diff --git a/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create.go b/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create.go
index a218226b..aefdaf4f 100644
--- a/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create.go
+++ b/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create.go
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ func writeOpenMetrics20Sample(w enhancedWriter, name string, metric *dto.Metric,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if exemplar != nil && exemplar.Timestamp != nil {
+	if exemplar != nil {
 		n, err = writeExemplar20(w, exemplar)
 		written += n
 		if err != nil {
@@ -280,13 +280,14 @@ func writeOpenMetrics20Sample(w enhancedWriter, name string, metric *dto.Metric,
 }
 
 // writeExemplar20 writes the provided exemplar in OpenMetrics 2.0 format to w.
-// In OpenMetrics 2.0, exemplars without a timestamp are dropped.
+// In OpenMetrics 2.0, invalid exemplars or exemplars without a timestamp are dropped.
 func writeExemplar20(w enhancedWriter, e *dto.Exemplar) (int, error) {
-	if e == nil || e.Timestamp == nil {
+	if e == nil {
 		return 0, nil
 	}
+	// In OpenMetrics 2.0, invalid exemplars are dropped rather than failing the entire exposition.
 	if err := validateExemplar20(e); err != nil {
-		return 0, err
+		return 0, nil
 	}
 	written := 0
 	n, err := w.WriteString(" # ")
@@ -318,10 +319,6 @@ func writeExemplar20(w enhancedWriter, e *dto.Exemplar) (int, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return written, err
 	}
-	err = e.Timestamp.CheckValid()
-	if err != nil {
-		return written, err
-	}
 	ts := e.Timestamp
 	n, err = writeProtoTimestamp(w, ts)
 	written += n
@@ -387,6 +384,9 @@ func containsRawNewline(s string) bool {
 }
 
 func validateExemplar20(e *dto.Exemplar) error {
+	if e.Timestamp == nil {
+		return errors.New("exemplar timestamp is required")
+	}
 	if err := e.Timestamp.CheckValid(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create_test.go b/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create_test.go
index 747bff4c..e3e1766b 100644
--- a/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create_test.go
+++ b/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create_test.go
@@ -205,6 +205,102 @@ http_requests_total 1027.0 # {} 1.0 1234567890.5
 			},
 			out: `# TYPE http_requests_total counter
 http_requests_total 1027.0
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "CounterWithInvalidExemplarTimestamp",
+			in: &dto.MetricFamily{
+				Name: proto.String("http_requests_total"),
+				Type: dto.MetricType_COUNTER.Enum(),
+				Metric: []*dto.Metric{
+					{
+						Counter: &dto.Counter{
+							Value: proto.Float64(1027),
+							Exemplar: &dto.Exemplar{
+								Label: []*dto.LabelPair{
+									{Name: proto.String("trace_id"), Value: proto.String("1234")},
+								},
+								Value: proto.Float64(1),
+								Timestamp: &timestamppb.Timestamp{
+									Nanos: -1,
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			out: `# TYPE http_requests_total counter
+http_requests_total 1027.0
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "CounterWithInvalidExemplarLabel",
+			in: &dto.MetricFamily{
+				Name: proto.String("http_requests_total"),
+				Type: dto.MetricType_COUNTER.Enum(),
+				Metric: []*dto.Metric{
+					{
+						Counter: &dto.Counter{
+							Value: proto.Float64(1027),
+							Exemplar: &dto.Exemplar{
+								Label: []*dto.LabelPair{
+									{Name: proto.String(""), Value: proto.String("1234")},
+								},
+								Value:     proto.Float64(1),
+								Timestamp: &timestamppb.Timestamp{Seconds: 1234567890},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			out: `# TYPE http_requests_total counter
+http_requests_total 1027.0
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "CounterWithNewlineInExemplarLabelName",
+			in: &dto.MetricFamily{
+				Name: proto.String("http_requests_total"),
+				Type: dto.MetricType_COUNTER.Enum(),
+				Metric: []*dto.Metric{
+					{
+						Counter: &dto.Counter{
+							Value: proto.Float64(1027),
+							Exemplar: &dto.Exemplar{
+								Label: []*dto.LabelPair{
+									{Name: proto.String("trace\nid"), Value: proto.String("1234")},
+								},
+								Value:     proto.Float64(1),
+								Timestamp: &timestamppb.Timestamp{Seconds: 1234567890},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			out: `# TYPE http_requests_total counter
+http_requests_total 1027.0
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "CounterWithNilExemplarLabelPair",
+			in: &dto.MetricFamily{
+				Name: proto.String("http_requests_total"),
+				Type: dto.MetricType_COUNTER.Enum(),
+				Metric: []*dto.Metric{
+					{
+						Counter: &dto.Counter{
+							Value: proto.Float64(1027),
+							Exemplar: &dto.Exemplar{
+								Label:     []*dto.LabelPair{nil},
+								Value:     proto.Float64(1),
+								Timestamp: &timestamppb.Timestamp{Seconds: 1234567890},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			out: `# TYPE http_requests_total counter
+http_requests_total 1027.0
 `,
 		},
 		{
@@ -556,30 +652,6 @@ func TestCreateOpenMetrics20_Errors(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expectedErr: "invalid created timestamp in metric test_counter_total",
 		},
-		{
-			name: "ExemplarInvalidTimestamp",
-			in: &dto.MetricFamily{
-				Name: proto.String("test_counter_total"),
-				Type: dto.MetricType_COUNTER.Enum(),
-				Metric: []*dto.Metric{
-					{
-						Counter: &dto.Counter{
-							Value: proto.Float64(1.0),
-							Exemplar: &dto.Exemplar{
-								Label: []*dto.LabelPair{
-									{Name: proto.String("trace_id"), Value: proto.String("1234")},
-								},
-								Value: proto.Float64(1.0),
-								Timestamp: &timestamppb.Timestamp{
-									Nanos: -1,
-								},
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expectedErr: "has out-of-range nanos",
-		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range tests {