diff --git a/cf_units/__init__.py b/cf_units/__init__.py
index 4fecbf46..2666dbee 100644
--- a/cf_units/__init__.py
+++ b/cf_units/__init__.py
@@ -685,9 +685,8 @@ def date2num(date, unit, calendar):
     unit_string = unit.rstrip(" UTC")
     if unit_string.endswith(" since epoch"):
         unit_string = unit_string.replace("epoch", EPOCH)
-    cdftime = netcdftime.utime(unit_string, calendar=calendar)
-    date = _discard_microsecond(date)
-    return cdftime.date2num(date)
+    unit_inst = Unit(unit_string, calendar=calendar)
+    return unit_inst.date2num(date)
 
 
 def _discard_microsecond(date):
@@ -785,8 +784,8 @@ def num2date(time_value, unit, calendar):
     unit_string = unit.rstrip(" UTC")
     if unit_string.endswith(" since epoch"):
         unit_string = unit_string.replace("epoch", EPOCH)
-    cdftime = netcdftime.utime(unit_string, calendar=calendar)
-    return _num2date_to_nearest_second(time_value, cdftime)
+    unit_inst = Unit(unit_string, calendar=calendar)
+    return unit_inst.num2date(time_value)
 
 
 def _num2date_to_nearest_second(time_value, utime):
@@ -1210,6 +1209,35 @@ def is_time_reference(self):
         """
         return self.calendar is not None
 
+    def is_long_time_interval(self):
+        """
+        Defines whether this unit describes a time unit with a long time
+        interval ("months" or "years"). These long time intervals *are*
+        supported by `UDUNITS2` but are not supported by `netcdftime`. This
+        discrepancy means we cannot run self.num2date() on a time unit with
+        a long time interval.
+
+        Returns:
+            Boolean.
+
+        For example:
+
+            >>> import cf_units
+            >>> u = cf_units.Unit('days since epoch')
+            >>> u.is_long_time_interval()
+            False
+            >>> u = cf_units.Unit('years since epoch')
+            >>> u.is_long_time_interval()
+            True
+
+        """
+        result = False
+        long_time_intervals = ['year', 'month']
+        if self.is_time_reference():
+            result = any(interval in self.origin
+                         for interval in long_time_intervals)
+        return result
+
     def title(self, value):
         """
         Return the unit value as a title string.
@@ -2069,13 +2097,20 @@ def utime(self):
             datetime.datetime(1970, 1, 1, 2, 0)
 
         """
+        if self.calendar is None:
+            raise ValueError('Unit has undefined calendar')
+
+        # `netcdftime` cannot parse long time intervals ("months" or "years").
+        if self.is_long_time_interval():
+            interval = self.origin.split(' ')[0]
+            emsg = ('Time units with interval of "months", "years" '
+                    '(or singular of these) cannot be processed, got {!r}.')
+            raise ValueError(emsg.format(interval))
 
         #
-        # ensure to strip out non-parsable 'UTC' postfix which
+        # ensure to strip out non-parsable 'UTC' postfix, which
         # is generated by UDUNITS-2 formatted output
         #
-        if self.calendar is None:
-            raise ValueError('Unit has undefined calendar')
         return netcdftime.utime(str(self).rstrip(" UTC"), self.calendar)
 
     def date2num(self, date):
diff --git a/cf_units/tests/integration/test_date2num.py b/cf_units/tests/integration/test_date2num.py
index 8e8a406b..aa31f21e 100644
--- a/cf_units/tests/integration/test_date2num.py
+++ b/cf_units/tests/integration/test_date2num.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# (C) British Crown Copyright 2016, Met Office
+# (C) British Crown Copyright 2016 - 2017, Met Office
 #
 # This file is part of cf_units.
 #
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ def test_discard_mircosecond(self):
 
         self.assertAlmostEqual(exp, res, places=4)
 
+    def test_long_time_interval(self):
+        # This test should fail with an error that we need to catch properly.
+        unit = 'years since 1970-01-01'
+        date = datetime.datetime(1970, 1, 1, 0, 0, 5)
+        exp_emsg = 'interval of "months", "years" .* got \'years\'.'
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(ValueError, exp_emsg):
+            date2num(date, unit, self.calendar)
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/cf_units/tests/unit/unit/test_Unit.py b/cf_units/tests/unit/unit/test_Unit.py
index 3a87872b..0589bed6 100644
--- a/cf_units/tests/unit/unit/test_Unit.py
+++ b/cf_units/tests/unit/unit/test_Unit.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# (C) British Crown Copyright 2015 - 2016, Met Office
+# (C) British Crown Copyright 2015 - 2017, Met Office
 #
 # This file is part of cf_units.
 #
@@ -217,5 +217,31 @@ def test_type_conversion(self):
         np.testing.assert_array_almost_equal(self.rads_array, result)
 
 
+class Test_is_long_time_interval(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_short_time_interval(self):
+        # A short time interval is a time interval from seconds to days.
+        unit = Unit('seconds since epoch')
+        result = unit.is_long_time_interval()
+        self.assertFalse(result)
+
+    def test_long_time_interval(self):
+        # A long time interval is a time interval of months or years.
+        unit = Unit('months since epoch')
+        result = unit.is_long_time_interval()
+        self.assertTrue(result)
+
+    def test_calendar(self):
+        # Check that a different calendar does not affect the result.
+        unit = Unit('months since epoch', calendar=cf_units.CALENDAR_360_DAY)
+        result = unit.is_long_time_interval()
+        self.assertTrue(result)
+
+    def test_not_time_unit(self):
+        unit = Unit('K')
+        result = unit.is_long_time_interval()
+        self.assertFalse(result)
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()