, $expected)
+    {
+        self::assertSame($expected, validateDate($params['date'], $params['format']));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function dpForTestValidateDate(): array
+    {
+        return [
+            'invalid empty string' => ['params' => ['date' => '', 'format' => 'Y-m-d H:i:s'], false],
+            'invalid null' => ['params' => ['date' => null, 'format' => 'Y-m-d H:i:s'], false],
+            'invalid null bytes' => ['params' => ['date' => chr(0), 'format' => 'Y-m-d H:i:s'], false],
+            'invalid null bytes beginning' => ['params' => ['date' => chr(0) . 'test', 'format' => 'Y-m-d H:i:s'], false],
+            'invalid null bytes middle' => ['params' => ['date' => 'test' . chr(0) . 'test', 'format' => 'Y-m-d H:i:s'], false],
+            'invalid null bytes end' => ['params' => ['date' => 'test' . chr(0), 'format' => 'Y-m-d H:i:s'], false],
+            'invalid zero date' => ['params' => ['date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'format' => 'Y-m-d H:i:s'], false],
+            'invalid date format' => ['params' => ['date' => '2024-10-27 04:42:04', 'format' => 'Y-m-d H:i'], false],
+            'valid date' => ['params' => ['date' => '2024-10-27 04:42:04', 'format' => 'Y-m-d H:i:s'], true],
+            'valid date without seconds' => ['params' => ['date' => '2024-10-27 04:42', 'format' => 'Y-m-d H:i'], true],
+        ];
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/libraries/ilch/Validation/Validators/DateTest.php b/tests/libraries/ilch/Validation/Validators/DateTest.php
index fb0b240d6..747e30019 100644
--- a/tests/libraries/ilch/Validation/Validators/DateTest.php
+++ b/tests/libraries/ilch/Validation/Validators/DateTest.php
@@ -92,6 +92,12 @@ public function dpForTestValidator(): array
                 'expectedErrorKey'        => 'validation.errors.date.mustBeDate',
                 'expectedErrorParameters' => ['Y-m-d']
             ],
+            'empty string' => [
+                'data'                    => $this->createData(""),
+                'expectedIsValid'         => false,
+                'expectedErrorKey'        => 'validation.errors.date.mustBeDate',
+                'expectedErrorParameters' => ['Y-m-d']
+            ],
         ];
     }