diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/auto b/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/auto
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/auto
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/auto
@@ -265,6 +265,20 @@
 	fi
 fi
 
+#
+# If we ran netconfig just now, it means we're going to download
+# something, so we need to set the clock, or we may fail to validate
+# server certificates.
+#
+if [ "$NETCONFIG_DONE" = yes ]; then
+	if [ -z "$BSDINSTALL_SKIP_TIME" ]; then
+		bsdinstall time
+		if [ -f /var/db/zoneinfo ]; then
+			export TZ=$(cat /var/db/zoneinfo)
+		fi
+	fi
+fi
+
 rm -f $PATH_FSTAB
 touch $PATH_FSTAB
 
@@ -445,6 +459,7 @@
 if [ "$NETCONFIG_DONE" != yes ]; then
 	bsdinstall netconfig	# Don't check for errors -- the user may cancel
 fi
+# We may already have run this pre-install, re-run to install /etc/localtime
 [ -z "$BSDINSTALL_SKIP_TIME" ] && bsdinstall time
 [ -z "$BSDINSTALL_SKIP_SERVICES" ] && bsdinstall services
 [ -z "$BSDINSTALL_SKIP_HARDENING" ] && bsdinstall hardening
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/time b/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/time
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/time
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/time
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #-
 # Copyright (c) 2011 Nathan Whitehorn
 # All rights reserved.
+# Copyright (c) 2025 Dag-Erling Smørgrav <des@FreeBSD.org>
 #
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 # modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
@@ -28,42 +29,112 @@
 BSDCFG_SHARE="/usr/share/bsdconfig"
 . $BSDCFG_SHARE/common.subr || exit 1
 
-# Select timezone
-chroot $BSDINSTALL_CHROOT tzsetup -s
+#
+# Strings that should be moved to an i18n file and loaded with f_include_lang()
+#
+msg_freebsd_installer="$OSNAME Installer"
+msg_time_date="Time & Date"
+msg_ok="OK"
+msg_skip="Skip"
+msg_set_date="Set Date"
+msg_set_time="Set Time"
+msg_please_enter_ntp_server="Please choose a time server to use."
+
+select_time_zone()
+{
+	if [ -d "$BSDINSTALL_CHROOT"/usr/share/zoneinfo ]; then
+		# post-install, check if we already ran pre-install
+		if [ -f /var/db/zoneinfo ]; then
+			# we did, install the timezone that was selected
+			cp -p /var/db/zoneinfo "$BSDINSTALL_CHROOT"/var/db/zoneinfo
+			tzsetup -C $BSDINSTALL_CHROOT -r
+			exit 0
+		else
+			# we did not, ask the user
+			tzsetup -C $BSDINSTALL_CHROOT -s
+		fi
+		export TZ=$(cat "$BSDINSTALL_CHROOT"/var/db/zoneinfo)
+	else
+		# pre-install, ask the user
+		# tzsetup will fail to create /etc/localtime but will create
+		# /var/db/zoneinfo which we can use in the interim.
+		tzsetup -Ns
+		export TZ=$(cat /var/db/zoneinfo)
+	fi
+}
+
+set_datetime_auto()
+{
+	if ! f_yesno "Attempt to set the date and time automatically?"; then
+		return 1
+	fi
+	local ntpserv=freebsd.pool.ntp.org
+	exec 5>&1
+	if ! ntpserv=$(bsddialog --backtitle "$msg_freebsd_installer" \
+		--title "$msg_time_date" \
+		--ok-label "$msg_ok" \
+		--cancel-label "$msg_skip" \
+		--inputbox "$msg_please_enter_ntp_server" \
+		0 40 "$ntpserv" \
+	    2>&1 1>&5) || [ -z "$ntpserv" ]; then
+		exec 5>&-
+		return 1
+	fi
+	exec 5>&-
+	local ntperr
+	bsddialog --backtitle "$msd_freebsd_installer" \
+		--title "$msg_time_date" \
+		--infobox "Querying NTP server..." \
+		0 40
+	if ! ntperr=$(ntpdate "$ntpserv" 2>&1); then
+		bsddialog --backtitle "$msd_freebsd_installer" \
+			--title "$msg_time_date" \
+			--msgbox "Failed to set the date and time:
+
+$(echo "${ntperr}" | sed 's/^.*\]: //')" \
+			0 60
+		return 1
+	fi
+	bsddialog --backtitle "$msd_freebsd_installer" \
+		--title "$msg_time_date" \
+		--msgbox "The date and time were successfully set." \
+		0 40
+	return 0
+}
 
-# Switch to target timezone
-saved_TZ="$TZ"
-TZ="${BSDINSTALL_CHROOT}/etc/localtime"
-export TZ
+set_datetime_manual()
+{
+	# Set date
+	exec 5>&1
+	local date
+	if date=$(bsddialog --backtitle "$msg_freebsd_installer" \
+		--title "$msg_time_date" \
+		--ok-label "$msg_set_date" \
+		--cancel-label "$msg_skip" \
+		--default-no \
+		--date-format '%Y%m%d%H%M.%S' \
+		--calendar '' 0 40 \
+	    2>&1 1>&5); then
+		date ${date}
+	fi
+	exec 5>&-
 
-# Set date
-exec 5>&1
-DATE=$(bsddialog --backtitle "$OSNAME Installer" \
-	--title 'Time & Date' \
-	--ok-label 'Set Date' \
-	--cancel-label 'Skip' \
-	--default-no \
-	--date-format '%Y%m%d%H%M.%S' \
-	--calendar '' 0 40 \
-2>&1 1>&5) && date $DATE
-exec 5>&-
+	# Set time
+	exec 5>&1
+	local time
+	if time=$(bsddialog --backtitle "$msg_freebsd_installer" \
+		--title "$msg_time_date" \
+		--ok-label "$msg_set_time" \
+		--cancel-label "$msg_skip" \
+		--default-no \
+		--time-format '%H%M.%S' \
+		--timebox '' 0 40 \
+	    2>&1 1>&5); then
+		date ${time}
+	fi
+	exec 5>&-
+}
 
-# Set time
-exec 5>&1
-TIME=$(bsddialog --backtitle "$OSNAME Installer" \
-	--title 'Time & Date' \
-	--ok-label 'Set Time' \
-	--cancel-label 'Skip' \
-	--default-no \
-	--time-format '%H%M.%S' \
-	--timebox '' 0 40 \
-2>&1 1>&5) && date $TIME
-exec 5>&-
+select_time_zone
 
-# Switch back
-if [ -n "$saved_TZ" ]; then
-	TZ="$saved_TZ"
-else
-	unset TZ
-fi
-unset saved_TZ
+set_datetime_auto || set_datetime_manual