diff --git a/src/controls/DateTimeControl.test.tsx b/src/controls/DateTimeControl.test.tsx
index 2b1afca..6c0e03b 100644
--- a/src/controls/DateTimeControl.test.tsx
+++ b/src/controls/DateTimeControl.test.tsx
@@ -6,9 +6,14 @@ import { render } from "../common/test-render"
 import { dateTimeSchema } from "../testSchemas/dateTimeSchema"
 import { UISchema } from "../ui-schema"
 
-const EXAMPLE_DATESTRING = "2021-08-09 12:34:56"
-const USER_DATESTRING = EXAMPLE_DATESTRING.replace(" ", "")
+const EMPTY_DATESTRING = ""
+const INPUT_MASK = "YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss"
+const USER_NOTADATESTRING = "not a date"
+const EXAMPLE_DATESTRING = "2021-08-09T12:34:56"
+const RENDERED_DATESTRING = EXAMPLE_DATESTRING.replace("T", " ")
+const USER_DATESTRING = EXAMPLE_DATESTRING.replace("T", "")
 const TITLE = dateTimeSchema.properties.dateTime.title
+const REQUIRED_TEXT = `${TITLE} is required`
 
 test("renders the date that the user selects", async () => {
   render({
@@ -17,7 +22,7 @@ test("renders the date that the user selects", async () => {
   const input = await screen.findByLabelText(TITLE)
   await userEvent.type(input, USER_DATESTRING)
 
-  await waitFor(() => expect(input).toHaveValue(EXAMPLE_DATESTRING))
+  await waitFor(() => expect(input).toHaveValue(RENDERED_DATESTRING))
 })
 
 test("renders default date when present", async () => {
@@ -33,7 +38,7 @@ test("renders default date when present", async () => {
     },
   })
   const input = await screen.findByLabelText(TITLE)
-  expect(input).toHaveValue(EXAMPLE_DATESTRING)
+  expect(input).toHaveValue(RENDERED_DATESTRING)
 })
 
 test("updates jsonforms data as expected", async () => {
@@ -50,7 +55,7 @@ test("updates jsonforms data as expected", async () => {
   await userEvent.click(screen.getByText("Submit"))
   await waitFor(() => {
     expect(data).toEqual({
-      dateTime: EXAMPLE_DATESTRING,
+      dateTime: RENDERED_DATESTRING,
     })
   })
 })
@@ -65,7 +70,7 @@ test("renders required message if no value and interaction", async () => {
   const input = await screen.findByLabelText(TITLE)
   await userEvent.clear(input)
   await userEvent.tab()
-  await screen.findByText(`${TITLE} is required`)
+  await screen.findByText(REQUIRED_TEXT)
 })
 
 test(" does not show required message if not requried", async () => {
@@ -76,7 +81,7 @@ test(" does not show required message if not requried", async () => {
   await userEvent.clear(input)
   await userEvent.tab()
   await waitFor(() => {
-    expect(screen.queryByText(`${TITLE} is required`)).toBeNull()
+    expect(screen.queryByText(REQUIRED_TEXT)).toBeNull()
   })
 })
 
@@ -131,3 +136,47 @@ test("renders default props if invalid props are submitted", async () => {
   // since our default doesn't show time
   await screen.findByText("Today")
 })
+
+test("it does not error on failure to parse date", async () => {
+  render({
+    schema: {
+      ...dateTimeSchema,
+      properties: {
+        dateTime: {
+          ...dateTimeSchema.properties.dateTime,
+          format: "date-time",
+          default: EMPTY_DATESTRING,
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  })
+  const input = await screen.findByLabelText(TITLE)
+  await userEvent.type(input, USER_NOTADATESTRING)
+  await userEvent.tab()
+  await waitFor(() => {
+    expect(input).toHaveValue(EMPTY_DATESTRING)
+  })
+})
+
+test("it renders an input mask by default as user types", async () => {
+  render({
+    schema: dateTimeSchema,
+  })
+  const input = await screen.findByLabelText(TITLE)
+  await userEvent.click(input)
+  await waitFor(() => {
+    expect(input).toHaveValue(INPUT_MASK)
+  })
+})
+
+test("it renders form data for forms with existing values (edit)", async () => {
+  const data: Record<string, unknown> = {
+    dateTime: EXAMPLE_DATESTRING,
+  }
+  render({
+    schema: dateTimeSchema,
+    data,
+  })
+  const input = await screen.findByLabelText(TITLE)
+  expect(input).toHaveValue(RENDERED_DATESTRING)
+})
diff --git a/src/controls/DateTimeControl.tsx b/src/controls/DateTimeControl.tsx
index b1571d9..15f1e31 100644
--- a/src/controls/DateTimeControl.tsx
+++ b/src/controls/DateTimeControl.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { memo } from "react"
+import { memo, useCallback, useEffect } from "react"
 import type { ControlProps as JSFControlProps } from "@jsonforms/core"
 import { withJsonFormsControlProps } from "@jsonforms/react"
 import { DatePicker, type DatePickerProps, Form } from "antd"
@@ -26,6 +26,19 @@ function getProps(options: unknown): DateTimeControlOptions {
   return DEFAULT_PROPS
 }
 
+function getInitialValue(
+  data: unknown,
+  schemaDefault: unknown,
+): string | undefined {
+  if (typeof data === "string" && data !== "") {
+    return data
+  }
+  if (typeof schemaDefault === "string" && schemaDefault !== "") {
+    return schemaDefault
+  }
+  return undefined
+}
+
 export function DateTimeControl({
   handleChange,
   path,
@@ -35,12 +48,25 @@ export function DateTimeControl({
   schema,
   uischema,
   visible,
+  data,
 }: ControlProps) {
+  const setInitialValue = useCallback(
+    (value: string | undefined) => {
+      const coercedValue = value ? dayjs(value) : value
+      handleChange(path, value)
+      return coercedValue
+    },
+    [handleChange, path],
+  )
+  const form = Form.useFormInstance()
+  useEffect(() => {
+    form.setFieldValue(
+      path,
+      setInitialValue(getInitialValue(data, schema.default)),
+    )
+  }, [data, form, path, schema.default, setInitialValue])
   if (!visible) return null
 
-  const initialValue =
-    typeof schema.default === "string" ? dayjs(schema.default) : undefined
-
   const rules: Rule[] = [{ required, message: `${label} is required` }]
 
   const formItemProps =
@@ -60,7 +86,6 @@ export function DateTimeControl({
       required={required}
       validateTrigger={["onBlur"]}
       rules={rules}
-      initialValue={initialValue}
       {...formItemProps}
     >
       <DatePicker
diff --git a/src/stories/controls/DateTimeControl.stories.tsx b/src/stories/controls/DateTimeControl.stories.tsx
index 26e8157..c5018f1 100644
--- a/src/stories/controls/DateTimeControl.stories.tsx
+++ b/src/stories/controls/DateTimeControl.stories.tsx
@@ -63,3 +63,14 @@ export const DefaultValue: Story = {
     uiSchema: dateTimeUISchema,
   },
 }
+
+export const ExistingValue: Story = {
+  tags: ["autodocs"],
+  args: {
+    jsonSchema: dateTimeSchema,
+    uiSchema: dateTimeUISchema,
+    data: {
+      dateTime: "1999-12-31T23:59:59.999Z",
+    },
+  },
+}