diff --git a/app/templates/profile.php b/app/templates/profile.php
index 86da6c4..774df1a 100644
--- a/app/templates/profile.php
+++ b/app/templates/profile.php
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
                                         <label class="form-label"><small>timezone:</small></label>
                                     </div>
                                     <div class="col-md-8 text-start bg-light">
-<?php if (isset($userDetails[0]['timezone'])) { ?>
+<?php if (!empty($userDetails[0]['timezone'])) { ?>
                                         <?= htmlspecialchars($userDetails[0]['timezone']) ?>&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 0.66em;">(<?= htmlspecialchars(getUTCOffset($userDetails[0]['timezone'])) ?>)</span>
 <?php } ?>
                                     </div>
diff --git a/public_html/index.php b/public_html/index.php
index 95bd1c3..e7003ab 100644
--- a/public_html/index.php
+++ b/public_html/index.php
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
  * Version: 0.3
  */
 
-// we start output buffering and.
+// we start output buffering and
 // flush it later only when there is no redirect
 ob_start();
 
@@ -195,8 +195,7 @@ if ($page == 'logout') {
         $user_id = $userObject->getUserId($currentUser)[0]['id'];
         $userDetails = $userObject->getUserDetails($user_id);
         $userRights = $userObject->getUserRights($user_id);
-        $userTimezone = isset($userDetails[0]['timezone']) ? $userDetails[0]['timezone'] : 'UTC'; // Default to UTC if no timezone is set
-
+        $userTimezone = (!empty($userDetails[0]['timezone'])) ? $userDetails[0]['timezone'] : 'UTC'; // Default to UTC if no timezone is set (or is missing)
 
         // check if the Jilo Server is running
         require '../app/classes/server.php';