diff --git a/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts b/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts
index 2fc95df00e..834fd16afc 100644
--- a/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { BinaryField } from 'exiftool-vendored';
+import { BinaryField, ExifDateTime } from 'exiftool-vendored';
 import { randomBytes } from 'node:crypto';
 import { Stats } from 'node:fs';
 import { constants } from 'node:fs/promises';
@@ -746,6 +746,8 @@ describe(MetadataService.name, () => {
     });
 
     it('should save all metadata', async () => {
+      const dateForTest = new Date('1970-01-01T00:00:00.000-11:30');
+
       const tags: ImmichTags = {
         BitsPerSample: 1,
         ComponentBitDepth: 1,
@@ -753,7 +755,7 @@ describe(MetadataService.name, () => {
         BitDepth: 1,
         ColorBitDepth: 1,
         ColorSpace: '1',
-        DateTimeOriginal: new Date('1970-01-01').toISOString(),
+        DateTimeOriginal: ExifDateTime.fromISO(dateForTest.toISOString()),
         ExposureTime: '100ms',
         FocalLength: 20,
         ImageDescription: 'test description',
@@ -762,11 +764,11 @@ describe(MetadataService.name, () => {
         MediaGroupUUID: 'livePhoto',
         Make: 'test-factory',
         Model: "'mockel'",
-        ModifyDate: new Date('1970-01-01').toISOString(),
+        ModifyDate: ExifDateTime.fromISO(dateForTest.toISOString()),
         Orientation: 0,
         ProfileDescription: 'extensive description',
         ProjectionType: 'equirectangular',
-        tz: '+02:00',
+        tz: 'UTC-11:30',
         Rating: 3,
       };
       assetMock.getByIds.mockResolvedValue([assetStub.image]);
@@ -779,7 +781,7 @@ describe(MetadataService.name, () => {
         bitsPerSample: expect.any(Number),
         autoStackId: null,
         colorspace: tags.ColorSpace,
-        dateTimeOriginal: new Date('1970-01-01'),
+        dateTimeOriginal: dateForTest,
         description: tags.ImageDescription,
         exifImageHeight: null,
         exifImageWidth: null,
@@ -805,11 +807,37 @@ describe(MetadataService.name, () => {
       expect(assetMock.update).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
         id: assetStub.image.id,
         duration: null,
-        fileCreatedAt: new Date('1970-01-01'),
-        localDateTime: new Date('1970-01-01'),
+        fileCreatedAt: dateForTest,
+        localDateTime: dateForTest,
       });
     });
 
+    it('should extract +00:00 timezone from raw value', async () => {
+      // exiftool-vendored returns "no timezone" information even though "+00:00" might be set explicitly
+      // https://github.com/photostructure/exiftool-vendored.js/issues/203
+
+      // this only tests our assumptions of exiftool-vendored, demonstrating the issue
+      const someDate = '2024-09-01T00:00:00.000';
+      expect(ExifDateTime.fromISO(someDate + 'Z')?.zone).toBe('UTC');
+      expect(ExifDateTime.fromISO(someDate + '+00:00')?.zone).toBe('UTC'); // this is the issue, should be UTC+0
+      expect(ExifDateTime.fromISO(someDate + '+04:00')?.zone).toBe('UTC+4');
+
+      const tags: ImmichTags = {
+        DateTimeOriginal: ExifDateTime.fromISO(someDate + '+00:00'),
+        tz: undefined,
+      };
+      assetMock.getByIds.mockResolvedValue([assetStub.image]);
+      metadataMock.readTags.mockResolvedValue(tags);
+
+      await sut.handleMetadataExtraction({ id: assetStub.image.id });
+      expect(assetMock.getByIds).toHaveBeenCalledWith([assetStub.image.id]);
+      expect(assetMock.upsertExif).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          timeZone: 'UTC+0',
+        }),
+      );
+    });
+
     it('should extract duration', async () => {
       assetMock.getByIds.mockResolvedValue([{ ...assetStub.video }]);
       mediaMock.probe.mockResolvedValue({
diff --git a/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts b/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts
index 29aebc4a36..7eab4702ad 100644
--- a/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts
@@ -531,12 +531,16 @@ export class MetadataService {
 
     this.logger.verbose('Exif Tags', exifTags);
 
+    const dateTimeOriginalWithRawValue = this.getDateTimeOriginalWithRawValue(exifTags);
+    const dateTimeOriginal = dateTimeOriginalWithRawValue.exifDate ?? asset.fileCreatedAt;
+    const timeZone = this.getTimeZone(exifTags, dateTimeOriginalWithRawValue.rawValue);
+
     const exifData = {
       // altitude: tags.GPSAltitude ?? null,
       assetId: asset.id,
       bitsPerSample: this.getBitsPerSample(exifTags),
       colorspace: exifTags.ColorSpace ?? null,
-      dateTimeOriginal: this.getDateTimeOriginal(exifTags) ?? asset.fileCreatedAt,
+      dateTimeOriginal,
       description: String(exifTags.ImageDescription || exifTags.Description || '').trim(),
       exifImageHeight: validate(exifTags.ImageHeight),
       exifImageWidth: validate(exifTags.ImageWidth),
@@ -557,7 +561,7 @@ export class MetadataService {
       orientation: validate(exifTags.Orientation)?.toString() ?? null,
       profileDescription: exifTags.ProfileDescription || null,
       projectionType: exifTags.ProjectionType ? String(exifTags.ProjectionType).toUpperCase() : null,
-      timeZone: exifTags.tz ?? null,
+      timeZone,
       rating: exifTags.Rating ?? null,
     };
 
@@ -578,10 +582,25 @@ export class MetadataService {
   }
 
   private getDateTimeOriginal(tags: ImmichTags | Tags | null) {
+    return this.getDateTimeOriginalWithRawValue(tags).exifDate;
+  }
+
+  private getDateTimeOriginalWithRawValue(tags: ImmichTags | Tags | null): { exifDate: Date | null; rawValue: string } {
     if (!tags) {
-      return null;
+      return { exifDate: null, rawValue: '' };
     }
-    return exifDate(firstDateTime(tags as Tags, EXIF_DATE_TAGS));
+    const first = firstDateTime(tags as Tags, EXIF_DATE_TAGS);
+    return { exifDate: exifDate(first), rawValue: first?.rawValue ?? '' };
+  }
+
+  private getTimeZone(exifTags: ImmichTags, rawValue: string) {
+    const timeZone = exifTags.tz ?? null;
+    if (timeZone == null && 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
+      return 'UTC+0';
+    }
+    return timeZone;
   }
 
   private getBitsPerSample(tags: ImmichTags): number | null {