diff --git a/package/base-files/files/bin/config_generate b/package/base-files/files/bin/config_generate
index ca40a62cd4c..fecf82fcaa6 100755
--- a/package/base-files/files/bin/config_generate
+++ b/package/base-files/files/bin/config_generate
@@ -312,7 +312,8 @@ generate_static_system() {
 		delete system.@system[0]
 		add system system
 		set system.@system[-1].hostname='OpenWrt'
-		set system.@system[-1].timezone='UTC'
+		set system.@system[-1].timezone='GMT0'
+		set system.@system[-1].zonename='UTC'
 		set system.@system[-1].ttylogin='0'
 		set system.@system[-1].log_size='128'
 		set system.@system[-1].urandom_seed='0'
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/system b/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/system
index dcfc2616c6d..cff2d87072f 100755
--- a/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/system
+++ b/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/system
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ validate_system_section() {
 		'hostname:string:OpenWrt' \
 		'conloglevel:uinteger' \
 		'buffersize:uinteger' \
-		'timezone:string:UTC' \
-		'zonename:string'
+		'timezone:string:GMT0' \
+		'zonename:string:UTC'
 }
 
 system_config() {