diff --git a/backend/cmd/backend/main.go b/backend/cmd/backend/main.go
index b558c4c..0efd1d4 100644
--- a/backend/cmd/backend/main.go
+++ b/backend/cmd/backend/main.go
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ import (
 	"os/signal"
 	"syscall"
 
+	// time/tzdata embeds the IANA timezone database so time.LoadLocation
+	// works in container images without /usr/share/zoneinfo (distroless
+	// static, alpine without the tzdata apk). The auth and user-settings
+	// flows validate the caller's `time_zone` via time.LoadLocation;
+	// without this import only "UTC" and fixed offsets would resolve.
+	_ "time/tzdata"
+
 	"galaxy/backend/internal/admin"
 	"galaxy/backend/internal/app"
 	"galaxy/backend/internal/auth"
diff --git a/integration/testenv/session.go b/integration/testenv/session.go
index 95054d0..ae20aae 100644
--- a/integration/testenv/session.go
+++ b/integration/testenv/session.go
@@ -63,7 +63,12 @@ func RegisterSession(t *testing.T, plat *Platform, email string) *Session {
 	}
 	code := m[1]
 
-	confirm, _, err := public.ConfirmEmailCode(ctx, send.ChallengeID, code, EncodePublicKey(pub), "UTC")
+	// Pass a non-UTC IANA zone so every integration scenario that
+	// enrols a pilot exercises the time.LoadLocation path. UTC works
+	// even when the backend image lacks tzdata (Go's no-data fallback
+	// covers it), so a regression that drops the embedded tzdata
+	// import would otherwise slip past unnoticed.
+	confirm, _, err := public.ConfirmEmailCode(ctx, send.ChallengeID, code, EncodePublicKey(pub), "Europe/Berlin")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("confirm-email-code: %v", err)
 	}