diff --git a/src/db.rs b/src/db.rs
index d204396..b879256 100644
--- a/src/db.rs
+++ b/src/db.rs
@@ -1151,7 +1151,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_adjust_days() {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         let mut m = BTreeMap::new();
 
         // Create a day.
@@ -1206,7 +1206,7 @@ mod tests {
     /// Basic test of running some queries on an empty database.
     #[test]
     fn test_empty_db() {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         let conn = setup_conn();
         let db = Database::new(conn).unwrap();
         let db = db.lock();
@@ -1216,7 +1216,7 @@ mod tests {
     /// Basic test of the full lifecycle of recording. Does not exercise error cases.
     #[test]
     fn test_full_lifecycle() {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         let conn = setup_conn();
         let camera_uuid = Uuid::new_v4();
         let camera_id = setup_camera(&conn, camera_uuid, "testcam");
@@ -1289,7 +1289,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_drop_tx() {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         let conn = setup_conn();
         let db = Database::new(conn).unwrap();
         let mut db = db.lock();
diff --git a/src/mp4.rs b/src/mp4.rs
index 35d12c6..014e0db 100644
--- a/src/mp4.rs
+++ b/src/mp4.rs
@@ -1342,7 +1342,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_round_trip() {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         let db = setup_db();
         copy_mp4_to_db(&db);
         let mp4 = create_mp4_from_db(db.db.clone(), db.dir.clone(), 0, 0, false);
@@ -1362,7 +1362,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_round_trip_with_subtitles() {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         let db = setup_db();
         copy_mp4_to_db(&db);
         let mp4 = create_mp4_from_db(db.db.clone(), db.dir.clone(), 0, 0, true);
@@ -1382,7 +1382,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_round_trip_with_edit_list() {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         let db = setup_db();
         copy_mp4_to_db(&db);
         let mp4 = create_mp4_from_db(db.db.clone(), db.dir.clone(), 1, 0, false);
@@ -1402,7 +1402,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_round_trip_with_shorten() {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         let db = setup_db();
         copy_mp4_to_db(&db);
         let mp4 = create_mp4_from_db(db.db.clone(), db.dir.clone(), 0, 1, false);
@@ -1478,7 +1478,7 @@ mod tests {
     /// Benchmarks serving the generated part of a `.mp4` file (up to the first byte from disk).
     #[bench]
     fn serve_generated_bytes_fresh_client(b: &mut Bencher) {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         let server = &*SERVER;
         let p = server.generated_len;
         let mut buf = Vec::with_capacity(p as usize);
@@ -1503,7 +1503,7 @@ mod tests {
     /// algorithm.
     #[bench]
     fn serve_generated_bytes_reuse_client(b: &mut Bencher) {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         let server = &*SERVER;
         let p = server.generated_len;
         let mut buf = Vec::with_capacity(p as usize);
@@ -1524,7 +1524,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[bench]
     fn mp4_construction(b: &mut Bencher) {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         let db = setup_db();
         add_dummy_recordings_to_db(&db.db);
         b.iter(|| {
diff --git a/src/resource.rs b/src/resource.rs
index 972b8a5..358ac53 100644
--- a/src/resource.rs
+++ b/src/resource.rs
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn serve_without_etag() {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         *RESOURCE.lock().unwrap() = Some(FakeResource{
             etag: None,
             mime: mime!(Application/OctetStream),
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn serve_with_strong_etag() {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         *RESOURCE.lock().unwrap() = Some(FakeResource{
             etag: Some(EntityTag::strong("foo".to_owned())),
             mime: mime!(Application/OctetStream),
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn serve_with_weak_etag() {
-        testutil::init_logging();
+        testutil::init();
         *RESOURCE.lock().unwrap() = Some(FakeResource{
             etag: Some(EntityTag::weak("foo".to_owned())),
             mime: mime!(Application/OctetStream),
diff --git a/src/testutil.rs b/src/testutil.rs
index ea0b65d..07f53cd 100644
--- a/src/testutil.rs
+++ b/src/testutil.rs
@@ -28,18 +28,27 @@
 // You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 // along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+use std::env;
 use std::sync;
 use slog::{self, DrainExt};
 use slog_envlogger;
 use slog_stdlog;
 use slog_term;
+use time;
 
-static INIT_LOGGING: sync::Once = sync::ONCE_INIT;
+static INIT: sync::Once = sync::ONCE_INIT;
 
-pub fn init_logging() {
-    INIT_LOGGING.call_once(|| {
+/// Performs global initialization for tests.
+///    * set up logging. (Note the output can be confusing unless `RUST_TEST_THREADS=1` is set in
+///      the program's environment prior to running.)
+///    * set `TZ=America/Los_Angeles` so that tests that care about calendar time get the expected
+///      results regardless of machine setup.)
+pub fn init() {
+    INIT.call_once(|| {
         let drain = slog_term::StreamerBuilder::new().async().full().build();
         let drain = slog_envlogger::new(drain);
         slog_stdlog::set_logger(slog::Logger::root(drain.ignore_err(), None)).unwrap();
+        env::set_var("TZ", "America/Los_Angeles");
+        time::tzset();
     });
 }