diff --git a/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts b/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts
index 8530f6fed2..7424c2154f 100644
--- a/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts
@@ -919,7 +919,7 @@ describe(MetadataService.name, () => {
         Orientation: 0,
         ProfileDescription: 'extensive description',
         ProjectionType: 'equirectangular',
-        tz: 'UTC-11:30',
+        zone: 'UTC-11:30',
         TagsList: ['parent/child'],
         Rating: 3,
       };
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ describe(MetadataService.name, () => {
           orientation: tags.Orientation?.toString(),
           profileDescription: tags.ProfileDescription,
           projectionType: 'EQUIRECTANGULAR',
-          timeZone: tags.tz,
+          timeZone: tags.zone,
           rating: tags.Rating,
           country: null,
           state: null,
@@ -987,7 +987,7 @@ describe(MetadataService.name, () => {
 
       const tags: ImmichTags = {
         DateTimeOriginal: ExifDateTime.fromISO(someDate + '+00:00'),
-        tz: undefined,
+        zone: undefined,
       };
       mocks.assetJob.getForMetadataExtraction.mockResolvedValue(asset);
       mockReadTags(tags);
diff --git a/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts b/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts
index 4113025914..8b9db5b376 100644
--- a/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts
@@ -527,6 +527,15 @@ export class MetadataService extends BaseService {
         for (const tag of EXIF_DATE_TAGS) {
           delete mediaTags[tag];
         }
+
+        // exiftool-vendored derives tz information from the date.
+        // if the sidecar file has date information, we also assume the tz information come from there.
+        //
+        // this is especially important in the case of UTC+0 where exiftool-vendored does not return tz/zone fields
+        // and as such the tags aren't overwritten when returning all tags.
+        for (const tag of ['zone', 'tz', 'tzSource'] as const) {
+          delete mediaTags[tag];
+        }
       }
     }
 
@@ -897,8 +906,8 @@ export class MetadataService extends BaseService {
     }
 
     // timezone
-    let timeZone = exifTags.tz ?? null;
-    if (timeZone == null && dateTime?.rawValue?.endsWith('+00:00')) {
+    let timeZone = exifTags.zone ?? null;
+    if (timeZone == null && (dateTime?.rawValue?.endsWith('Z') || dateTime?.rawValue?.endsWith('+00:00'))) {
       // exiftool-vendored returns "no timezone" information even though "+00:00" might be set explicitly
       // https://github.com/photostructure/exiftool-vendored.js/issues/203
       timeZone = 'UTC+0';
@@ -906,7 +915,7 @@ export class MetadataService extends BaseService {
 
     if (timeZone) {
       this.logger.verbose(
-        `Found timezone ${timeZone} via ${exifTags.tzSource} for asset ${asset.id}: ${asset.originalPath}`,
+        `Found timezone ${timeZone} via ${exifTags.zoneSource} for asset ${asset.id}: ${asset.originalPath}`,
       );
     } else {
       this.logger.debug(`No timezone information found for asset ${asset.id}: ${asset.originalPath}`);
diff --git a/server/test/medium/specs/services/asset.service.spec.ts b/server/test/medium/specs/services/asset.service.spec.ts
index 29e7ea7039..db1b944e1f 100644
--- a/server/test/medium/specs/services/asset.service.spec.ts
+++ b/server/test/medium/specs/services/asset.service.spec.ts
@@ -398,6 +398,23 @@ describe(AssetService.name, () => {
         }),
       );
     });
+
+    it('should update dateTimeOriginal with time zone UTC+0', async () => {
+      const { sut, ctx } = setup();
+      ctx.getMock(JobRepository).queue.mockResolvedValue();
+      const { user } = await ctx.newUser();
+      const auth = factory.auth({ user });
+      const { asset } = await ctx.newAsset({ ownerId: user.id });
+      await ctx.newExif({ assetId: asset.id, description: 'test', timeZone: 'UTC-7' });
+
+      await sut.update(auth, asset.id, { dateTimeOriginal: '2023-11-19T18:11:00.000Z' });
+
+      await expect(ctx.get(AssetRepository).getById(asset.id, { exifInfo: true })).resolves.toEqual(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          exifInfo: expect.objectContaining({ dateTimeOriginal: '2023-11-19T18:11:00+00:00', timeZone: 'UTC' }),
+        }),
+      );
+    });
   });
 
   describe('updateAll', () => {
@@ -456,7 +473,7 @@ describe(AssetService.name, () => {
       );
     });
 
-    it('should relatively update an assets with timezone', async () => {
+    it('should relatively update assets with timezone', async () => {
       const { sut, ctx } = setup();
       ctx.getMock(JobRepository).queueAll.mockResolvedValue();
       const { user } = await ctx.newUser();
@@ -477,7 +494,7 @@ describe(AssetService.name, () => {
       );
     });
 
-    it('should relatively update an assets and set a timezone', async () => {
+    it('should relatively update assets and set a timezone', async () => {
       const { sut, ctx } = setup();
       ctx.getMock(JobRepository).queueAll.mockResolvedValue();
       const { user } = await ctx.newUser();
@@ -497,6 +514,26 @@ describe(AssetService.name, () => {
       );
     });
 
+    it('should set asset time zones to UTC', async () => {
+      const { sut, ctx } = setup();
+      ctx.getMock(JobRepository).queueAll.mockResolvedValue();
+      const { user } = await ctx.newUser();
+      const auth = factory.auth({ user });
+      const { asset } = await ctx.newAsset({ ownerId: user.id });
+      await ctx.newExif({ assetId: asset.id, dateTimeOriginal: '2023-11-19T18:11:00', timeZone: 'UTC-7' });
+
+      await sut.updateAll(auth, { ids: [asset.id], timeZone: 'UTC' });
+
+      await expect(ctx.get(AssetRepository).getById(asset.id, { exifInfo: true })).resolves.toEqual(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          exifInfo: expect.objectContaining({
+            dateTimeOriginal: '2023-11-19T18:11:00+00:00',
+            timeZone: 'UTC',
+          }),
+        }),
+      );
+    });
+
     it('should update dateTimeOriginal', async () => {
       const { sut, ctx } = setup();
       ctx.getMock(JobRepository).queueAll.mockResolvedValue();
@@ -530,6 +567,23 @@ describe(AssetService.name, () => {
         }),
       );
     });
+
+    it('should update dateTimeOriginal with UTC time zone', async () => {
+      const { sut, ctx } = setup();
+      ctx.getMock(JobRepository).queueAll.mockResolvedValue();
+      const { user } = await ctx.newUser();
+      const auth = factory.auth({ user });
+      const { asset } = await ctx.newAsset({ ownerId: user.id });
+      await ctx.newExif({ assetId: asset.id, description: 'test', timeZone: 'UTC-7' });
+
+      await sut.updateAll(auth, { ids: [asset.id], dateTimeOriginal: '2023-11-19T18:11:00.000Z' });
+
+      await expect(ctx.get(AssetRepository).getById(asset.id, { exifInfo: true })).resolves.toEqual(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          exifInfo: expect.objectContaining({ dateTimeOriginal: '2023-11-19T18:11:00+00:00', timeZone: 'UTC' }),
+        }),
+      );
+    });
   });
 
   describe('upsertBulkMetadata', () => {