Index: usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyve.8
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyve.8	(revision 279210)
+++ usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyve.8	(working copy)
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 .Nd "run a guest operating system inside a virtual machine"
 .Sh SYNOPSIS
 .Nm
-.Op Fl abehwxACHPWY
+.Op Fl abehuwxACHPWY
 .Op Fl c Ar numcpus
 .Op Fl g Ar gdbport
 .Op Fl l Ar lpcdev Ns Op , Ns Ar conf
@@ -239,6 +239,8 @@ The host device must have been reserved at boot-ti
 loader variable as described in
 .Xr vmm 4 .
 .El
+.It Fl u
+RTC keeps UTC time.
 .It Fl U Ar uuid
 Set the universally unique identifier
 .Pq UUID
Index: usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c	(revision 279210)
+++ usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c	(working copy)
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ usage(int code)
 {
 
         fprintf(stderr,
-                "Usage: %s [-abehwxACHPWY] [-c vcpus] [-g <gdb port>] [-l <lpc>]\n"
+                "Usage: %s [-abehuwxACHPWY] [-c vcpus] [-g <gdb port>] [-l <lpc>]\n"
 		"       %*s [-m mem] [-p vcpu:hostcpu] [-s <pci>] [-U uuid] <vm>\n"
 		"       -a: local apic is in xAPIC mode (deprecated)\n"
 		"       -A: create ACPI tables\n"
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ usage(int code)
 		"       -p: pin 'vcpu' to 'hostcpu'\n"
 		"       -P: vmexit from the guest on pause\n"
 		"       -s: <slot,driver,configinfo> PCI slot config\n"
+		"       -u: RTC keeps UTC time\n"
 		"       -U: uuid\n"
 		"       -w: ignore unimplemented MSRs\n"
 		"       -W: force virtio to use single-vector MSI\n"
@@ -685,6 +686,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	int c, error, gdb_port, err, bvmcons;
 	int dump_guest_memory, max_vcpus, mptgen;
+	int rtc_localtime;
 	struct vmctx *ctx;
 	uint64_t rip;
 	size_t memsize;
@@ -696,8 +698,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	guest_ncpus = 1;
 	memsize = 256 * MB;
 	mptgen = 1;
+	rtc_localtime = 1;
 
-	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "abehwxACHIPWYp:g:c:s:m:l:U:")) != -1) {
+	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "abehuwxACHIPWYp:g:c:s:m:l:U:")) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'a':
 			x2apic_mode = 0;
@@ -757,6 +760,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		case 'e':
 			strictio = 1;
 			break;
+		case 'u':
+			rtc_localtime = 0;
+			break;
 		case 'U':
 			guest_uuid_str = optarg;
 			break;
@@ -820,7 +826,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pci_irq_init(ctx);
 	ioapic_init(ctx);
 
-	rtc_init(ctx);
+	rtc_init(ctx, rtc_localtime);
 	sci_init(ctx);
 
 	/*
Index: usr.sbin/bhyve/rtc.c
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/bhyve/rtc.c	(revision 279210)
+++ usr.sbin/bhyve/rtc.c	(working copy)
@@ -55,23 +55,23 @@ __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 
 /*
  * Returns the current RTC time as number of seconds since 00:00:00 Jan 1, 1970
- *
- * XXX this always returns localtime to maintain compatibility with the
- * original device model.
  */
 static time_t
-rtc_time(struct vmctx *ctx)
+rtc_time(struct vmctx *ctx, int use_localtime)
 {
 	struct tm tm;
 	time_t t;
 
 	time(&t);
-	localtime_r(&t, &tm);
-	return (timegm(&tm));
+	if (use_localtime) {
+		localtime_r(&t, &tm);
+		t = timegm(&tm);
+	}
+	return (t);
 }
 
 void
-rtc_init(struct vmctx *ctx)
+rtc_init(struct vmctx *ctx, int use_localtime)
 {	
 	size_t himem;
 	size_t lomem;
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ void
 	err = vm_rtc_write(ctx, RTC_HMEM_MSB, himem >> 16);
 	assert(err == 0);
 
-	err = vm_rtc_settime(ctx, rtc_time(ctx));
+	err = vm_rtc_settime(ctx, rtc_time(ctx, use_localtime));
 	assert(err == 0);
 }
 
Index: usr.sbin/bhyve/rtc.h
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/bhyve/rtc.h	(revision 279210)
+++ usr.sbin/bhyve/rtc.h	(working copy)
@@ -29,6 +29,6 @@
 #ifndef _RTC_H_
 #define _RTC_H_
 
-void	rtc_init(struct vmctx *ctx);
+void	rtc_init(struct vmctx *ctx, int use_localtime);
 
 #endif /* _RTC_H_ */