diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/util/ISO8601Utils.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/util/ISO8601Utils.java
index 3fd22d7407..420123c414 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/util/ISO8601Utils.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/util/ISO8601Utils.java
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ public static Date parse(String date, ParsePosition pos) throws ParseException {
 
             if (!hasT && (date.length() <= offset)) {
                 Calendar calendar = new GregorianCalendar(year, month - 1, day);
+                calendar.setTimeZone(TIMEZONE_UTC);
                 calendar.setLenient(false);
 
                 pos.setIndex(offset);
diff --git a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/util/ISO8601UtilsTest.java b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/util/ISO8601UtilsTest.java
index 4a16ee9f8a..d7ee700f76 100644
--- a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/util/ISO8601UtilsTest.java
+++ b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/internal/bind/util/ISO8601UtilsTest.java
@@ -78,10 +78,12 @@ public void testDateFormatWithTimezone() {
 
   @Test
   @SuppressWarnings("UndefinedEquals")
-  public void testDateParseWithDefaultTimezone() throws ParseException {
+  public void testDateParseDefaultsToUTC() throws ParseException {
         String dateStr = "2018-06-25";
         Date date = ISO8601Utils.parse(dateStr, new ParsePosition(0));
-        Date expectedDate = new GregorianCalendar(2018, Calendar.JUNE, 25).getTime();
+        GregorianCalendar calendar = createUtcCalendar();
+        calendar.set(2018, Calendar.JUNE, 25);
+        Date expectedDate = calendar.getTime();
         assertThat(date).isEqualTo(expectedDate);
     }