diff --git a/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py b/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py
index ca092990..ce0ed3b6 100644
--- a/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py
+++ b/fail2ban/client/jailreader.py
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ class JailReader(ConfigReader):
 				["string", "filter", ""]]
 		opts = [["bool", "enabled", False],
 				["string", "logpath", None],
+				["string", "logtimezone", None],
 				["string", "logencoding", None],
 				["string", "backend", "auto"],
 				["int",    "maxretry", None],
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/datedetector.py b/fail2ban/server/datedetector.py
index dd5d198f..39a15828 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/datedetector.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/datedetector.py
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ class DateDetector(object):
 		logSys.log(logLevel, " no template.")
 		return (None, None)
 
-	def getTime(self, line, timeMatch=None):
+	def getTime(self, line, timeMatch=None, default_tz=None):
 		"""Attempts to return the date on a log line using templates.
 
 		This uses the templates' `getDate` method in an attempt to find
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ class DateDetector(object):
 		template = timeMatch[1]
 		if template is not None:
 			try:
-				date = template.getDate(line, timeMatch[0])
+				date = template.getDate(line, timeMatch[0], default_tz=default_tz)
 				if date is not None:
 					if logSys.getEffectiveLevel() <= logLevel: # pragma: no cover - heavy debug
 						logSys.log(logLevel, "  got time %f for %r using template %s",
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py b/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py
index 1d0b014b..44ea54a8 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/datetemplate.py
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ class DateTemplate(object):
 		return dateMatch
 
 	@abstractmethod
-	def getDate(self, line, dateMatch=None):
+	def getDate(self, line, dateMatch=None, default_tz=None):
 		"""Abstract method, which should return the date for a log line
 
 		This should return the date for a log line, typically taking the
@@ -169,6 +169,8 @@ class DateTemplate(object):
 		----------
 		line : str
 			Log line, of which the date should be extracted from.
+		default_tz: if no explicit time zone is present in the line
+                            passing this will interpret it as in that time zone.
 
 		Raises
 		------
@@ -200,13 +202,14 @@ class DateEpoch(DateTemplate):
 			regex = r"((?P<square>(?<=^\[))?\d{10,11}\b(?:\.\d{3,6})?)(?(square)(?=\]))"
 			self.setRegex(regex, wordBegin='start', wordEnd=True)
 
-	def getDate(self, line, dateMatch=None):
+	def getDate(self, line, dateMatch=None, default_tz=None):
 		"""Method to return the date for a log line.
 
 		Parameters
 		----------
 		line : str
 			Log line, of which the date should be extracted from.
+		default_tz: ignored, Unix timestamps are time zone independent
 
 		Returns
 		-------
@@ -277,7 +280,7 @@ class DatePatternRegex(DateTemplate):
 			regex = r'(?iu)' + regex
 		super(DatePatternRegex, self).setRegex(regex, wordBegin, wordEnd)
 
-	def getDate(self, line, dateMatch=None):
+	def getDate(self, line, dateMatch=None, default_tz=None):
 		"""Method to return the date for a log line.
 
 		This uses a custom version of strptime, using the named groups
@@ -287,6 +290,7 @@ class DatePatternRegex(DateTemplate):
 		----------
 		line : str
 			Log line, of which the date should be extracted from.
+		default_tz: optionally used to correct timezone
 
 		Returns
 		-------
@@ -297,7 +301,8 @@ class DatePatternRegex(DateTemplate):
 		if not dateMatch:
 			dateMatch = self.matchDate(line)
 		if dateMatch:
-			return reGroupDictStrptime(dateMatch.groupdict()), dateMatch
+			return (reGroupDictStrptime(dateMatch.groupdict(), default_tz=default_tz),
+				dateMatch)
 
 
 class DateTai64n(DateTemplate):
@@ -315,13 +320,14 @@ class DateTai64n(DateTemplate):
 		# We already know the format for TAI64N
 		self.setRegex("@[0-9a-f]{24}", wordBegin=wordBegin)
 
-	def getDate(self, line, dateMatch=None):
+	def getDate(self, line, dateMatch=None, default_tz=None):
 		"""Method to return the date for a log line.
 
 		Parameters
 		----------
 		line : str
 			Log line, of which the date should be extracted from.
+		default_tz: ignored, since TAI is time zone independent
 
 		Returns
 		-------
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/filter.py b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
index fce02a7a..8d1eb856 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/filter.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ from .failregex import FailRegex, Regex, RegexException
 from .action import CommandAction
 from .utils import Utils
 from ..helpers import getLogger, PREFER_ENC
+from .strptime import validateTimeZone
 
 # Gets the instance of the logger.
 logSys = getLogger(__name__)
@@ -102,6 +103,8 @@ class Filter(JailThread):
 		self.checkAllRegex = False
 		## if true ignores obsolete failures (failure time < now - findTime):
 		self.checkFindTime = True
+		## if set, treat log lines without explicit time zone to be in this time zone
+		self.logtimezone = None
 		## Ticks counter
 		self.ticks = 0
 
@@ -307,6 +310,22 @@ class Filter(JailThread):
 				return pattern, templates[0].name
 		return None
 
+	##
+	# Set the log default time zone
+	#
+	# @param tz the symbolic timezone (for now fixed offset only: UTC[+-]HHMM)
+
+	def setLogTimeZone(self, tz):
+		self.logtimezone = validateTimeZone(tz)
+
+	##
+	# Get the log default timezone
+	#
+	# @return symbolic timezone (a string)
+
+	def getLogTimeZone(self):
+		return self.logtimezone
+
 	##
 	# Set the maximum retry value.
 	#
@@ -621,7 +640,8 @@ class Filter(JailThread):
 			self.__lastDate = date
 		elif timeText:
 
-			dateTimeMatch = self.dateDetector.getTime(timeText, tupleLine[3])
+			dateTimeMatch = self.dateDetector.getTime(timeText, tupleLine[3],
+								  default_tz=self.logtimezone)
 
 			if dateTimeMatch is None:
 				logSys.error("findFailure failed to parse timeText: %s", timeText)
@@ -972,7 +992,10 @@ class FileFilter(Filter):
 					break
 				(timeMatch, template) = self.dateDetector.matchTime(line)
 				if timeMatch:
-					dateTimeMatch = self.dateDetector.getTime(line[timeMatch.start():timeMatch.end()], (timeMatch, template))
+					dateTimeMatch = self.dateDetector.getTime(
+						line[timeMatch.start():timeMatch.end()],
+						(timeMatch, template),
+						default_tz=self.logtimezone)
 				else:
 					nextp = container.tell()
 					if nextp > maxp:
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/server.py b/fail2ban/server/server.py
index 56367ed7..e3b22c44 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/server.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/server.py
@@ -379,6 +379,12 @@ class Server:
 	def getDatePattern(self, name):
 		return self.__jails[name].filter.getDatePattern()
 
+	def setLogTimeZone(self, name, tz):
+		self.__jails[name].filter.setLogTimeZone(tz)
+
+	def getLogTimeZone(self, name):
+		return self.__jails[name].filter.getLogTimeZone()
+
 	def setIgnoreCommand(self, name, value):
 		self.__jails[name].filter.setIgnoreCommand(value)
 
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/strptime.py b/fail2ban/server/strptime.py
index 55bdcc8c..aff9db92 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/strptime.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/strptime.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 # along with Fail2Ban; if not, write to the Free Software
 # Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 
+import re
 import time
 import calendar
 import datetime
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ from .mytime import MyTime
 
 locale_time = LocaleTime()
 timeRE = TimeRE()
+FIXED_OFFSET_TZ_RE = re.compile(r'UTC(([+-]\d{2})(\d{2}))?$')
 
 def _getYearCentRE(cent=(0,3), distance=3, now=(MyTime.now(), MyTime.alternateNow)):
 	""" Build century regex for last year and the next years (distance).
@@ -78,7 +80,36 @@ def getTimePatternRE():
 		names[key] = "%%%s" % key
 	return (patt, names)
 
-def reGroupDictStrptime(found_dict, msec=False):
+
+def validateTimeZone(tz):
+	"""Validate a timezone.
+
+	For now this accepts only the UTC[+-]hhmm format.
+	In the future, it may be extended for named time zones (such as Europe/Paris)
+        present on the system, if a suitable tz library is present.
+	"""
+	m = FIXED_OFFSET_TZ_RE.match(tz)
+	if m is None:
+		raise ValueError("Unknown or unsupported time zone: %r" % tz)
+	return tz
+
+def zone2offset(tz, dt):
+	"""Return the proper offset, in minutes according to given timezone at a given time.
+
+	Parameters
+	----------
+	tz: symbolic timezone (for now only UTC[+-]hhmm is supported, and it's assumed to have
+                               been validated already)
+        dt: datetime instance for offset computation
+	"""
+	if tz == 'UTC':
+		return 0
+	unsigned = int(tz[4:6])*60 + int(tz[6:])
+	if tz[3] == '-':
+		return -unsigned
+	return unsigned
+
+def reGroupDictStrptime(found_dict, msec=False, default_tz=None):
 	"""Return time from dictionary of strptime fields
 
 	This is tweaked from python built-in _strptime.
@@ -88,7 +119,8 @@ def reGroupDictStrptime(found_dict, msec=False):
 	found_dict : dict
 		Dictionary where keys represent the strptime fields, and values the
 		respective value.
-
+	default_tz : default timezone to apply if nothing relevant is in found_dict
+                     (may be a non-fixed one in the future)
 	Returns
 	-------
 	float
@@ -209,6 +241,9 @@ def reGroupDictStrptime(found_dict, msec=False):
 	# Actully create date
 	date_result =  datetime.datetime(
 		year, month, day, hour, minute, second, fraction)
+	# Correct timezone if not supplied in the log linge
+	if tzoffset is None and default_tz is not None:
+		tzoffset = zone2offset(default_tz, date_result)
 	# Add timezone info
 	if tzoffset is not None:
 		date_result -= datetime.timedelta(seconds=tzoffset * 60)
diff --git a/fail2ban/server/transmitter.py b/fail2ban/server/transmitter.py
index bc9edd43..ecc2a138 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/transmitter.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/transmitter.py
@@ -261,6 +261,10 @@ class Transmitter:
 			value = command[2]
 			self.__server.setDatePattern(name, value)
 			return self.__server.getDatePattern(name)
+		elif command[1] == "logtimezone":
+			value = command[2]
+			self.__server.setLogTimeZone(name, value)
+			return self.__server.getLogTimeZone(name)
 		elif command[1] == "maxretry":
 			value = command[2]
 			self.__server.setMaxRetry(name, int(value))
@@ -363,6 +367,8 @@ class Transmitter:
 			return self.__server.getFindTime(name)
 		elif command[1] == "datepattern":
 			return self.__server.getDatePattern(name)
+		elif command[1] == "logtimezone":
+			return self.__server.getLogTimeZone(name)
 		elif command[1] == "maxretry":
 			return self.__server.getMaxRetry(name)
 		elif command[1] == "maxlines":
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/clientreadertestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/clientreadertestcase.py
index bfa68e03..6cc2f659 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/clientreadertestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/clientreadertestcase.py
@@ -196,6 +196,14 @@ class JailReaderTest(LogCaptureTestCase):
 		self.assertTrue(jail.isEnabled())
 		self.assertLogged("Invalid action definition 'joho[foo'")
 
+	def testJailLogTimeZone(self):
+		jail = JailReader('tz_correct', basedir=IMPERFECT_CONFIG,
+			share_config=IMPERFECT_CONFIG_SHARE_CFG)
+		self.assertTrue(jail.read())
+		self.assertTrue(jail.getOptions())
+		self.assertTrue(jail.isEnabled())
+		self.assertEqual(jail.options['logtimezone'], 'UTC+0200')
+
 	def testJailFilterBrokenDef(self):
 		jail = JailReader('brokenfilterdef', basedir=IMPERFECT_CONFIG,
 			share_config=IMPERFECT_CONFIG_SHARE_CFG)
@@ -533,10 +541,14 @@ class JailsReaderTest(LogCaptureTestCase):
 			 ]],
 			 ['add', 'parse_to_end_of_jail.conf', 'auto'],
 			 ['set', 'parse_to_end_of_jail.conf', 'addfailregex', '<IP>'],
+			 ['set', 'tz_correct', 'addfailregex', '<IP>'],
+			 ['set', 'tz_correct', 'logtimezone', 'UTC+0200'],
 			 ['start', 'emptyaction'],
 			 ['start', 'missinglogfiles'],
 			 ['start', 'brokenaction'],
 			 ['start', 'parse_to_end_of_jail.conf'],
+		         ['add', 'tz_correct', 'auto'],
+			 ['start', 'tz_correct'],
 			 ['config-error',
 				"Jail 'brokenactiondef' skipped, because of wrong configuration: Invalid action definition 'joho[foo'"],
 			 ['config-error',
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/config/jail.conf b/fail2ban/tests/config/jail.conf
index 64c1b830..3dcbf634 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/config/jail.conf
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/config/jail.conf
@@ -47,3 +47,7 @@ action = thefunkychickendance
 [parse_to_end_of_jail.conf]
 enabled = true
 action =
+
+[tz_correct]
+enabled = true
+logtimezone = UTC+0200
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/datedetectortestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/datedetectortestcase.py
index 39ab7173..16515f1b 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/datedetectortestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/datedetectortestcase.py
@@ -89,6 +89,21 @@ class DateDetectorTest(LogCaptureTestCase):
 		self.assertEqual(datelog, dateUnix)
 		self.assertEqual(matchlog.group(1), 'Jan 23 21:59:59')
 
+	def testDefaultTimeZone(self):
+		log = "2017-01-23 15:00:00"
+		datelog, _ = self.datedetector.getTime(log, default_tz='UTC+0300')
+		# so in UTC, it was noon
+		self.assertEqual(datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(datelog),
+				 datetime.datetime(2017, 1, 23, 12, 0, 0))
+
+		datelog, _ = self.datedetector.getTime(log, default_tz='UTC')
+		self.assertEqual(datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(datelog),
+				 datetime.datetime(2017, 1, 23, 15, 0, 0))
+
+		datelog, _ = self.datedetector.getTime(log, default_tz='UTC-0430')
+		self.assertEqual(datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(datelog),
+				 datetime.datetime(2017, 1, 23, 19, 30, 0))
+
 	def testVariousTimes(self):
 		"""Test detection of various common date/time formats f2b should understand
 		"""
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py
index 745dcca7..cb0edb06 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py
@@ -289,6 +289,16 @@ class BasicFilter(unittest.TestCase):
 			("^%Y-%m-%d-%H%M%S.%f %z **",
 			"^Year-Month-Day-24hourMinuteSecond.Microseconds Zone offset **"))
 
+	def testGetSetLogTimeZone(self):
+		self.assertEqual(self.filter.getLogTimeZone(), None)
+		self.filter.setLogTimeZone('UTC')
+		self.assertEqual(self.filter.getLogTimeZone(), 'UTC')
+		self.filter.setLogTimeZone('UTC-0400')
+		self.assertEqual(self.filter.getLogTimeZone(), 'UTC-0400')
+		self.filter.setLogTimeZone('UTC+0200')
+		self.assertEqual(self.filter.getLogTimeZone(), 'UTC+0200')
+		self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.filter.setLogTimeZone, 'not-a-time-zone')
+
 	def testAssertWrongTime(self):
 		self.assertRaises(AssertionError, 
 			lambda: _assert_equal_entries(self, 
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/servertestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/servertestcase.py
index 32f794a6..68b9951c 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/servertestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/servertestcase.py
@@ -311,6 +311,10 @@ class Transmitter(TransmitterBase):
 			"datepattern", "TAI64N", (None, "TAI64N"), jail=self.jailName)
 		self.setGetTestNOK("datepattern", "%Cat%a%%%g", jail=self.jailName)
 
+	def testLogTimeZone(self):
+		self.setGetTest("logtimezone", "UTC+0400", "UTC+0400", jail=self.jailName)
+		self.setGetTestNOK("logtimezone", "not-a-time-zone", jail=self.jailName)
+
 	def testJailUseDNS(self):
 		self.setGetTest("usedns", "yes", jail=self.jailName)
 		self.setGetTest("usedns", "warn", jail=self.jailName)