diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 59eca2dd3..59c54cc87 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ Enhancements:
 - #7438 Compare result of `clickedButton` instead of `exec`
 - #7440 Fixed light logo filename on about screen
 - #7441 Share file line logic between logger and message box
+- #7442 Improve error handling and use long long for dates
 
 # 1.14.6
 
diff --git a/src/gui/src/ActivationDialog.cpp b/src/gui/src/ActivationDialog.cpp
index 3dc55e88b..a9bb37302 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/ActivationDialog.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/src/ActivationDialog.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QMessageBox>
 #include <QThread>
-#include <exception>
 
 using namespace synergy::gui;
 using namespace synergy::license;
@@ -97,17 +96,9 @@ void ActivationDialog::accept() {
     return;
   }
 
-  try {
-    const auto result = m_licenseHandler.changeSerialKey(serialKey);
-    if (result != Result::kSuccess) {
-      showResultDialog(result);
-      return;
-    }
-  } catch (const std::exception &e) { // NOSONAR
-    qCritical("failed to change serial key: %s", e.what());
-    return;
-  } catch (...) { // NOSONAR
-    qCritical("failed to change serial key");
+  const auto result = m_licenseHandler.changeSerialKey(serialKey);
+  if (result != Result::kSuccess) {
+    showResultDialog(result);
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/gui/src/MainWindow.cpp b/src/gui/src/MainWindow.cpp
index c80da4ed4..76beba556 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/src/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@
 #include "gui/diagnostic.h"
 #include "gui/dialogs/SettingsDialog.h"
 #include "gui/license/LicenseHandler.h"
-#include "gui/license/license_config.h"
 #include "gui/license/license_notices.h"
+#include "gui/license/license_utils.h"
 #include "gui/messages.h"
 #include "gui/string_utils.h"
 #include "gui/styles.h"
diff --git a/src/gui/src/main.cpp b/src/gui/src/main.cpp
index 5efc53baa..4bc038f7b 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/src/main.cpp
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
 #include <QMessageBox>
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QtCore>
+#include <QtGlobal>
 #include <QtGui>
-#include <qglobal.h>
 
 #if defined(Q_OS_MAC)
 #include <Carbon/Carbon.h>
diff --git a/src/lib/gui/core/CoreProcess.cpp b/src/lib/gui/core/CoreProcess.cpp
index bb5e7f1ee..8c97fa28d 100644
--- a/src/lib/gui/core/CoreProcess.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/gui/core/CoreProcess.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 #include "gui/config/IAppConfig.h"
 #include "gui/core/CoreTool.h"
-#include "gui/license/license_config.h"
+#include "gui/license/license_utils.h"
 #include "gui/paths.h"
 #include "tls/TlsUtility.h"
 
diff --git a/src/lib/gui/dialogs/SettingsDialog.cpp b/src/lib/gui/dialogs/SettingsDialog.cpp
index 4867dc4dd..59e2c925f 100644
--- a/src/lib/gui/dialogs/SettingsDialog.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/gui/dialogs/SettingsDialog.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 
 #include "UpgradeDialog.h"
 #include "gui/core/CoreProcess.h"
-#include "gui/license/license_config.h"
+#include "gui/license/license_utils.h"
 #include "gui/messages.h"
 #include "gui/tls/TlsCertificate.h"
 #include "gui/tls/TlsUtility.h"
diff --git a/src/lib/gui/license/LicenseHandler.cpp b/src/lib/gui/license/LicenseHandler.cpp
index 6210aad5e..f1fe2df9b 100644
--- a/src/lib/gui/license/LicenseHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/gui/license/LicenseHandler.cpp
@@ -18,17 +18,21 @@
 #include "LicenseHandler.h"
 
 #include "constants.h"
+#include "gui/license/license_utils.h"
 #include "license/ProductEdition.h"
-#include "license/parse_serial_key.h"
 
 #include <QDebug>
 #include <QProcessEnvironment>
 #include <QTimer>
+#include <QtGlobal>
 
 using namespace std::chrono;
-using namespace synergy::license;
+using namespace synergy::gui::license;
+using License = synergy::license::License;
 
-const License &LicenseHandler::license() const { return m_license; }
+const synergy::license::License &LicenseHandler::license() const {
+  return m_license;
+}
 
 Edition LicenseHandler::productEdition() const {
   return m_license.productEdition();
@@ -52,7 +56,7 @@ LicenseHandler::changeSerialKey(const QString &hexString) {
   }
 
   qDebug() << "changing serial key to:" << hexString;
-  auto serialKey = parseSerialKey(hexString.toStdString());
+  auto serialKey = parseSerialKey(hexString);
 
   if (serialKey == m_license.serialKey()) {
     qDebug("serial key did not change, ignoring");
diff --git a/src/lib/gui/license/LicenseHandler.h b/src/lib/gui/license/LicenseHandler.h
index d516c325e..f68468069 100644
--- a/src/lib/gui/license/LicenseHandler.h
+++ b/src/lib/gui/license/LicenseHandler.h
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "gui/constants.h"
-#include "gui/license/license_config.h"
+#include "gui/license/license_utils.h"
 #include "license/License.h"
 #include "license/ProductEdition.h"
 
diff --git a/src/lib/gui/license/license_config.cpp b/src/lib/gui/license/license_utils.cpp
similarity index 78%
rename from src/lib/gui/license/license_config.cpp
rename to src/lib/gui/license/license_utils.cpp
index 5f30317b4..c1747a1cb 100644
--- a/src/lib/gui/license/license_config.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/gui/license/license_utils.cpp
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
  * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
-#include "license_config.h"
+#include "license_utils.h"
 
+#include "license/parse_serial_key.h"
 #include "string_utils.h"
 
 #include <QString>
@@ -55,4 +56,16 @@ bool isActivationEnabled() {
   }
 }
 
+synergy::license::SerialKey parseSerialKey(const QString &hexString) {
+  try {
+    return synergy::license::parseSerialKey(hexString.toStdString());
+  } catch (const std::exception &e) {
+    qFatal("failed to parse serial key: %s", e.what());
+    abort();
+  } catch (...) {
+    qFatal("failed to parse serial key, unknown error");
+    abort();
+  }
+}
+
 } // namespace synergy::gui::license
diff --git a/src/lib/gui/license/license_config.h b/src/lib/gui/license/license_utils.h
similarity index 87%
rename from src/lib/gui/license/license_config.h
rename to src/lib/gui/license/license_utils.h
index 16fddf629..40a76babe 100644
--- a/src/lib/gui/license/license_config.h
+++ b/src/lib/gui/license/license_utils.h
@@ -17,9 +17,14 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <QString>
+
+#include "license/SerialKey.h"
+
 namespace synergy::gui::license {
 
 bool isLicensedProduct();
 bool isActivationEnabled();
+synergy::license::SerialKey parseSerialKey(const QString &hexString);
 
 } // namespace synergy::gui::license
diff --git a/src/lib/gui/messages.cpp b/src/lib/gui/messages.cpp
index d0066fd7f..be77b2e65 100644
--- a/src/lib/gui/messages.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/gui/messages.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 #include "Logger.h"
 #include "common/version.h"
 #include "constants.h"
-#include "gui/license/license_config.h"
+#include "gui/license/license_utils.h"
 #include "styles.h"
 
 #include <QAction>
diff --git a/src/lib/gui/tls/TlsUtility.cpp b/src/lib/gui/tls/TlsUtility.cpp
index 9cad1fe82..53e020fef 100644
--- a/src/lib/gui/tls/TlsUtility.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/gui/tls/TlsUtility.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 #include "TlsUtility.h"
 
 #include "TlsCertificate.h"
-#include "gui/license/license_config.h"
+#include "gui/license/license_utils.h"
 
 #include <QFile>
 #include <QString>
diff --git a/src/lib/license/parse_serial_key.cpp b/src/lib/license/parse_serial_key.cpp
index 79acea024..bd81fdbac 100644
--- a/src/lib/license/parse_serial_key.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/license/parse_serial_key.cpp
@@ -19,9 +19,8 @@
 
 #include "SerialKey.h"
 #include "SerialKeyType.h"
-#include "utils/trim.h"
+#include "utils/string_utils.h"
 
-#include <cctype>
 #include <exception>
 #include <optional>
 #include <sstream>
@@ -131,14 +130,20 @@ std::optional<time_point> parseDate(const std::string &unixTimeString) {
   }
 
   try {
-    auto seconds = std::stol(clean);
+    auto seconds = std::stoll(clean);
     if (seconds <= 0) {
       return std::nullopt;
     } else {
       return time_point{std::chrono::seconds{seconds}};
     }
-  } catch (const std::exception &) {
-    throw InvalidSerialKeyDate(unixTimeString);
+  } catch (std::invalid_argument &) {
+    throw InvalidSerialKeyDate(unixTimeString, "invalid argument");
+  } catch (std::out_of_range &) {
+    throw InvalidSerialKeyDate(unixTimeString, "out of range");
+  } catch (std::exception &ex) {
+    throw InvalidSerialKeyDate(unixTimeString, ex.what());
+  } catch (...) { // NOSONAR
+    throw InvalidSerialKeyDate(unixTimeString, "unknown error");
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/license/parse_serial_key.h b/src/lib/license/parse_serial_key.h
index 289aa250d..b34e21041 100644
--- a/src/lib/license/parse_serial_key.h
+++ b/src/lib/license/parse_serial_key.h
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ public:
 
 class InvalidHexString : public SerialKeyParseError {
 public:
-  explicit InvalidHexString()
-      : SerialKeyParseError("invalid hex string length") {}
+  explicit InvalidHexString() : SerialKeyParseError("invalid hex string") {}
 };
 
 class InvalidSerialKeyFormat : public SerialKeyParseError {
@@ -42,8 +41,10 @@ public:
 
 class InvalidSerialKeyDate : public SerialKeyParseError {
 public:
-  explicit InvalidSerialKeyDate(const std::string &date)
-      : SerialKeyParseError("invalid serial key date: " + date) {}
+  explicit InvalidSerialKeyDate(
+      const std::string &date, const std::string &cause)
+      : SerialKeyParseError("invalid serial key date: " + date + "\n" + cause) {
+  }
 };
 
 class InvalidSerialKeyVersion : public SerialKeyParseError {
diff --git a/src/lib/utils/trim.h b/src/lib/utils/string_utils.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/lib/utils/trim.h
rename to src/lib/utils/string_utils.h