diff --git a/go/base/context.go b/go/base/context.go
index 41aa915..5ef5e6e 100644
--- a/go/base/context.go
+++ b/go/base/context.go
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ type MigrationContext struct {
 
 	Hostname                               string
 	AssumeMasterHostname                   string
+	TimeZone                               string
 	TableEngine                            string
 	RowsEstimate                           int64
 	RowsDeltaEstimate                      int64
diff --git a/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go b/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
index 9231269..0ca18fa 100644
--- a/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
+++ b/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ func main() {
 	flag.IntVar(&migrationContext.InspectorConnectionConfig.Key.Port, "port", 3306, "MySQL port (preferably a replica, not the master)")
 	flag.StringVar(&migrationContext.CliUser, "user", "", "MySQL user")
 	flag.StringVar(&migrationContext.CliPassword, "password", "", "MySQL password")
+	flag.StringVar(&migrationContext.TimeZone, "time-zone", "+00:00", "assume timezone. Default: UTC. Set empty for system time zone")
 	flag.StringVar(&migrationContext.ConfigFile, "conf", "", "Config file")
 
 	flag.StringVar(&migrationContext.DatabaseName, "database", "", "database name (mandatory)")
diff --git a/go/logic/applier.go b/go/logic/applier.go
index cabd66a..8976bf2 100644
--- a/go/logic/applier.go
+++ b/go/logic/applier.go
@@ -420,10 +420,11 @@ func (this *Applier) ApplyIterationInsertQuery() (chunkSize int64, rowsAffected
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		if _, err := tx.Exec(`SET
-			SESSION time_zone = '+00:00',
+		sessionQuery := fmt.Sprintf(`SET
+			SESSION time_zone = '%s',
 			sql_mode = CONCAT(@@session.sql_mode, ',STRICT_ALL_TABLES')
-			`); err != nil {
+			`, this.migrationContext.TimeZone)
+		if _, err := tx.Exec(sessionQuery); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		result, err := tx.Exec(query, explodedArgs...)
@@ -892,10 +893,11 @@ func (this *Applier) ApplyDMLEventQuery(dmlEvent *binlog.BinlogDMLEvent) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if _, err := tx.Exec(`SET
-			SESSION time_zone = '+00:00',
+		sessionQuery := fmt.Sprintf(`SET
+			SESSION time_zone = '%s',
 			sql_mode = CONCAT(@@session.sql_mode, ',STRICT_ALL_TABLES')
-			`); err != nil {
+			`, this.migrationContext.TimeZone)
+		if _, err := tx.Exec(sessionQuery); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		if _, err := tx.Exec(query, args...); err != nil {
diff --git a/vendor/github.com/siddontang/go-mysql/replication/row_event.go b/vendor/github.com/siddontang/go-mysql/replication/row_event.go
index 7a2b7a4..4ed093e 100644
--- a/vendor/github.com/siddontang/go-mysql/replication/row_event.go
+++ b/vendor/github.com/siddontang/go-mysql/replication/row_event.go
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ func decodeBit(data []byte, nbits int, length int) (value int64, err error) {
 	return
 }
 
-func decodeTimestamp2(data []byte, dec uint16) (string, int, error) {
+func decodeTimestamp2(data []byte, dec uint16) (interface{}, int, error) {
 	//get timestamp binary length
 	n := int(4 + (dec+1)/2)
 	sec := int64(binary.BigEndian.Uint32(data[0:4]))
@@ -609,13 +609,15 @@ func decodeTimestamp2(data []byte, dec uint16) (string, int, error) {
 		return "0000-00-00 00:00:00", n, nil
 	}
 
-	t := time.Unix(sec, usec*1000).UTC() // .UTC() converted by shlomi-noach
-	return t.Format(TimeFormat), n, nil
+	// t := time.Unix(sec, usec*1000).UTC() // .UTC() converted by shlomi-noach
+	// return t.Format(TimeFormat), n, nil
+	t := time.Unix(sec, usec*1000).UTC()
+	return t, n, nil
 }
 
 const DATETIMEF_INT_OFS int64 = 0x8000000000
 
-func decodeDatetime2(data []byte, dec uint16) (string, int, error) {
+func decodeDatetime2(data []byte, dec uint16) (interface{}, int, error) {
 	//get datetime binary length
 	n := int(5 + (dec+1)/2)
 
@@ -658,7 +660,8 @@ func decodeDatetime2(data []byte, dec uint16) (string, int, error) {
 	hour := int((hms >> 12))
 
 	t := time.Date(year, time.Month(month), day, hour, minute, second, 0, time.UTC) // added by Shlomi Noach
-	return t.Format(TimeFormat), n, nil                                             // added by Shlomi Noach
+	//return t.Format(TimeFormat), n, nil                                             // added by Shlomi Noach
+	return t, n, nil // added by Shlomi Noach
 
 	// return fmt.Sprintf("%04d-%02d-%02d %02d:%02d:%02d", year, month, day, hour, minute, second), n, nil // commented by Shlomi Noach. Yes I know about `git blame`
 }