diff --git a/e2e/e2e_test.go b/e2e/e2e_test.go
index 64f9554..15c6410 100644
--- a/e2e/e2e_test.go
+++ b/e2e/e2e_test.go
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ func TestGolden(t *testing.T) {
 		// --check validates without running:
 		{name: "check valid does not run", args: []string{"--check", "-c", `print("RAN")`}, notOut: "RAN", wantExit: 0},
 		{name: "check invalid is non-zero", args: []string{"--check", "-c", `x =`}, wantExit: anyNonZero},
+		// named time zones resolve via the embedded IANA tzdata (no host
+		// /usr/share/zoneinfo needed — see main.go's time/tzdata import):
+		{name: "named timezone is valid", args: []string{"-c", `load("time","is_valid_timezone"); print(is_valid_timezone("America/New_York"))`}, wantOut: "True\n", wantExit: 0},
+		{name: "named timezone converts", args: []string{"-c", `load("time","parse_time"); print(parse_time("2021-03-22T12:00:00Z").in_location("America/New_York").hour)`}, wantOut: "8\n", wantExit: 0},
 	}
 
 	for _, c := range cases {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index fad87c9..d4eed8f 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	// Embed the IANA time-zone database into the binary so named zones
+	// (time.parse_time location=, in_location, is_valid_timezone) resolve even
+	// when the host has no /usr/share/zoneinfo — i.e. minimal/scratch/distroless
+	// containers and slimmed binaries. Costs ~450 KB; keeps the CLI portable
+	// ("runs anywhere") instead of depending on host tz data.
+	_ "time/tzdata"
 
 	"bitbucket.org/neiku/hlog"
 	"bitbucket.org/neiku/winornot"