`__wt_checkpoint_file` establishes the checkpoint time before parsing the configuration:

standalone = session->ckpt.current_sec == 0;
if (standalone)
    __checkpoint_establish_time(session);

WT_RET(__wt_config_gets_def(session, cfg, "force", 0, &cval));

If the parse fails, `WT_RET` returns before the `done:` label, so `__checkpoint_clear_time` is not called and `session->ckpt.current_sec` is left set.

A later file checkpoint on the same session then sees `standalone == false`, skips establishing a new time, and reuses the stale value (stored as the checkpoint's `sec`). A later `__checkpoint_establish_time` can also trip its `current_sec == 0` assertion.

Fix: parse the configuration before establishing the time, or route the parse error through `done:`.

Found while reviewing PR #14877 (WT-18064), which fixes this as a side effect by moving the parse earlier.