# Container Timezone (/self-host/advanced/timezone)

> Configure the timezone for Pangolin, Gerbil, and Traefik containers to match your local time.



By default, Docker containers report logs and timestamps in **UTC**. If you want the containers and their log output to use your local timezone, you need to set the timezone in both the container environment and mount the host timezone files.

## Updating your `docker-compose.yml` [#updating-your-docker-composeyml]

Add the following to your `pangolin`, `gerbil`, and `traefik` services in `docker-compose.yml`:

```yaml title="docker-compose.yml"
services:
  pangolin:
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York          # Set your local timezone
    volumes:
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro  # Sync host timezone
      - /etc/timezone:/etc/timezone:ro    # Optional: some apps read this file

  gerbil:
    volumes:
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - /etc/timezone:/etc/timezone:ro

  traefik:
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
    volumes:
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - /etc/timezone:/etc/timezone:ro
```

### Notes [#notes]

* **Environment variable `TZ`** ensures most applications inside the container use the correct local timezone.
* **`/etc/localtime` volume** ensures that system utilities (e.g., `date`) inside the container show the correct time.
* **`/etc/timezone` volume** is optional, but some scripts and apps on Debian-based images read it to determine the timezone.
* Logs generated by the containers (including Traefik and Gerbil) will now reflect your local time instead of UTC.

<Warning>
  Make sure that the host system has the correct timezone configured, as the containers will reference these host files.
</Warning>