diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/real_time_clock.h b/headers/private/kernel/real_time_clock.h
index f6997a97ff..f208ffc7ce 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/real_time_clock.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/real_time_clock.h
@@ -13,13 +13,16 @@
 #include <time.h>
 
 
+struct kernel_args;
+
+
 #define RTC_EPOCH_BASE_YEAR	1970
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-status_t rtc_init(kernel_args *args);
+status_t rtc_init(struct kernel_args *args);
 bigtime_t rtc_boot_time(void);
 	// Returns the time at which the system was booted in microseconds since Jan 1, 1970 UTC.
 
@@ -28,6 +31,8 @@ bigtime_t rtc_boot_time(void);
 uint32 rtc_tm_to_secs(const struct tm *t);
 void rtc_secs_to_tm(uint32 seconds, struct tm *t);
 
+uint32 get_timezone_offset();
+
 bigtime_t _user_system_time(void);
 status_t _user_set_real_time_clock(uint32 time);
 status_t _user_set_timezone(int32 timezoneOffset);
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/fat/rtc_info.h b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/fat/rtc_info.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 4850e42959..0000000000
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/fat/rtc_info.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-/* ++++++++++
-	FILE:	rtc_info.h
-	NAME:	mani
-	DATE:	2/1998
-	Copyright 1999-2001, Be Incorporated.   All Rights Reserved.
-	This file may be used under the terms of the Be Sample Code License.
-+++++ */
-
-#ifndef _RTC_INFO_H
-#define _RTC_INFO_H
-
-typedef struct {
-        uint32          time;
-        bool            is_gmt;
-        int32           tz_minuteswest;
-        int32           tz_dsttime;
-} rtc_info;
-
-#define RTC_SETTINGS_FILE	"RTC_time_settings"
-
-extern status_t get_rtc_info(rtc_info *);
-
-#endif /* _RTC_INFO_H */
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/fat/util.c b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/fat/util.c
index f7981fab67..d5114f7731 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/fat/util.c
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/fat/util.c
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@
 #include <SupportDefs.h>
 #include <KernelExport.h>
 
+#include <real_time_clock.h>
+
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
-#include "rtc_info.h"
-
 #include "dosfs.h"
 #include "fat.h"
 #include "util.h"
@@ -72,19 +72,7 @@ get_tzoffset()
 	if (tzoffset != -1)
 		return;
 
-	// tzoffset used to be set to a bogus value (timezone offset in seconds),
-	// we could try to use something like the following ...
-	//
-	//	int32 tzOffsetInSeconds;
-	//	if (_kern_get_timezone(&tzOffsetInSeconds) < 0) {
-	//		dprintf("error getting timezone offset\n");
-	//	} else {
-	//		tzoffset = tzOffsetInSeconds / 60;
-	//	}
-	//
-	// but I'd rather like to spare us the specific kernel call,
-	// so we hardcode the timezone (let's see if it makes any difference)
-	tzoffset = 0;
+	tzoffset = get_timezone_offset() / 60;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/real_time_clock.cpp b/src/system/kernel/real_time_clock.cpp
index 4578a30531..3a170d49df 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/real_time_clock.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/real_time_clock.cpp
@@ -128,6 +128,13 @@ real_time_clock_usecs(void)
 }
 
 
+uint32
+get_timezone_offset(void)
+{
+	return (time_t)(sTimezoneOffset / 1000000LL);
+}
+
+
 // #pragma mark -