diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 6e643da..a38c155 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+* Wed Dec 06 2023 Mike Riddle <mike@sicura.us> - 6.17.1
+- The module will now correctly handle a situation where /etc/localhost doesn't exist
+
 * Mon Oct 23 2023 Steven Pritchard <steve@sicura.us> - 6.17.0
 - [puppetsync] Add EL9 support
 
diff --git a/manifests/server.pp b/manifests/server.pp
index ea194f1..1cb3bae 100644
--- a/manifests/server.pp
+++ b/manifests/server.pp
@@ -37,8 +37,16 @@
     require => Package['openssh-server']
   }
 
+  # It is possible that /etc/localtime won't exist on the system.
+  # In the case where it doesn't simply pull the timezone file from
+  # /usr/share/zoneinfo
+  $_timezone_file = find_file('/etc/localtime') ? {
+    undef   => "/usr/share/zoneinfo/${facts['timezone']}",
+    default => '/etc/localtime'
+  }
+
   file { '/var/empty/sshd/etc/localtime':
-    source  => 'file:///etc/localtime',
+    source  => "file://${_timezone_file}",
     owner   => 'root',
     group   => 'root',
     mode    => '0644',
diff --git a/metadata.json b/metadata.json
index fb948c3..587ca0f 100644
--- a/metadata.json
+++ b/metadata.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "simp-ssh",
-  "version": "6.17.0",
+  "version": "6.17.1",
   "author": "SIMP Team",
   "summary": "Manage ssh",
   "license": "Apache-2.0",