diff --git a/go/base/context.go b/go/base/context.go
index 5ef5e6e..a1cd6bf 100644
--- a/go/base/context.go
+++ b/go/base/context.go
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ type MigrationContext struct {
 
 	Hostname                               string
 	AssumeMasterHostname                   string
-	TimeZone                               string
+	InspectorTimeZone                      string
+	ApplierTimeZone                        string
 	TableEngine                            string
 	RowsEstimate                           int64
 	RowsDeltaEstimate                      int64
diff --git a/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go b/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
index ce11e2a..916d3eb 100644
--- a/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
+++ b/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
@@ -48,7 +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", "", "assume timezone. Default: MySQL server global time zone.")
+	timeZone := flag.String("time-zone", "", "assume timezone. Default: MySQL server global time zone.")
 	flag.StringVar(&migrationContext.ConfigFile, "conf", "", "Config file")
 
 	flag.StringVar(&migrationContext.DatabaseName, "database", "", "database name (mandatory)")
@@ -203,6 +203,10 @@ func main() {
 	if err := migrationContext.SetCutOverLockTimeoutSeconds(*cutOverLockTimeoutSeconds); err != nil {
 		log.Errore(err)
 	}
+	if *timeZone != "" {
+		migrationContext.InspectorTimeZone = *timeZone
+		migrationContext.ApplierTimeZone = *timeZone
+	}
 
 	log.Infof("starting gh-ost %+v", AppVersion)
 	acceptSignals(migrationContext)
diff --git a/go/logic/applier.go b/go/logic/applier.go
index 8976bf2..a45bfe0 100644
--- a/go/logic/applier.go
+++ b/go/logic/applier.go
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ func (this *Applier) InitDBConnections() (err error) {
 	if err := this.validateConnection(this.singletonDB); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if err := this.validateAndReadTimeZone(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	if impliedKey, err := mysql.GetInstanceKey(this.db); err != nil {
 		return err
 	} else {
@@ -81,6 +84,18 @@ func (this *Applier) validateConnection(db *gosql.DB) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// validateAndReadTimeZone potentially reads server time-zone
+func (this *Applier) validateAndReadTimeZone() error {
+	if this.migrationContext.ApplierTimeZone == "" {
+		query := `select @@global.time_zone`
+		if err := this.db.QueryRow(query).Scan(&this.migrationContext.ApplierTimeZone); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	log.Infof("will use time_zone='%s' on applier", this.migrationContext.ApplierTimeZone)
+	return nil
+}
+
 // showTableStatus returns the output of `show table status like '...'` command
 func (this *Applier) showTableStatus(tableName string) (rowMap sqlutils.RowMap) {
 	rowMap = nil
@@ -423,7 +438,7 @@ func (this *Applier) ApplyIterationInsertQuery() (chunkSize int64, rowsAffected
 		sessionQuery := fmt.Sprintf(`SET
 			SESSION time_zone = '%s',
 			sql_mode = CONCAT(@@session.sql_mode, ',STRICT_ALL_TABLES')
-			`, this.migrationContext.TimeZone)
+			`, this.migrationContext.ApplierTimeZone)
 		if _, err := tx.Exec(sessionQuery); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -896,7 +911,7 @@ func (this *Applier) ApplyDMLEventQuery(dmlEvent *binlog.BinlogDMLEvent) error {
 		sessionQuery := fmt.Sprintf(`SET
 			SESSION time_zone = '%s',
 			sql_mode = CONCAT(@@session.sql_mode, ',STRICT_ALL_TABLES')
-			`, this.migrationContext.TimeZone)
+			`, this.migrationContext.ApplierTimeZone)
 		if _, err := tx.Exec(sessionQuery); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/go/logic/inspect.go b/go/logic/inspect.go
index 8976f51..2c52780 100644
--- a/go/logic/inspect.go
+++ b/go/logic/inspect.go
@@ -160,13 +160,13 @@ func (this *Inspector) validateConnection() error {
 
 // validateAndReadTimeZone potentially reads server time-zone
 func (this *Inspector) validateAndReadTimeZone() error {
-	if this.migrationContext.TimeZone == "" {
+	if this.migrationContext.InspectorTimeZone == "" {
 		query := `select @@global.time_zone`
-		if err := this.db.QueryRow(query).Scan(&this.migrationContext.TimeZone); err != nil {
+		if err := this.db.QueryRow(query).Scan(&this.migrationContext.InspectorTimeZone); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	log.Infof("will use %s timezone", this.migrationContext.TimeZone)
+	log.Infof("will use time_zone='%s' on inspector", this.migrationContext.InspectorTimeZone)
 	return nil
 }