diff --git a/src/items/builder.rs b/src/items/builder.rs
index c6860ad..02c8974 100644
--- a/src/items/builder.rs
+++ b/src/items/builder.rs
@@ -33,13 +33,11 @@ impl DateTimeBuilder {
         self
     }
 
+    /// Timestamp value is exclusive to other date/time components. Caller of
+    /// the builder must ensure that it is not combined with other items.
     pub(super) fn set_timestamp(mut self, ts: i32) -> Result<Self, &'static str> {
-        if self.timestamp.is_some() {
-            Err("timestamp cannot appear more than once")
-        } else {
-            self.timestamp = Some(ts);
-            Ok(self)
-        }
+        self.timestamp = Some(ts);
+        Ok(self)
     }
 
     pub(super) fn set_year(mut self, year: u32) -> Result<Self, &'static str> {
diff --git a/src/items/epoch.rs b/src/items/epoch.rs
index 4936339..338de8a 100644
--- a/src/items/epoch.rs
+++ b/src/items/epoch.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@ use winnow::{combinator::preceded, ModalResult, Parser};
 
 use super::primitive::{dec_int, s};
 
+/// Parse a timestamp in the form of `@1234567890`.
+///
+/// Grammar:
+///
+/// ```ebnf
+/// timestamp = "@" dec_int ;
+/// ```
 pub fn parse(input: &mut &str) -> ModalResult<i32> {
     s(preceded("@", dec_int)).parse_next(input)
 }
diff --git a/src/items/mod.rs b/src/items/mod.rs
index 8b483de..fcf829b 100644
--- a/src/items/mod.rs
+++ b/src/items/mod.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ use builder::DateTimeBuilder;
 use chrono::{DateTime, FixedOffset};
 use primitive::space;
 use winnow::{
-    combinator::{alt, trace},
+    combinator::{alt, eof, terminated, trace},
     error::{AddContext, ContextError, ErrMode, StrContext, StrContextValue},
     stream::Stream,
     ModalResult, Parser,
@@ -65,19 +65,30 @@ pub enum Item {
     TimeZone(time::Offset),
 }
 
+fn expect_error(input: &mut &str, reason: &'static str) -> ErrMode<ContextError> {
+    ErrMode::Cut(ContextError::new()).add_context(
+        input,
+        &input.checkpoint(),
+        StrContext::Expected(StrContextValue::Description(reason)),
+    )
+}
+
 /// Parse an item.
-/// TODO: timestamp values are exclusive with other items. See
-/// https://github.com/uutils/parse_datetime/issues/156
-pub fn parse_one(input: &mut &str) -> ModalResult<Item> {
+///
+/// Grammar:
+///
+/// ```ebnf
+/// item = combined | date | time | relative | weekday | timezone | year ;
+/// ```
+fn parse_item(input: &mut &str) -> ModalResult<Item> {
     trace(
-        "parse_one",
+        "parse_item",
         alt((
             combined::parse.map(Item::DateTime),
             date::parse.map(Item::Date),
             time::parse.map(Item::Time),
             relative::parse.map(Item::Relative),
             weekday::parse.map(Item::Weekday),
-            epoch::parse.map(Item::Timestamp),
             timezone::parse.map(Item::TimeZone),
             date::year.map(Item::Year),
         )),
@@ -85,19 +96,18 @@ pub fn parse_one(input: &mut &str) -> ModalResult<Item> {
     .parse_next(input)
 }
 
-fn expect_error(input: &mut &str, reason: &'static str) -> ErrMode<ContextError> {
-    ErrMode::Cut(ContextError::new()).add_context(
-        input,
-        &input.checkpoint(),
-        StrContext::Expected(StrContextValue::Description(reason)),
-    )
-}
-
-pub fn parse(input: &mut &str) -> ModalResult<DateTimeBuilder> {
+/// Parse a sequence of items.
+///
+/// Grammar:
+///
+/// ```ebnf
+/// items = item, { space, item } ;
+/// ```
+fn parse_items(input: &mut &str) -> ModalResult<DateTimeBuilder> {
     let mut builder = DateTimeBuilder::new();
 
     loop {
-        match parse_one.parse_next(input) {
+        match parse_item.parse_next(input) {
             Ok(item) => match item {
                 Item::Timestamp(ts) => {
                     builder = builder
@@ -147,6 +157,38 @@ pub fn parse(input: &mut &str) -> ModalResult<DateTimeBuilder> {
     Ok(builder)
 }
 
+/// Parse a timestamp.
+///
+/// From the GNU docs:
+///
+/// (Timestamp) Such a number cannot be combined with any other date item, as it
+/// specifies a complete timestamp.
+fn parse_timestamp(input: &mut &str) -> ModalResult<DateTimeBuilder> {
+    trace(
+        "parse_timestamp",
+        terminated(epoch::parse.map(Item::Timestamp), eof),
+    )
+    .verify_map(|ts: Item| {
+        if let Item::Timestamp(ts) = ts {
+            DateTimeBuilder::new().set_timestamp(ts).ok()
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    })
+    .parse_next(input)
+}
+
+/// Parse a date and time string.
+///
+/// Grammar:
+///
+/// ```ebnf
+/// date_time = timestamp | items ;
+/// ```
+pub(crate) fn parse(input: &mut &str) -> ModalResult<DateTimeBuilder> {
+    trace("parse", alt((parse_timestamp, parse_items))).parse_next(input)
+}
+
 pub(crate) fn at_date(
     builder: DateTimeBuilder,
     base: DateTime<FixedOffset>,
@@ -287,6 +329,14 @@ mod tests {
         let result = parse(&mut "2025-05-19 abcdef");
         assert!(result.is_err());
         assert!(result.unwrap_err().to_string().contains("unexpected input"));
+
+        let result = parse(&mut "@1690466034 2025-05-19");
+        assert!(result.is_err());
+        assert!(result.unwrap_err().to_string().contains("unexpected input"));
+
+        let result = parse(&mut "2025-05-19 @1690466034");
+        assert!(result.is_err());
+        assert!(result.unwrap_err().to_string().contains("unexpected input"));
     }
 
     #[test]