diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/fields/DateTimeDisplayValueBehavior.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/fields/DateTimeDisplayValueBehavior.java
index 5345a53d..05cdf643 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/fields/DateTimeDisplayValueBehavior.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/fields/DateTimeDisplayValueBehavior.java
@@ -118,32 +118,49 @@ public class DateTimeDisplayValueBehavior implements FieldDisplayBehavior<DateTi
             Instant instant    = record.getValueInstant(field.getName());
             String  zoneString = record.getValueString(zoneIdFromFieldName);
 
-            ZoneId zoneId;
-            try
+            ZoneId zoneId = null;
+            if(StringUtils.hasContent(zoneString))
             {
-               zoneId = ZoneId.of(zoneString);
+               try
+               {
+                  zoneId = ZoneId.of(zoneString);
+               }
+               catch(Exception e)
+               {
+                  //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+                  // we probably(?) don't need a stack trace here (and it could get noisy?), so just info w/ the exception message... //
+                  // and we expect this might be somewhat frequent, if you might have invalid values in your zoneId field...          //
+                  //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+                  LOG.info("Exception applying zoneIdFromFieldName behavior", logPair("message", e.getMessage()),  logPair("table", table.getName()), logPair("field", field.getName()), logPair("id", record.getValue(table.getPrimaryKeyField())));
+               }
             }
-            catch(Exception e)
+
+            if(zoneId == null)
             {
                ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
                // if the zone string from the other field isn't valid, and we have a fallback, try to use it //
                ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
                if(StringUtils.hasContent(fallbackZoneId))
                {
+                  ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+                  // assume that validation has confirmed this is a valid zone - so no try-catch right here //
+                  ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
                   zoneId = ZoneId.of(fallbackZoneId);
                }
-               else
-               {
-                  throw (e);
-               }
             }
 
-            ZonedDateTime zonedDateTime = instant.atZone(zoneId);
-            record.setDisplayValue(field.getName(), QValueFormatter.formatDateTimeWithZone(zonedDateTime));
+            if(zoneId != null)
+            {
+               ZonedDateTime zonedDateTime = instant.atZone(zoneId);
+               record.setDisplayValue(field.getName(), QValueFormatter.formatDateTimeWithZone(zonedDateTime));
+            }
          }
          catch(Exception e)
          {
-            LOG.info("Error applying zoneIdFromFieldName DateTimeDisplayValueBehavior", e, logPair("table", table.getName()), logPair("field", field.getName()), logPair("id", record.getValue(table.getPrimaryKeyField())));
+            ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+            // we don't expect this to ever hit - so warn it w/ stack if it does //
+            ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+            LOG.warn("Unexpected error applying zoneIdFromFieldName behavior", e, logPair("table", table.getName()), logPair("field", field.getName()), logPair("id", record.getValue(table.getPrimaryKeyField())));
          }
       }
    }
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/fields/DateTimeDisplayValueBehaviorTest.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/fields/DateTimeDisplayValueBehaviorTest.java
index ca31fdc3..495fbc97 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/fields/DateTimeDisplayValueBehaviorTest.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/metadata/fields/DateTimeDisplayValueBehaviorTest.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.TestUtils;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
 
 
 /*******************************************************************************
@@ -100,6 +101,28 @@ class DateTimeDisplayValueBehaviorTest extends BaseTest
    }
 
 
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Test
+   void testBadZoneIdFromOtherField()
+   {
+      QInstance      qInstance = QContext.getQInstance();
+      QTableMetaData table     = qInstance.getTable(TestUtils.TABLE_NAME_PERSON_MEMORY);
+
+      table.withField(new QFieldMetaData("timeZone", QFieldType.STRING));
+      table.getField("createDate").withBehavior(new DateTimeDisplayValueBehavior().withZoneIdFromFieldName("timeZone"));
+
+      QRecord record = new QRecord().withValue("createDate", Instant.parse("2024-04-04T19:12:00Z")).withValue("timeZone", "fail");
+      ValueBehaviorApplier.applyFieldBehaviors(ValueBehaviorApplier.Action.FORMATTING, qInstance, table, List.of(record), null);
+      assertNull(record.getDisplayValue("createDate"));
+
+      record = new QRecord().withValue("createDate", Instant.parse("2024-04-04T19:12:00Z")).withValue("timeZone", null);
+      ValueBehaviorApplier.applyFieldBehaviors(ValueBehaviorApplier.Action.FORMATTING, qInstance, table, List.of(record), null);
+      assertNull(record.getDisplayValue("createDate"));
+   }
+
+
 
    /*******************************************************************************
     **