diff --git a/app/ui/HomePage.tsx b/app/ui/HomePage.tsx
index 2932d5f..fd7d4aa 100644
--- a/app/ui/HomePage.tsx
+++ b/app/ui/HomePage.tsx
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@ import { fetchAllLocations } from '@/app/lib/actions/locationActions';
 import { fetchAvailableYears } from '@/app/lib/actions/monthActions';
 import { getUserSettings } from '@/app/lib/actions/userSettingsActions';
 import { BillingLocation, YearMonth } from '@/app/lib/db-types';
-import { FC } from 'react';
+import { FC, useEffect } from 'react';
 import { MonthLocationList } from '@/app/ui/MonthLocationList';
+import { redirect } from 'next/navigation';
 
 export interface HomePageProps {
   searchParams?: {
@@ -12,13 +13,29 @@ export interface HomePageProps {
   };
 }
 
+const ParamsYearInvalidMessage:FC<{ firstAvailableYear?: number }> = ({ firstAvailableYear }) => {
+
+  // Redirect to the first available year after showing the message
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if(firstAvailableYear) {
+      redirect(`/?year=${firstAvailableYear}`);
+    } else {
+      redirect(`/`);
+    }
+  });
+
+  return(
+    <main className="flex min-h-screen flex-col p-6 bg-base-300">
+      <p className="text-center text-2xl text-red-500">The year specified in the URL is invalid ... redirecting</p>
+    </main>
+    );
+};
+
 export const HomePage:FC<HomePageProps> = async ({ searchParams }) => {
 
+  /** years found in the DB sorted descending */
   let availableYears: number[];
 
-  // const asyncTimout = (ms:number) => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
-  // await asyncTimout(5000);
-
   try {
     availableYears = await fetchAvailableYears();
   } catch (error:any) {
@@ -28,14 +45,34 @@ export const HomePage:FC<HomePageProps> = async ({ searchParams }) => {
       </main>);
   }
 
-  // if the database is in it's initial state, show the add location button for the current month
-  if(availableYears.length === 0) {
-    return (<MonthLocationList />);
+  const paramsYear = searchParams?.year ? Number(searchParams.year) : null;
+  let selectedYear:number;
+
+  // IF year is set via params, check if it's valid
+  if(paramsYear) {
+
+    // IF the database is in it's initial state
+    //  THEN show message param being invalid AND redirect to root page
+    if(availableYears.length === 0) {
+      return (<ParamsYearInvalidMessage />);
+    }
+
+    // IF the year specified in the params is not found in the DB
+    //  THEN show message param being invalid AND redirect to page showing first available year
+    if(!availableYears.includes(paramsYear))  {
+      return (<ParamsYearInvalidMessage firstAvailableYear={availableYears[0]} />);
+    }
+
+    selectedYear = paramsYear;
+  } else {
+    const currYear = new Date().getFullYear();
+
+    // IF current year is available in DB THEN use it
+    // ELSE use the latest year found in the DB
+    selectedYear = availableYears.includes(currYear) ? currYear : availableYears[0];
   }
 
-  const currentYear = Number(searchParams?.year) || new Date().getFullYear();
-
-  const locations = await fetchAllLocations(currentYear);
+  const locations = await fetchAllLocations(selectedYear);
   const userSettings = await getUserSettings();
 
   // group locations by month