diff --git a/package/base-files/Makefile b/package/base-files/Makefile
index 1367fa9291..bf32f6306a 100644
--- a/package/base-files/Makefile
+++ b/package/base-files/Makefile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/kernel.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/version.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=base-files
-PKG_RELEASE:=164
+PKG_RELEASE:=165
 
 PKG_FILE_DEPENDS:=$(PLATFORM_DIR)/ $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/base-files/
 PKG_BUILD_DEPENDS:=usign/host
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ define Package/base-files/install
 	rm -f $(1)/var
 	$(LN) /tmp $(1)/var
 	mkdir -p $(1)/etc
-	$(LN) /tmp/resolv.conf /tmp/fstab /tmp/TZ $(1)/etc/
+	$(LN) /tmp/resolv.conf /tmp/fstab /tmp/TZ /tmp/localtime $(1)/etc/
 
 	chmod 0600 $(1)/etc/shadow
 	chmod 1777 $(1)/tmp
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/system b/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/system
index 6388d62ea2..531aa8cbc5 100755
--- a/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/system
+++ b/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/system
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ system_config() {
 	echo "$hostname" > /proc/sys/kernel/hostname
 	[ -z "$conloglevel" -a -z "$buffersize" ] || dmesg ${conloglevel:+-n $conloglevel} ${buffersize:+-s $buffersize}
 	echo "$timezone" > /tmp/TZ
-	[ -n "$zonename" ] && [ -f "/usr/share/zoneinfo/$zonename" ] && ln -s "/usr/share/zoneinfo/$zonename" /tmp/localtime
+	[ -n "$zonename" ] && [ -f "/usr/share/zoneinfo/$zonename" ] && \
+		ln -sf "/usr/share/zoneinfo/$zonename" /tmp/localtime && rm -f /tmp/TZ
 
 	# apply timezone to kernel
 	date -k