diff --git a/dm/syncer/syncer.go b/dm/syncer/syncer.go
index b48638c2fe6..e7557c08d48 100644
--- a/dm/syncer/syncer.go
+++ b/dm/syncer/syncer.go
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/util/filter"
 	regexprrouter "github.com/pingcap/tidb/util/regexpr-router"
 	router "github.com/pingcap/tidb/util/table-router"
-	"github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/pkg/gtid"
 	clientv3 "go.etcd.io/etcd/client/v3"
 	"go.uber.org/atomic"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
@@ -54,6 +53,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/pkg/conn"
 	tcontext "github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/pkg/context"
 	fr "github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/pkg/func-rollback"
+	"github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/pkg/gtid"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/pkg/ha"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/pkg/log"
 	parserpkg "github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/pkg/parser"
@@ -185,7 +185,8 @@ type Syncer struct {
 	// the status of this track may change over time.
 	safeMode *sm.SafeMode
 
-	timezone *time.Location
+	upstreamTZ *time.Location
+	timezone   *time.Location
 
 	binlogSizeCount     atomic.Int64
 	lastBinlogSizeCount atomic.Int64
@@ -342,6 +343,10 @@ func (s *Syncer) Init(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 	}()
 
 	tctx := s.tctx.WithContext(ctx)
+	s.upstreamTZ, err = str2TimezoneOrFromDB(tctx, "", &s.cfg.From)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
 	s.timezone, err = str2TimezoneOrFromDB(tctx, s.cfg.Timezone, &s.cfg.To)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
@@ -4077,9 +4082,9 @@ func (s *Syncer) flushOptimisticTableInfos(tctx *tcontext.Context) {
 
 func (s *Syncer) setGlobalPointByTime(tctx *tcontext.Context, timeStr string) error {
 	// we support two layout
-	t, err := time.ParseInLocation(config.StartTimeFormat, timeStr, s.timezone)
+	t, err := time.ParseInLocation(config.StartTimeFormat, timeStr, s.upstreamTZ)
 	if err != nil {
-		t, err = time.ParseInLocation(config.StartTimeFormat2, timeStr, s.timezone)
+		t, err = time.ParseInLocation(config.StartTimeFormat2, timeStr, s.upstreamTZ)
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/dm/syncer/util.go b/dm/syncer/util.go
index 025b6eee1db..74a2a51cd78 100644
--- a/dm/syncer/util.go
+++ b/dm/syncer/util.go
@@ -138,7 +138,8 @@ func str2TimezoneOrFromDB(tctx *tcontext.Context, tzStr string, dbCfg *config.DB
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	tctx.L().Info("use timezone", zap.String("location", loc.String()))
+	tctx.L().Info("use timezone", zap.String("location", loc.String()),
+		zap.String("host", dbCfg.Host), zap.Int("port", dbCfg.Port))
 	return loc, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/dm/tests/openapi/run.sh b/dm/tests/openapi/run.sh
index 4f25c33c8c2..322f78efd57 100644
--- a/dm/tests/openapi/run.sh
+++ b/dm/tests/openapi/run.sh
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@ function test_start_task_with_condition() {
 		"query-status $task_name" \
 		"\"stage\": \"Stopped\"" 2
 	sleep 2
-	start_time=$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %T')
+	start_time=$(TZ='UTC' date '+%Y-%m-%d %T') # mysql 3306 and 3307 is in UTC
 	sleep 2
 	duration=""
 	is_success="success"
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ function test_start_task_with_condition() {
 		"query-status $task_name" \
 		"\"stage\": \"Stopped\"" 2
 	sleep 2
-	start_time=$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %T')
+	start_time=$(TZ='UTC' date '+%Y-%m-%d %T') # mysql 3306 and 3307 is in UTC
 	sleep 2
 	duration=""
 	is_success="success"
@@ -780,7 +780,7 @@ function test_start_task_with_condition() {
 	run_sql_source1 "CREATE TABLE openapi.t3(i TINYINT, j INT UNIQUE KEY);"
 	run_sql_source2 "CREATE TABLE openapi.t4(i TINYINT, j INT UNIQUE KEY);"
 	sleep 2
-	start_time=$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %T')
+	start_time=$(TZ='UTC' date '+%Y-%m-%d %T') # mysql 3306 and 3307 is in UTC
 	sleep 2
 	duration=""
 	is_success="success"
@@ -822,7 +822,7 @@ function test_start_task_with_condition() {
 	run_sql_source2 "CREATE TABLE openapi.t2(i TINYINT, j INT UNIQUE KEY);"
 
 	sleep 2
-	start_time=$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %T')
+	start_time=$(TZ='UTC' date '+%Y-%m-%d %T') # mysql 3306 and 3307 is in UTC
 	sleep 2
 	duration=""
 	is_success="success"
diff --git a/dm/tests/start_task/run.sh b/dm/tests/start_task/run.sh
index adb44563510..c1983bd221d 100644
--- a/dm/tests/start_task/run.sh
+++ b/dm/tests/start_task/run.sh
@@ -62,7 +62,20 @@ function init_tracker_test() {
 	cleanup_data start_task
 }
 
+function restore_timezone() {
+	run_sql_source1 "set global time_zone = SYSTEM"
+	run_sql_tidb "set global time_zone = SYSTEM"
+}
+
 function start_task_by_time() {
+	run_sql_source1 "set global time_zone = '+02:00'"
+	run_sql_source1 "SELECT cast(TIMEDIFF(NOW(6), UTC_TIMESTAMP(6)) as time) time"
+	check_contains "time: 02:00:00"
+	run_sql_tidb "set global time_zone = '+06:00'"
+	run_sql_tidb "SELECT cast(TIMEDIFF(NOW(6), UTC_TIMESTAMP(6)) as time) time"
+	check_contains "time: 06:00:00"
+	trap restore_timezone EXIT
+
 	export GO_FAILPOINTS='github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/syncer/SafeModeInitPhaseSeconds=return(0)'
 	run_dm_master $WORK_DIR/master $MASTER_PORT $cur/conf/dm-master.toml
 	check_rpc_alive $cur/../bin/check_master_online 127.0.0.1:$MASTER_PORT
@@ -75,7 +88,7 @@ function start_task_by_time() {
 	run_sql_source1 'CREATE TABLE start_task.t1 (c INT PRIMARY KEY);'
 
 	sleep 2
-	start_time=$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %T') # 2022-01-26 17:32:22
+	start_time=$(TZ='UTC-2' date '+%Y-%m-%d %T') # TZ=UTC-2 means +02:00
 	sleep 2
 
 	run_sql_source1 'CREATE TABLE start_task.t2 (c INT PRIMARY KEY);'