diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e8b2059d6..62a004632 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 # Change Log
 
+## 2025-06-23 - Runtime 0.18.0-alpha.13
+
+- fix: time zone retrieval and logging [#906](https://github.com/hypermodeinc/modus/pull/906)
+
 ## 2025-06-23 - Runtime 0.18.0-alpha.12
 
 - fix: ensure valid UTF8 byte sequence in HTTP response [#904](https://github.com/hypermodeinc/modus/pull/904)
diff --git a/runtime/hostfunctions/system.go b/runtime/hostfunctions/system.go
index b62f81ccf..bf0390b4f 100644
--- a/runtime/hostfunctions/system.go
+++ b/runtime/hostfunctions/system.go
@@ -55,14 +55,19 @@ func LogMessage(ctx context.Context, level, message string) {
 func GetTimeInZone(ctx context.Context, tz *string) *string {
 	now := time.Now()
 
-	var loc *time.Location
+	var zoneId string
 	if tz != nil && *tz != "" {
-		loc = timezones.GetLocation(*tz)
+		zoneId = *tz
 	} else if tz, ok := ctx.Value(utils.TimeZoneContextKey).(string); ok {
-		loc = timezones.GetLocation(tz)
+		zoneId = tz
+	} else {
+		logger.Error(ctx).Msg("Time zone not specified.")
+		return nil
 	}
 
-	if loc == nil {
+	loc, err := timezones.GetLocation(ctx, zoneId)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Err(ctx, err).Str("tz", zoneId).Msg("Failed to get time zone location.")
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -70,10 +75,19 @@ func GetTimeInZone(ctx context.Context, tz *string) *string {
 	return &s
 }
 
-func GetTimeZoneData(tz, format *string) []byte {
+func GetTimeZoneData(ctx context.Context, tz, format *string) []byte {
 	if tz == nil {
+		logger.Error(ctx).Msg("Time zone not specified.")
 		return nil
 	}
-
-	return timezones.GetTimeZoneData(*tz, *format)
+	if format == nil {
+		logger.Error(ctx).Msg("Time zone format not specified.")
+		return nil
+	}
+	data, err := timezones.GetTimeZoneData(ctx, *tz, *format)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Error(ctx).Err(err).Str("tz", *tz).Msg("Failed to get time zone data.")
+		return nil
+	}
+	return data
 }
diff --git a/runtime/timezones/timezones.go b/runtime/timezones/timezones.go
index 11367e104..d10bb1f8e 100644
--- a/runtime/timezones/timezones.go
+++ b/runtime/timezones/timezones.go
@@ -10,19 +10,18 @@
 package timezones
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/puzpuzpuz/xsync/v4"
 )
 
-type tzInfo struct {
-	location *time.Location
-	data     []byte
-}
-
 var systemTimeZone string
-var tzCache = *xsync.NewMap[string, *tzInfo]()
+var tzDataCache = *xsync.NewMap[string, []byte]()
+var tzLocationCache = *xsync.NewMap[string, *time.Location]()
 
 func init() {
 	if tz, err := getSystemLocalTimeZone(); err == nil {
@@ -42,48 +41,62 @@ func GetLocalTimeZone() string {
 	return systemTimeZone
 }
 
-func GetLocation(tz string) *time.Location {
+func GetLocation(ctx context.Context, tz string) (*time.Location, error) {
 	if tz == "" {
-		return nil
+		return nil, errors.New("time zone cannot be empty")
 	}
 
-	info, err := getTimeZoneInfo(tz)
+	loc, err := getTimeZoneLocation(tz)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load time zone location for %s: %w", tz, err)
 	}
 
-	return info.location
+	return loc, nil
 }
 
-func GetTimeZoneData(tz, format string) []byte {
+func GetTimeZoneData(ctx context.Context, tz, format string) ([]byte, error) {
 	if tz == "" {
-		return nil
+		return nil, errors.New("time zone cannot be empty")
 	}
 
 	// only support tzif format for now
 	// we can expand this to support other formats as needed
 	if format != "tzif" {
-		return nil
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsupported time zone format: %s", format)
+	}
+
+	data, err := getTimeZoneData(tz)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load time zone data for %s: %w", tz, err)
 	}
 
-	info, err := getTimeZoneInfo(tz)
+	return data, nil
+}
+
+func getTimeZoneLocation(tz string) (*time.Location, error) {
+	if loc, ok := tzLocationCache.Load(tz); ok {
+		return loc, nil
+	}
+
+	loc, err := time.LoadLocation(tz)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return info.data
+	tzLocationCache.Store(tz, loc)
+	return loc, nil
 }
 
-func getTimeZoneInfo(tz string) (*tzInfo, error) {
-	if info, ok := tzCache.Load(tz); ok {
-		return info, nil
+func getTimeZoneData(tz string) ([]byte, error) {
+	if data, ok := tzDataCache.Load(tz); ok {
+		return data, nil
 	}
 
-	info, err := loadTimeZoneInfo(tz)
+	data, err := loadTimeZoneData(tz)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	tzCache.Store(tz, info)
-	return info, nil
+	tzDataCache.Store(tz, data)
+	return data, nil
 }
diff --git a/runtime/timezones/tzdata_other.go b/runtime/timezones/tzdata_other.go
index 9231cc7a2..cfc1d6067 100644
--- a/runtime/timezones/tzdata_other.go
+++ b/runtime/timezones/tzdata_other.go
@@ -17,27 +17,23 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
-	"time"
 )
 
-func loadTimeZoneInfo(tz string) (*tzInfo, error) {
+func loadTimeZoneData(tz string) ([]byte, error) {
 	tzFile := "/usr/share/zoneinfo/" + tz
 	if _, err := os.Stat(tzFile); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not find timezone file: %v", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not find time zone file: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	bytes, err := os.ReadFile(tzFile)
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(tzFile)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not read timezone file: %v", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not read time zone file: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	loc, err := time.LoadLocationFromTZData(tz, bytes)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not load timezone data: %v", err)
+	if len(data) == 0 {
+		return nil, errors.New("time zone data is empty")
 	}
-
-	info := &tzInfo{loc, bytes}
-	return info, nil
+	return data, nil
 }
 
 func getSystemLocalTimeZone() (string, error) {
diff --git a/runtime/timezones/tzdata_windows.go b/runtime/timezones/tzdata_windows.go
index 1a3f39bda..bb7500bcf 100644
--- a/runtime/timezones/tzdata_windows.go
+++ b/runtime/timezones/tzdata_windows.go
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 package timezones
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"time"
 	"unsafe"
 
 	_ "time/tzdata"
@@ -27,22 +27,18 @@ import (
 //go:linkname loadFromEmbeddedTZData time/tzdata.loadFromEmbeddedTZData
 func loadFromEmbeddedTZData(string) (string, error)
 
-func loadTimeZoneInfo(tz string) (*tzInfo, error) {
-
+func loadTimeZoneData(tz string) ([]byte, error) {
 	var data []byte
 	if s, err := loadFromEmbeddedTZData(tz); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not load timezone data: %v", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not load time zone data: %v", err)
 	} else {
 		data = []byte(s)
 	}
 
-	loc, err := time.LoadLocationFromTZData(tz, data)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not load timezone data: %v", err)
+	if len(data) == 0 {
+		return nil, errors.New("time zone data is empty")
 	}
-
-	info := &tzInfo{loc, data}
-	return info, nil
+	return data, nil
 }
 
 func getSystemLocalTimeZone() (string, error) {