diff --git a/resources/sql/patches/045.timezone.sql b/resources/sql/patches/045.timezone.sql
index 49c402b25b..a7e317407a 100644
--- a/resources/sql/patches/045.timezone.sql
+++ b/resources/sql/patches/045.timezone.sql
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 ALTER TABLE phabricator_user.user
-  ADD timezoneIdentifier varchar(255) NOT NULL DEFAULT "America/Los_Angeles";
\ No newline at end of file
+  ADD timezoneIdentifier varchar(255) NOT NULL;
diff --git a/src/applications/people/storage/user/PhabricatorUser.php b/src/applications/people/storage/user/PhabricatorUser.php
index c5cbe0a121..5c087df013 100644
--- a/src/applications/people/storage/user/PhabricatorUser.php
+++ b/src/applications/people/storage/user/PhabricatorUser.php
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class PhabricatorUser extends PhabricatorUserDAO {
   protected $passwordSalt;
   protected $passwordHash;
   protected $profileImagePHID;
-  protected $timezoneIdentifier;
+  protected $timezoneIdentifier = '';
 
   protected $consoleEnabled = 0;
   protected $consoleVisible = 0;
@@ -298,4 +298,11 @@ class PhabricatorUser extends PhabricatorUserDAO {
     return $preferences;
   }
 
+  public function getTimezoneIdentifier() {
+    // If the user hasn't set one, guess the server's time.
+    return nonempty(
+      $this->timezoneIdentifier,
+      date_default_timezone_get());
+  }
+
 }