diff --git a/plugins/FeedsParser.inc b/plugins/FeedsParser.inc
index 13fcaa0..feb60f9 100644
--- a/plugins/FeedsParser.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsParser.inc
@@ -612,7 +612,14 @@ class FeedsDateTime extends DateTime {
     // Create and set time zone separately, PHP 5.2.6 does not respect time zone
     // argument in __construct().
     parent::__construct($time);
-    $tz = $tz ? $tz : new DateTimeZone("UTC");
+    $time_arr = date_parse($time);
+    if (!isset($tz)) {
+      if (isset($time_arr['tz_abbr'])) {
+        $tz = new DateTimeZone($time_arr['tz_abbr']);
+      } elseif (isset($time_arr['tz_id'])) {
+        $tz = new DateTimeZone($time_arr['tz_id']);
+      }
+    }
     $this->setTimeZone($tz);
 
     // Verify that timezone has not been specified as an offset.