diff --git a/library/Icinga/Application/Web.php b/library/Icinga/Application/Web.php
index 2661c2a5a..100cf5153 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/Application/Web.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/Application/Web.php
@@ -308,13 +308,14 @@ class Web extends ApplicationBootstrap
                     try {
                         $initialPreferences = $preferenceStore->load();
                     } catch (Exception $e) {
-                        Logger::fatal(
+                        Logger::warn(
                             '%s::%s: Could not load preferences from provider. '
                             . 'An exception during bootstrap was thrown: %s',
                             __CLASS__,
                             __FUNCTION__,
                             $e->getMessage()
                         );
+                        $this->registerFallbackPreferenceProvider($preferences, $user);
                     }
 
                     $sessionStore->writeAll($initialPreferences);
diff --git a/public/index.php b/public/index.php
index 6525abe3a..28a208270 100644
--- a/public/index.php
+++ b/public/index.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // {{{ICINGA_LICENSE_HEADER}}}
 // {{{ICINGA_LICENSE_HEADER}}}
 
+date_default_timezone_set('UTC');
 require_once dirname(__FILE__). '/../library/Icinga/Application/ApplicationBootstrap.php';
 require_once dirname(__FILE__). '/../library/Icinga/Application/Web.php';