diff --git a/app/controllers/preferences_controller.rb b/app/controllers/preferences_controller.rb
index a88e5fc1..bf799e55 100644
--- a/app/controllers/preferences_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/preferences_controller.rb
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class PreferencesController < ApplicationController
 
   def render_date_format
     format = params[:date_format]
-    render :text => l(Date.today, :format => format)
+    render :text => l(Date.current, :format => format)
   end
 
 private
diff --git a/config/application.rb b/config/application.rb
index 1620cffe..e5c7be23 100644
--- a/config/application.rb
+++ b/config/application.rb
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ module Tracksapp
     # Set Time.zone default to the specified zone and make Active Record auto-convert to this zone.
     # Run "rake -D time" for a list of tasks for finding time zone names. Default is UTC.
     # config.time_zone = 'Central Time (US & Canada)'
-    config.time_zone =  SITE_CONFIG['time_zone']
+    config.time_zone = SITE_CONFIG['time_zone']
 
     # The default locale is :en and all translations from config/locales/*.rb,yml are auto loaded.
     # config.i18n.load_path += Dir[Rails.root.join('my', 'locales', '*.{rb,yml}').to_s]
diff --git a/test/controllers/preferences_controller_test.rb b/test/controllers/preferences_controller_test.rb
index d0eef363..3b7d617b 100644
--- a/test/controllers/preferences_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/controllers/preferences_controller_test.rb
@@ -12,11 +12,11 @@ class PreferencesControllerTest < ActionController::TestCase
 
     get :render_date_format
     assert_response :success
-    assert_equal I18n.l(Date.today, :format => "%Y-%m-%d"), @response.body
+    assert_equal I18n.l(Date.current, :format => "%Y-%m-%d"), @response.body
 
     get(:render_date_format, {:date_format => "%A %Y"})
     assert_response :success
-    assert_equal I18n.l(Date.today, :format => "%A %Y"), @response.body
+    assert_equal I18n.l(Date.current, :format => "%A %Y"), @response.body
   end
 
   test "index page requires login" do
diff --git a/test/fixtures/todos.yml b/test/fixtures/todos.yml
index ce26e327..7dc2b656 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/todos.yml
+++ b/test/fixtures/todos.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # Read about fixtures at http://ar.rubyonrails.org/classes/Fixtures.html
 <% 
 
+Time.zone = SITE_CONFIG['time_zone']
+
 def today 
   Time.zone.now.beginning_of_day.to_s(:db)
 end
diff --git a/test/models/recurring_todos/daily_recurrence_pattern_test.rb b/test/models/recurring_todos/daily_recurrence_pattern_test.rb
index 5cf7e746..d49e7733 100644
--- a/test/models/recurring_todos/daily_recurrence_pattern_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/recurring_todos/daily_recurrence_pattern_test.rb
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ module RecurringTodos
       assert_equal_dmy @today, due_date
 
       # when the last todo was completed today, the next todo is due tomorrow
-      due_date =@every_day.get_due_date(@today)
+      due_date = @every_day.get_due_date(@today)
       assert_equal @tomorrow, due_date
 
       # do something every 14 days
diff --git a/test/models/user_test.rb b/test/models/user_test.rb
index 69e28ee1..346f50ff 100644
--- a/test/models/user_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/user_test.rb
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ class UserTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   def test_find_and_activate_deferred_todos_that_are_ready
     assert_equal 1, @admin_user.deferred_todos.count
     @admin_user.deferred_todos[0].show_from = Time.now.utc - 5.seconds
-    @admin_user.deferred_todos[0].save
+    @admin_user.deferred_todos[0].save(:validate => false)
     @admin_user.deferred_todos.reload
     @admin_user.deferred_todos.find_and_activate_ready
     @admin_user.deferred_todos.reload
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index b0c0d9b6..fdece886 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ class ActiveSupport::TestCase
   fixtures :all
 
   def setup
-    @today = Time.now.utc
+    Time.zone = SITE_CONFIG['time_zone']
+    @today = Time.zone.now
     @tomorrow = @today + 1.day
     @in_three_days = @today + 3.days
     @in_four_days = @in_three_days + 1.day    # need a day after start_from