diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
index b39b752ac6..4c24365196 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from calibre.ebooks.metadata.covers import download_cover
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.meta import get_metadata
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata import MetaInformation
 from calibre.utils.config import prefs, tweaks
-from calibre.utils.date import qt_to_dt, local_tz, utcfromtimestamp
+from calibre.utils.date import qt_to_dt, local_tz, utcfromtimestamp, utc_tz
 from calibre.customize.ui import run_plugins_on_import, get_isbndb_key
 from calibre.gui2.preferences.social import SocialMetadata
 from calibre.gui2.custom_column_widgets import populate_metadata_page
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ class MetadataSingleDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_MetadataSingleDialog):
         self.pubdate.setDate(QDate(pubdate.year, pubdate.month,
             pubdate.day))
         timestamp = db.timestamp(self.id, index_is_id=True)
-        self.orig_timestamp = timestamp
+        self.orig_timestamp = timestamp.astimezone(utc_tz)
         self.date.setDate(QDate(timestamp.year, timestamp.month,
             timestamp.day))