diff --git a/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeHostLinkAction.java b/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeHostLinkAction.java
index 5c5c25341..bd84da425 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeHostLinkAction.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeHostLinkAction.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import static google.registry.flows.host.HostFlowUtils.lookupSuperordinateDomain
 import static google.registry.mapreduce.MapreduceRunner.PARAM_MAP_SHARDS;
 import static google.registry.model.ofy.ObjectifyService.ofy;
 import static google.registry.util.PipelineUtils.createJobPath;
+import static org.joda.time.DateTimeZone.UTC;
 
 import com.google.appengine.tools.mapreduce.Mapper;
 import com.google.common.base.Optional;
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ public class RdeHostLinkAction implements Runnable {
       try {
         InternetDomainName hostName = InternetDomainName.from(xjcHost.getName());
         Optional<DomainResource> superordinateDomain =
-            lookupSuperordinateDomain(hostName, DateTime.now());
+            lookupSuperordinateDomain(hostName, DateTime.now(UTC));
         // if suporordinateDomain is null, this is an out of zone host and can't be linked
         if (!superordinateDomain.isPresent()) {
           getContext().incrementCounter("post-import hosts out of zone");
diff --git a/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtils.java b/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtils.java
index 513778684..015c98c53 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtils.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeImportUtils.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import static google.registry.util.DateTimeUtils.START_OF_TIME;
 import static google.registry.util.PreconditionsUtils.checkArgumentPresent;
 import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.US_ASCII;
 import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.UTF_8;
+import static org.joda.time.DateTimeZone.UTC;
 
 import com.google.appengine.tools.cloudstorage.GcsFilename;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
@@ -220,7 +221,7 @@ public class RdeImportUtils {
             .setType(HistoryEntry.Type.RDE_IMPORT)
             .setClientId(domain.getClID())
             .setTrid(generateTridForImport())
-            .setModificationTime(DateTime.now())
+            .setModificationTime(DateTime.now(UTC))
             .setXmlBytes(getObjectXml(element))
             .setBySuperuser(true)
             .setReason("RDE Import")
diff --git a/java/google/registry/rde/imports/XjcToDomainResourceConverter.java b/java/google/registry/rde/imports/XjcToDomainResourceConverter.java
index 586462bb3..fd8f5fc5c 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/rde/imports/XjcToDomainResourceConverter.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/rde/imports/XjcToDomainResourceConverter.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkState;
 import static com.google.common.collect.Iterables.transform;
 import static google.registry.util.DomainNameUtils.canonicalizeDomainName;
 import static google.registry.util.PreconditionsUtils.checkArgumentNotNull;
+import static org.joda.time.DateTimeZone.UTC;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Ascii;
 import com.google.common.base.Function;
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ final class XjcToDomainResourceConverter extends XjcToEppResourceConverter {
           fullyQualifiedHostName = canonicalizeDomainName(fullyQualifiedHostName);
           Key<HostResource> key =
               ForeignKeyIndex.loadAndGetKey(
-                  HostResource.class, fullyQualifiedHostName, DateTime.now());
+                  HostResource.class, fullyQualifiedHostName, DateTime.now(UTC));
           checkState(
               key != null,
               String.format("HostResource not found with name '%s'", fullyQualifiedHostName));
@@ -221,7 +222,7 @@ final class XjcToDomainResourceConverter extends XjcToEppResourceConverter {
   /** Returns {@link Key} for registrant from foreign key */
   private static Key<ContactResource> convertRegistrant(String contactId) {
     Key<ContactResource> key =
-        ForeignKeyIndex.loadAndGetKey(ContactResource.class, contactId, DateTime.now());
+        ForeignKeyIndex.loadAndGetKey(ContactResource.class, contactId, DateTime.now(UTC));
     checkState(key != null, "Registrant not found: '%s'", contactId);
     return key;
   }
@@ -269,7 +270,7 @@ final class XjcToDomainResourceConverter extends XjcToEppResourceConverter {
   private static DesignatedContact convertContactType(XjcDomainContactType contact) {
     String contactId = contact.getValue();
     Key<ContactResource> key =
-        ForeignKeyIndex.loadAndGetKey(ContactResource.class, contactId, DateTime.now());
+        ForeignKeyIndex.loadAndGetKey(ContactResource.class, contactId, DateTime.now(UTC));
     checkState(key != null, "Contact not found: '%s'", contactId);
     DesignatedContact.Type type =
         DesignatedContact.Type.valueOf(Ascii.toUpperCase(contact.getType().toString()));
diff --git a/java/google/registry/rde/imports/XjcToHostResourceConverter.java b/java/google/registry/rde/imports/XjcToHostResourceConverter.java
index 557325023..9a53c8353 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/rde/imports/XjcToHostResourceConverter.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/rde/imports/XjcToHostResourceConverter.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import static com.google.common.base.Predicates.not;
 import static google.registry.model.ofy.ObjectifyService.ofy;
 import static google.registry.rde.imports.RdeImportUtils.generateTridForImport;
 import static google.registry.util.DomainNameUtils.canonicalizeDomainName;
+import static org.joda.time.DateTimeZone.UTC;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Function;
 import com.google.common.collect.FluentIterable;
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ public class XjcToHostResourceConverter extends XjcToEppResourceConverter {
             .setType(HistoryEntry.Type.RDE_IMPORT)
             .setClientId(host.getClID())
             .setTrid(generateTridForImport())
-            .setModificationTime(DateTime.now())
+            .setModificationTime(DateTime.now(UTC))
             .setXmlBytes(getObjectXml(new XjcRdeHostElement(host)))
             .setBySuperuser(true)
             .setReason("RDE Import")
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeContactImportActionTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeContactImportActionTest.java
index 7ac0d2a85..8b207f080 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeContactImportActionTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeContactImportActionTest.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.getHistoryEntries;
 import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.newContactResource;
 import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.persistResource;
 import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.persistSimpleResource;
+import static org.joda.time.DateTimeZone.UTC;
 
 import com.google.appengine.tools.cloudstorage.GcsFilename;
 import com.google.appengine.tools.cloudstorage.GcsService;
@@ -128,7 +129,7 @@ public class RdeContactImportActionTest extends MapreduceTestCase<RdeContactImpo
           .setType(HistoryEntry.Type.RDE_IMPORT)
           .setClientId(clid)
           .setTrid(Trid.create("client-trid", "server-trid"))
-          .setModificationTime(DateTime.now())
+          .setModificationTime(DateTime.now(UTC))
           .setXmlBytes(objectXml)
           .setBySuperuser(true)
           .setReason("RDE Import")
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeDomainImportActionTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeDomainImportActionTest.java
index 0f4cec4a1..4007c62b4 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeDomainImportActionTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeDomainImportActionTest.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.persistSimpleResource;
 import static google.registry.testing.TaskQueueHelper.assertDnsTasksEnqueued;
 import static google.registry.util.DateTimeUtils.END_OF_TIME;
 import static org.joda.money.CurrencyUnit.USD;
+import static org.joda.time.DateTimeZone.UTC;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 import com.google.appengine.tools.cloudstorage.GcsFilename;
@@ -341,7 +342,7 @@ public class RdeDomainImportActionTest extends MapreduceTestCase<RdeDomainImport
         .setType(HistoryEntry.Type.RDE_IMPORT)
         .setClientId(clid)
         .setTrid(Trid.create("client-trid", "server-trid"))
-        .setModificationTime(DateTime.now())
+        .setModificationTime(DateTime.now(UTC))
         .setXmlBytes(objectXml)
         .setBySuperuser(true)
         .setReason("RDE Import")
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeHostImportActionTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeHostImportActionTest.java
index 2f837be9f..1da2e869a 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeHostImportActionTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/rde/imports/RdeHostImportActionTest.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.getHistoryEntries;
 import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.newHostResource;
 import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.persistResource;
 import static google.registry.testing.DatastoreHelper.persistSimpleResource;
+import static org.joda.time.DateTimeZone.UTC;
 
 import com.google.appengine.tools.cloudstorage.GcsFilename;
 import com.google.appengine.tools.cloudstorage.GcsService;
@@ -159,7 +160,7 @@ public class RdeHostImportActionTest extends MapreduceTestCase<RdeHostImportActi
         .setType(HistoryEntry.Type.RDE_IMPORT)
         .setClientId(clid)
         .setTrid(Trid.create("client-trid", "server-trid"))
-        .setModificationTime(DateTime.now())
+        .setModificationTime(DateTime.now(UTC))
         .setXmlBytes(objectXml)
         .setBySuperuser(true)
         .setReason("RDE Import")