diff --git a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/RAtoOTDBTaskSpecificationPropagator/lib/rotspservice.py b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/RAtoOTDBTaskSpecificationPropagator/lib/rotspservice.py
index 36acbcfefabf3229ac6db1f0c15e2533bf6a8e26..e66822e21b6b73795a084454955cc70cd87933bd 100755
--- a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/RAtoOTDBTaskSpecificationPropagator/lib/rotspservice.py
+++ b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/RAtoOTDBTaskSpecificationPropagator/lib/rotspservice.py
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ class RATaskStatusChangedListener(RABusListener):
 __all__ = ["RATaskStatusChangedListener"]
 
 def main():
+    # make sure we run in UTC timezone
+    import os
+    os.environ['TZ'] = 'UTC'
+
     from optparse import OptionParser
     from lofar.messaging import setQpidLogLevel
     from lofar.common.util import waitForInterrupt
diff --git a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssignmentDatabase/radbpglistener.py b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssignmentDatabase/radbpglistener.py
index d6fbb82c38b7274234c3b8a568822db16ac4987d..5fedde628a3edafcdae6576004f497b620f212e9 100644
--- a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssignmentDatabase/radbpglistener.py
+++ b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssignmentDatabase/radbpglistener.py
@@ -175,6 +175,10 @@ class RADBPGListener(PostgresListener):
             logger.error(str(e))
 
 def main():
+    # make sure we run in UTC timezone
+    import os
+    os.environ['TZ'] = 'UTC'
+
     # Check the invocation arguments
     parser = OptionParser("%prog [options]",
                           description='runs the radb postgres listener which listens to changes on some tables in the radb and publishes the changes as notifications on the bus.')