diff -u b/plugins/FeedsUserProcessor.inc b/plugins/FeedsUserProcessor.inc
--- b/plugins/FeedsUserProcessor.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsUserProcessor.inc
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@
     if (empty($account->name) || empty($account->mail) || !valid_email_address($account->mail)) {
       throw new FeedsValidationException(t('User name missing or email not valid.'));
     }
+
+    // Timezone validation.
+    if (!empty($account->timezone) && !array_key_exists($account->timezone, system_time_zones())) {
+      throw new FeedsValidationException(t("User's timezone is not valid."));
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -238,7 +243,7 @@
         break;
 
       case 'timezone':
-        $this->setTimezoneTarget($source, $target_user, $target_element, $value, $mapping);
+        $target_user->timezone = $value;
         break;
 
       default:
@@ -630,17 +635,2 @@
   }
-
-  /**
-   * Sets the timezone on the user target.
-   *
-   * @see setTargetElement()
-   */
-  protected function setTimezoneTarget($source, $target_user, $target_element, $value) {
-    // Set timezone if the value is valid.
-    if (array_key_exists($value, system_time_zones())) {
-      $target_user->{$target_element} = $value;
-    }
-    else {
-      $target_user->{$target_element} = NULL;
-    }
-  }
 }
diff -u b/tests/feeds/users.csv b/tests/feeds/users.csv
--- b/tests/feeds/users.csv
+++ b/tests/feeds/users.csv
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
-Fester,fester@example.com,1241865600,fest,c8cce3815094f01f0ab774fd4f7a77d4,$S$DjJPqmjlWTIen0nQrG3a.vA71Vc0DqCpKuB.g9zmBMnGzIV6JxqH,Europe/Lisbon
-Gomez,gomez@example.com,1228572000,gome,8a5346b9a510f1f698ab0062b71201ac,$S$Dv.EtHlTfnrxuWGLbe3cf31mD9MF6.4u2Z46M2o2dMGgQGzi7m/5,utc
+Fester,fester@example.com,1241865600,fest,c8cce3815094f01f0ab774fd4f7a77d4,$S$DjJPqmjlWTIen0nQrG3a.vA71Vc0DqCpKuB.g9zmBMnGzIV6JxqH,
+Gomez,gomez@example.com,1228572000,gome,8a5346b9a510f1f698ab0062b71201ac,$S$Dv.EtHlTfnrxuWGLbe3cf31mD9MF6.4u2Z46M2o2dMGgQGzi7m/5,Europe/Lisbon
 Wednesday,wednesdayexample.com,1228347137,wedn,fefb673afaf531dbd78771976a150dc8,$S$DdPzksGh/c8UukipWagAhTzaqUp/eNHVPiC.x6URBQyA503Z41PI,America/New_York
-Pugsley,pugsley@example,1228260225,pugs,09189568a8ee4d0addf53d2f6e4847cd,$S$D1oUihjrYXr.4iesN8Sfw1rVRLdo188v0NRGgcNR/V09oIyYPYmZ,EuropeLisbon
+Pugsley,pugsley@example,1228260225,pugs,09189568a8ee4d0addf53d2f6e4847cd,$S$D1oUihjrYXr.4iesN8Sfw1rVRLdo188v0NRGgcNR/V09oIyYPYmZ,utc
diff -u b/tests/feeds_processor_user.test b/tests/feeds_processor_user.test
--- b/tests/feeds_processor_user.test
+++ b/tests/feeds_processor_user.test
@@ -775,9 +775,9 @@
     $account = user_load_by_name('Morticia');
     $this->assertEqual('UTC', $account->timezone, 'Morticia has the UTC timezone.');
 
-    // Assert that Gomez did not get any timezone.
-    $account = user_load_by_name('Gomez');
-    $this->assertFalse($account->timezone, 'Gomez does not have any timezone');
+    // Assert that Fester did not get any timezone.
+    $account = user_load_by_name('Fester');
+    $this->assertFalse($account->timezone, 'Fester does not have any timezone');
   }
 
   /**