diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/common/Timezone.php b/airtime_mvc/application/common/Timezone.php
index 7da82f6f9..5e12338e2 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/common/Timezone.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/common/Timezone.php
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class Application_Common_Timezone
             'UTC' => DateTimeZone::UTC
         );
 
-        $tzlist = array();
+        $tzlist = array(NULL => "Use station default");
 
         foreach ($regions as $name => $mask) {
             $ids = DateTimeZone::listIdentifiers($mask);
diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/forms/EditUser.php b/airtime_mvc/application/forms/EditUser.php
index d9486113f..cbb2ec22f 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/forms/EditUser.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/forms/EditUser.php
@@ -121,11 +121,14 @@ class Application_Form_EditUser extends Zend_Form
         $locale->setValue(Application_Model_Preference::GetUserLocale($currentUserId));
         $locale->setDecorators(array('ViewHelper'));
         $this->addElement($locale);
-        
+
+        $stationTz = Application_Model_Preference::GetTimezone($currentUserId);
+        $userTz = Application_Model_Preference::GetUserTimezone($currentUserId);
+
         $timezone = new Zend_Form_Element_Select("cu_timezone");
         $timezone->setLabel(_("Interface Timezone:"));
         $timezone->setMultiOptions(Application_Common_Timezone::getTimezones());
-        $timezone->setValue(Application_Model_Preference::GetUserTimezone($currentUserId));
+        $timezone->setValue($userTz == $stationTz ? null : $userTz);
         $timezone->setDecorators(array('ViewHelper'));
         $this->addElement($timezone);
         
diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php b/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php
index c6e6fff49..30d9a9e9e 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php
@@ -477,10 +477,6 @@ class Application_Model_Preference
 
     public static function SetUserTimezone($timezone = null)
     {
-        // When a new user is created they will get the default timezone
-        // setting which the admin sets on preferences page
-        if (is_null($timezone))
-            $timezone = self::GetDefaultTimezone();
         self::setValue("user_timezone", $timezone, true);
     }
 
@@ -520,10 +516,10 @@ class Application_Model_Preference
     public static function GetUserLocale()
     {
         $locale = self::getValue("user_locale", true);
-        if (!$locale) {
+        // empty() checks for null and empty strings - more robust than !val
+        if (empty($locale)) {
             return self::GetDefaultLocale();
-        } 
-        else {
+        } else {
             return $locale;
         }
     }
diff --git a/airtime_mvc/build/sql/defaultdata.sql b/airtime_mvc/build/sql/defaultdata.sql
index bed25b869..4c2ca0af7 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/build/sql/defaultdata.sql
+++ b/airtime_mvc/build/sql/defaultdata.sql
@@ -353,7 +353,9 @@ INSERT INTO cc_locale (locale_code, locale_lang) VALUES ('zh_CN', '简体中文'
 -- added in 2.5.2
 
 INSERT INTO cc_pref (keystr, valstr) VALUES ('timezone', 'UTC');
-INSERT INTO cc_pref (subjid, keystr, valstr) VALUES (1, 'user_timezone', 'UTC');
+-- We don't want to set the user timezone by default - it should instead use the station timezone
+-- until the user changes it manually.
+-- INSERT INTO cc_pref (subjid, keystr, valstr) VALUES (1, 'user_timezone', 'UTC');
 
 INSERT INTO cc_pref (keystr, valstr) VALUES ('import_timestamp', '0');