diff --git a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/edi/processes/OutboundProcesses.java b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/edi/processes/OutboundProcesses.java
index 76f081f..9c81d9c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/edi/processes/OutboundProcesses.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/edi/processes/OutboundProcesses.java
@@ -61,7 +61,11 @@ public class OutboundProcesses implements BackendStep
          .withStep(new QBackendStepMetaData().withName("execute").withCode(new QCodeReference(OutboundProcesses.class)));
       if(config.getSchedulerName() != null && (seconds != null || cron != null))
       {
-         process.withSchedule(new QScheduleMetaData().withSchedulerName(config.getSchedulerName()).withRepeatSeconds(seconds).withCronExpression(cron).withCronTimeZoneId("UTC"));
+         //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+         // core validation refuses a cron time zone on a repeat schedule        //
+         //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+         process.withSchedule(new QScheduleMetaData().withSchedulerName(config.getSchedulerName()).withRepeatSeconds(seconds).withCronExpression(cron)
+            .withCronTimeZoneId(cron == null ? null : "UTC"));
       }
       return (process);
    }
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/edi/OutboundTest.java b/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/edi/OutboundTest.java
index 979684f..06ece5a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/edi/OutboundTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/edi/OutboundTest.java
@@ -329,4 +329,20 @@ class OutboundTest
    {
       return (SystemWrites.call(() -> EdiRecords.query(table, new QQueryFilter())));
    }
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** Repeat-seconds worker schedules carry no cron time zone (core instance
+    ** validation refuses one on a non-cron schedule); cron schedules use UTC.
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Test
+   void repeatSchedulesHaveNoCronTimeZone()
+   {
+      com.kingsrook.qbits.edi.EdiQBitConfig config = new com.kingsrook.qbits.edi.EdiQBitConfig().withSchedulerName("scheduler");
+      var repeat = com.kingsrook.qbits.edi.processes.OutboundProcesses.process("edi_test_repeat", config, 15, null).getSchedule();
+      assertThat(repeat.getRepeatSeconds()).isEqualTo(15);
+      assertThat(repeat.getCronTimeZoneId()).isNull();
+      var cron = com.kingsrook.qbits.edi.processes.OutboundProcesses.process("edi_test_cron", config, null, "0 0 * * * ?").getSchedule();
+      assertThat(cron.getCronTimeZoneId()).isEqualTo("UTC");
+   }
 }