diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index f88fa480..fa2e681f 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
 	"github.com/klauspost/compress/zstd"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
 	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
 	"tailscale.com/types/key"
@@ -121,8 +120,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) RegistrationHandler(ctx *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	location, _ := time.LoadLocation(viper.GetString("TZ"))
-	now := time.Now().In(location)
+	now := NowFromTZEnv()
 	machine, err := h.GetMachineByMachineKey(machineKey)
 	if errors.Is(err, gorm.ErrRecordNotFound) {
 		log.Info().Str("machine", req.Hostinfo.Hostname).Msg("New machine")
@@ -191,7 +189,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) RegistrationHandler(ctx *gin.Context) {
 		if machine.NodeKey == NodePublicKeyStripPrefix(req.NodeKey) {
 			// The client sends an Expiry in the past if the client is requesting to expire the key (aka logout)
 			//   https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/blob/main/tailcfg/tailcfg.go#L648
-			if !req.Expiry.IsZero() && req.Expiry.In(location).Before(now) {
+			if !req.Expiry.IsZero() && req.Expiry.Before(NowFromTZEnv()) {
 				h.handleMachineLogOut(ctx, machineKey, *machine)
 
 				return
@@ -603,8 +601,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) handleAuthKey(
 		machine.AuthKeyID = uint(pak.ID)
 		h.RefreshMachine(machine, registerRequest.Expiry)
 	} else {
-		location, _ := time.LoadLocation(viper.GetString("TZ"))
-		now := time.Now().In(location)
+		now := NowFromTZEnv()
 		machineToRegister := Machine{
 			Name:           registerRequest.Hostinfo.Hostname,
 			NamespaceID:    pak.Namespace.ID,
diff --git a/app.go b/app.go
index 687b80eb..94d73b28 100644
--- a/app.go
+++ b/app.go
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import (
 	zerolog "github.com/philip-bui/grpc-zerolog"
 	zl "github.com/rs/zerolog"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	ginprometheus "github.com/zsais/go-gin-prometheus"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/acme"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/acme/autocert"
@@ -792,8 +791,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) getTLSSettings() (*tls.Config, error) {
 }
 
 func (h *Headscale) setLastStateChangeToNow(namespace string) {
-	location, _ := time.LoadLocation(viper.GetString("TZ"))
-	now := time.Now().In(location)
+	now := NowFromTZEnv()
 	lastStateUpdate.WithLabelValues("", "headscale").Set(float64(now.Unix()))
 	h.lastStateChange.Store(namespace, now)
 }
@@ -816,8 +814,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) getLastStateChange(namespaces ...string) time.Time {
 	log.Trace().Msgf("Latest times %#v", times)
 
 	if len(times) == 0 {
-		location, _ := time.LoadLocation(viper.GetString("TZ"))
-		return time.Now().In(location)
+		return NowFromTZEnv()
 	} else {
 		return times[0]
 	}
diff --git a/machine.go b/machine.go
index 360a7d77..2481a643 100644
--- a/machine.go
+++ b/machine.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/fatih/set"
 	v1 "github.com/juanfont/headscale/gen/go/headscale/v1"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
 	"inet.af/netaddr"
 	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
@@ -117,9 +116,8 @@ func (machine Machine) isExpired() bool {
 	if machine.Expiry == nil || machine.Expiry.IsZero() {
 		return false
 	}
-	location, _ := time.LoadLocation(viper.GetString("TZ"))
 
-	return time.Now().In(location).After(*machine.Expiry)
+	return NowFromTZEnv().After(*machine.Expiry)
 }
 
 func containsAddresses(inputs []string, addrs []string) bool {
diff --git a/poll.go b/poll.go
index ed538158..70b52955 100644
--- a/poll.go
+++ b/poll.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
 	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
 	"tailscale.com/types/key"
@@ -98,8 +97,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) PollNetMapHandler(ctx *gin.Context) {
 	machine.Name = hname
 	machine.HostInfo = HostInfo(*req.Hostinfo)
 	machine.DiscoKey = DiscoPublicKeyStripPrefix(req.DiscoKey)
-	location, _ := time.LoadLocation(viper.GetString("TZ"))
-	now := time.Now().In(location)
+	now := NowFromTZEnv()
 
 	// update ACLRules with peer informations (to update server tags if necessary)
 	if h.aclPolicy != nil {
@@ -341,8 +339,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) PollNetMapStream(
 				// since the stream opened, terminate connection.
 				return false
 			}
-			location, _ := time.LoadLocation(viper.GetString("TZ"))
-			now := time.Now().In(location)
+			now := NowFromTZEnv()
 			machine.LastSeen = &now
 
 			lastStateUpdate.WithLabelValues(machine.Namespace.Name, machine.Name).
@@ -408,8 +405,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) PollNetMapStream(
 				// since the stream opened, terminate connection.
 				return false
 			}
-			location, _ := time.LoadLocation(viper.GetString("TZ"))
-			now := time.Now().In(location)
+			now := NowFromTZEnv()
 			machine.LastSeen = &now
 			err = h.TouchMachine(machine)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -499,8 +495,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) PollNetMapStream(
 					// since the stream opened, terminate connection.
 					return false
 				}
-				location, _ := time.LoadLocation(viper.GetString("TZ"))
-				now := time.Now().In(location)
+				now := NowFromTZEnv()
 
 				lastStateUpdate.WithLabelValues(machine.Namespace.Name, machine.Name).
 					Set(float64(now.Unix()))
@@ -552,8 +547,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) PollNetMapStream(
 				return false
 			}
 
-			location, _ := time.LoadLocation(viper.GetString("TZ"))
-			now := time.Now().In(location)
+			now := NowFromTZEnv()
 			machine.LastSeen = &now
 			err = h.TouchMachine(machine)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/preauth_keys.go b/preauth_keys.go
index 482e3b51..73f846df 100644
--- a/preauth_keys.go
+++ b/preauth_keys.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	v1 "github.com/juanfont/headscale/gen/go/headscale/v1"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
 )
@@ -46,8 +45,7 @@ func (h *Headscale) CreatePreAuthKey(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	location, _ := time.LoadLocation(viper.GetString("TZ"))
-	now := time.Now().In(location)
+	now := NowFromTZEnv()
 	kstr, err := h.generateKey()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err