diff --git a/tests/integration/test_users_page.py b/tests/integration/test_users_page.py
index f57b87a..0d72716 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_users_page.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_users_page.py
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@ def app():
     return create_app(testing=False)
 
 
-async def _client(app, role="admin"):
+async def _client(app, role="admin", tz=None):
     from steward.models.users import User, UserRole
     uid = str(uuid.uuid4())
     async with app.db_sessionmaker() as s:
         async with s.begin():
             s.add(User(id=uid, username=f"adm-{uid[:8]}", email=f"{uid}@test",
-                       password_hash="x", role=UserRole(role), is_active=True))
+                       password_hash="x", role=UserRole(role), is_active=True, time_zone=tz))
     client = app.test_client()
     async with client.session_transaction() as sess:
         sess.update(user_id=uid, user_role=role, username=f"adm-{uid[:8]}",
@@ -212,9 +212,7 @@ def test_the_first_admin_to_open_notifications_sets_the_also_send_to_zone(app):
             async with s.begin():
                 await set_setting(s, "smtp.tz", "")
         for zone in ("America/Chicago", "Asia/Tokyo"):
-            admin, _ = await _client(app)
-            async with admin.session_transaction() as sess:
-                sess["tz"] = zone
+            admin, _ = await _client(app, tz=zone)   # each request reads the zone from the account
             assert (await admin.get("/settings/notifications/")).status_code == 200
         assert await _tz() == "America/Chicago"      # the second admin's zone changes nothing