diff --git a/lib/utils/mu-utils.cc b/lib/utils/mu-utils.cc
index 28abc43e..d224066f 100644
--- a/lib/utils/mu-utils.cc
+++ b/lib/utils/mu-utils.cc
@@ -625,3 +625,19 @@ Mu::locale_workaround()
 
 	return false;
 }
+
+bool
+Mu::timezone_available(const std::string& tz)
+{
+	const auto old_tz = g_getenv("TZ");
+
+	g_setenv("TZ", tz.c_str(), TRUE);
+
+	auto tzone = g_time_zone_new_local ();
+	bool have_tz = g_strcmp0(g_time_zone_get_identifier(tzone), tz.c_str()) == 0;
+	g_time_zone_unref (tzone);
+
+	g_setenv("TZ", old_tz, TRUE);
+
+	return have_tz;
+}
diff --git a/lib/utils/mu-utils.hh b/lib/utils/mu-utils.hh
index 8018a495..1842c7d2 100644
--- a/lib/utils/mu-utils.hh
+++ b/lib/utils/mu-utils.hh
@@ -155,6 +155,17 @@ std::string time_to_string(const std::string& frm, time_t t, bool utc = false) G
 bool locale_workaround();
 
 
+/**
+ * Is the given timezone available? For tests
+ *
+ * @param tz a timezone, such as Europe/Helsinki
+ *
+ * @return true or false
+ */
+bool timezone_available(const std::string& tz);
+
+
+
 // https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19053351/how-do-i-use-a-custom-deleter-with-a-stdunique-ptr-member
 template <auto fn>
 struct deleter_from_fn {
diff --git a/lib/utils/tests/test-utils.cc b/lib/utils/tests/test-utils.cc
index 78cee854..e6f721ee 100644
--- a/lib/utils/tests/test-utils.cc
+++ b/lib/utils/tests/test-utils.cc
@@ -56,22 +56,15 @@ test_cases(const CaseVec& cases, ProcFunc proc)
 static void
 test_date_basic()
 {
-	// ensure we have the needed TZ or skip the test.
 	const auto hki = "Europe/Helsinki";
-	g_setenv("TZ", hki, TRUE);
 
-	{
-		auto tz = g_time_zone_new_local ();
-		bool have_hki = g_strcmp0(g_time_zone_get_identifier(tz), hki) == 0;
-		g_time_zone_unref (tz);
-
-		if (!have_hki) {
-			g_test_skip("timezone Europe/Helsinki not available");
-			return;
-		}
+	// ensure we have the needed TZ or skip the test.
+	if (!timezone_available(hki)) {
+		g_test_skip("timezone Europe/Helsinki not available");
+		return;
 	}
 
-
+	g_setenv("TZ", hki, TRUE);
 	constexpr std::array<std::tuple<const char*, bool, int64_t>, 9> cases = {{
 			{"2015-09-18T09:10:23", true, 1442556623},
 			{"1972-12-14T09:10:23", true, 93165023},
diff --git a/mu/tests/test-mu-query.cc b/mu/tests/test-mu-query.cc
index 781d3ce7..6eed6f7f 100644
--- a/mu/tests/test-mu-query.cc
+++ b/mu/tests/test-mu-query.cc
@@ -323,6 +323,12 @@ test_mu_query_wildcards(void)
 static void
 test_mu_query_dates_helsinki(void)
 {
+	const auto hki = "Europe/Helsinki";
+	if (!timezone_available(hki)) {
+		g_test_skip("timezone not available");
+		return;
+	}
+
 	int         i;
 	const char* old_tz;
 
@@ -332,7 +338,7 @@ test_mu_query_dates_helsinki(void)
 			      {"date:200808110803..today", 7},
 			      {"date:200808110801..now", 7}};
 
-	old_tz = set_tz("Europe/Helsinki");
+	old_tz = set_tz(hki);
 
 	const auto xpath{make_database(MU_TESTMAILDIR)};
 	g_assert_false(xpath.empty());
@@ -348,6 +354,12 @@ test_mu_query_dates_helsinki(void)
 static void
 test_mu_query_dates_sydney(void)
 {
+	const auto syd = "Australia/Sydney";
+	if (!timezone_available(syd)) {
+		g_test_skip("timezone not available");
+		return;
+	}
+
 	int         i;
 	const char* old_tz;
 	QResults    queries[] = {{"date:20080731..20080804", 5},
@@ -355,8 +367,7 @@ test_mu_query_dates_sydney(void)
 			      {"date:200808110803..now", 7},
 			      {"date:200808110803..today", 7},
 			      {"date:200808110801..now", 7}};
-
-	old_tz = set_tz("Australia/Sydney");
+	old_tz = set_tz(syd);
 
 	const auto xpath{make_database(MU_TESTMAILDIR)};
 	g_assert_false(xpath.empty());
@@ -371,6 +382,12 @@ test_mu_query_dates_sydney(void)
 static void
 test_mu_query_dates_la(void)
 {
+	const auto la = "America/Los_Angeles";
+	if (!timezone_available(la)) {
+		g_test_skip("timezone not available");
+		return;
+	}
+
 	int         i;
 	const char* old_tz;
 
@@ -381,8 +398,7 @@ test_mu_query_dates_la(void)
 			      {"date:200808110803..now", 6},
 			      {"date:200808110803..today", 6},
 			      {"date:200808110801..now", 6}};
-
-	old_tz = set_tz("America/Los_Angeles");
+	old_tz = set_tz(la);
 
 	const auto xpath = make_database(MU_TESTMAILDIR);
 	g_assert_false(xpath.empty());
@@ -605,7 +621,7 @@ main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 
-	g_test_init(&argc, &argv, NULL);
+	g_test_init(&argc, &argv, nullptr);
 	DB_PATH1 = make_database(MU_TESTMAILDIR);
 	g_assert_false(DB_PATH1.empty());