diff --git a/create-vmachine.sh b/create-vmachine.sh
index 49c7e89..c67c4f1 100755
--- a/create-vmachine.sh
+++ b/create-vmachine.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ fi
 : ${DOMXML_TMPL:=/etc/libvirt/qemu/_template.xml}
 : ${MOUNTPOINT:=/mnt/new_vmachine}
 : ${PORTAGE_PROFILE:="default/linux/amd64/13.0"}
+: ${VM_TZ:=America/Chicago}
 
 
 quit() {
@@ -95,6 +96,11 @@ tar -xjpf "${STAGE_TBZ}" -C "${MOUNTPOINT}"
 echo "Setting hostname..."
 sed -i "s/localhost/${VMNAME}/" "${MOUNTPOINT}"/etc/conf.d/hostname
 
+echo "Setting time zone..."
+rm -f "${MOUNTPOINT}"/etc/localtime
+ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/${VM_TZ} "${MOUNTPOINT}"/etc/localtime
+echo ${VM_TZ} > "${MOUNTPOINT}"/etc/timezone
+
 echo "Configuring network..."
 echo 'config_eth0="dhcp"' > "${MOUNTPOINT}"/etc/conf.d/net
 ln -s net.lo "${MOUNTPOINT}"/etc/init.d/net.eth0