diff --git a/maloja/data_files/settings/default.ini b/maloja/data_files/settings/default.ini
index 4c11155..5c72b93 100644
--- a/maloja/data_files/settings/default.ini
+++ b/maloja/data_files/settings/default.ini
@@ -71,8 +71,10 @@ CHARTS_DISPLAY_TILES = false
 # prevent visitors from mindlessly clicking on those options and hogging your cpu
 DISCOURAGE_CPU_HEAVY_STATS = false
 
-# offset to UTC
-TIMEZONE = 0
+# Use system timezone by default. Otherwise specify as either:
+# offset in hours IE 0 = UTC, -5 = EST
+# IANA time zone IE America/New_York = EST
+TIMEZONE = None
 
 [Fluff]
 
diff --git a/maloja/malojatime.py b/maloja/malojatime.py
index 89aae20..6853afd 100644
--- a/maloja/malojatime.py
+++ b/maloja/malojatime.py
@@ -6,8 +6,13 @@ from os.path import commonprefix
 import math
 from doreah.settings import get_settings
 
+# use system timezone as default
+# https://stackoverflow.com/a/39079819/1469797
+TIMEZONE = datetime.datetime.now(datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone().tzinfo
+# if user specifies a timezone in settings then try to use that instead
 OFFSET = get_settings("TIMEZONE")
-TIMEZONE = timezone(timedelta(hours=OFFSET))
+if OFFSET is not None:
+	TIMEZONE = timezone(timedelta(hours=OFFSET))
 
 FIRST_SCROBBLE = int(datetime.datetime.utcnow().replace(tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).timestamp())