diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index b878a33..65455e0 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ services:
     environment:
       # Where the SQLite DB lives inside the container (matches the volume below).
       - DataDirectory=/data
+      # Meow expiry is checked against this time zone (an IANA id, e.g. "Australia/Melbourne").
+      # Defaults to UTC — this matters because admins enter expiry times in their own
+      # browser's wall clock, so set this to match your actual location if you'd rather
+      # enter local times than UTC ones.
+      - TimeZone=UTC
       # Admin login — override these for anything beyond local testing.
       - Admin__Username=admin
       - Admin__Password=ScratchingPost2026!