diff --git a/platform/drupal/install_5.inc b/platform/drupal/install_5.inc
index 1e9efc8dfddeace5c3a2437a8c403363f861c109..d7f83a077f66319f35991cda498df1ad37dc6b22 100644
--- a/platform/drupal/install_5.inc
+++ b/platform/drupal/install_5.inc
@@ -181,6 +181,10 @@ function install_main() {
     $profile_message = $function();
   }
 
+  // Get the timezone offset from system time
+  $tz_offset = date('Z');
+  variable_set('date_default_timezone', $tz_offset);
+
   variable_set('install_profile', $profile);
   $account = install_create_admin_user($url, $client_email);
   if ($client_email) {
diff --git a/platform/drupal/install_6.inc b/platform/drupal/install_6.inc
index 3fc480aaaa36ccc8e3c5a6374109bf72c125527e..3022c77b0315a3c504e641b51228a61d65d24b45 100644
--- a/platform/drupal/install_6.inc
+++ b/platform/drupal/install_6.inc
@@ -265,6 +265,10 @@ function install_main() {
   variable_set('clean_url', TRUE);
   variable_set('install_time', time());
 
+  // Get the timezone offset from system time
+  $tz_offset = date('Z');
+  variable_set('date_default_timezone', $tz_offset);
+
   menu_rebuild();
 
   // profile task