diff --git a/src/system/libroot/posix/time/Jamfile b/src/system/libroot/posix/time/Jamfile
index ca90059300..044b245ff2 100644
--- a/src/system/libroot/posix/time/Jamfile
+++ b/src/system/libroot/posix/time/Jamfile
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 SubDir HAIKU_TOP src system libroot posix time ;
 
 # for localtime.c strftime.c
-SubDirCcFlags -DNOID -DTZDIR='\"/etc/timezones\"' -DUSG_COMPAT -DTM_GMTOFF=tm_gmtoff -DTM_ZONE=tm_zone -DPCTS=1 -DSTD_INSPIRED ;
+SubDirCcFlags -DNOID -DTZDIR='get_timezones_directory()' -DUSG_COMPAT
+	-DTM_GMTOFF=tm_gmtoff -DTM_ZONE=tm_zone -DPCTS=1 -DSTD_INSPIRED ;
 
 UsePrivateHeaders [ FDirName libroot time ] ;
 UsePrivateSystemHeaders ;
diff --git a/src/system/libroot/posix/time/localtime.c b/src/system/libroot/posix/time/localtime.c
index b0c724b2ed..aee2df89bf 100644
--- a/src/system/libroot/posix/time/localtime.c
+++ b/src/system/libroot/posix/time/localtime.c
@@ -226,6 +226,26 @@ int			daylight = 0;
 time_t			altzone = 0;
 #endif /* defined ALTZONE */
 
+#ifdef __HAIKU__
+#	include <FindDirectory.h>
+
+static const char*
+get_timezones_directory(void)
+{
+	static char path[PATH_MAX];
+	if (path[0] != '\0')
+		return path;
+
+	if (find_directory(B_SYSTEM_DATA_DIRECTORY, -1, false, path, sizeof(path))
+			== B_OK) {
+		strlcat(path, "/timezones", sizeof(path));
+	} else
+		strcpy(path, "/boot/system/data/timezones");
+
+	return path;
+}
+#endif
+
 static long
 detzcode(codep)
 const char * const	codep;