diff --git a/application/config/config.php b/application/config/config.php
index 31ff202..7da889f 100644
--- a/application/config/config.php
+++ b/application/config/config.php
@@ -362,9 +362,9 @@
 | Master Time Reference
 |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 |
-| Options are 'local' or any PHP supported timezone.  This pref tells the
-| system whether to use your server's local time as the master 'now'
-| reference, or convert it to any PHP supported timezone. See the 'date
+| Options are 'local' or any PHP supported timezone. This preference tells
+| the system whether to use your server's local time as the master 'now'
+| reference, or convert it to the configured one timezone. See the 'date
 | helper' page of the user guide for information regarding date handling.
 |
 */
diff --git a/system/libraries/Session.php b/system/libraries/Session.php
index 9fdf744..72a942b 100644
--- a/system/libraries/Session.php
+++ b/system/libraries/Session.php
@@ -149,11 +149,11 @@
 	public $flashdata_key			= 'flash';
 
 	/**
-	 * Function to use to get the current time
+	 * Timezone to use for the current time
 	 *
 	 * @var string
 	 */
-	public $time_reference			= 'time';
+	public $time_reference			= 'local';
 
 	/**
 	 * Probablity level of garbage collection of old sessions
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@
 		// manually via the $params array above or via the config file
 		foreach (array('sess_encrypt_cookie', 'sess_use_database', 'sess_table_name', 'sess_expiration', 'sess_expire_on_close', 'sess_match_ip', 'sess_match_useragent', 'sess_cookie_name', 'cookie_path', 'cookie_domain', 'cookie_secure', 'cookie_httponly', 'sess_time_to_update', 'time_reference', 'cookie_prefix', 'encryption_key') as $key)
 		{
-			$this->$key = (isset($params[$key])) ? $params[$key] : $this->CI->config->item($key);
+			$this->$key = isset($params[$key]) ? $params[$key] : $this->CI->config->item($key);
 		}
 
 		if ($this->encryption_key === '')
@@ -786,14 +786,12 @@
 	 */
 	protected function _get_time()
 	{
-		$timezone = config_item('time_reference');
-
-		if ($timezone === 'local' OR $timezone === date_default_timezone_get())
+		if ($this->time_reference === 'local' OR $this->time_reference === date_default_timezone_get())
 		{
 			return time();
 		}
 
-		$datetime = new DateTime('now', new DateTimeZone($timezone));
+		$datetime = new DateTime('now', new DateTimeZone($this->time_reference));
 		sscanf($datetime->format('j-n-Y G:i:s'), '%d-%d-%d %d:%d:%d', $day, $month, $year, $hour, $minute, $second);
 
 		return mktime($hour, $minute, $second, $month, $day, $year);
diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst b/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst
index 1f5bcb6..06bfba8 100644
--- a/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst
+++ b/user_guide_src/source/changelog.rst
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 
 -  Helpers
 
-   -  Date helper will now return now() based on the timezone you specify.
+   -  :doc:`Date Helper <helpers/date_helper>` function now() now works with all timezone strings supported by PHP.
    -  ``create_captcha()`` accepts additional colors parameter, allowing for color customization.
    -  ``url_title()`` will now trim extra dashes from beginning and end.
    -  Added XHTML Basic 1.1 doctype to :doc:`HTML Helper <helpers/html_helper>`.
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@
    -  Added get_content_type() method to the :doc:`Output Library <libraries/output>`.
    -  Added get_mimes() function to system/core/Commons.php to return the config/mimes.php array.
    -  Added a second argument to set_content_type() in the :doc:`Output Library <libraries/output>` that allows setting the document charset as well.
+   -  $config['time_reference'] now supports all timezone strings supported by PHP.
 
 Bug fixes for 3.0
 ------------------
diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/installation/upgrade_300.rst b/user_guide_src/source/installation/upgrade_300.rst
index d8a3d5b..c70737c 100644
--- a/user_guide_src/source/installation/upgrade_300.rst
+++ b/user_guide_src/source/installation/upgrade_300.rst
@@ -42,14 +42,7 @@
     // $active_record = TRUE;
     $query_builder = TRUE;
 
-Step 5: Change your use of the Date helper's now() function
-===========================================================
-
-Function now() has been modified. You can see the changes in :doc:`Date Helper <../helpers/date_helper>`.
-You can now select all PHP supported timezones in the `time_reference` setting, listed here:
-`Supported timezones <http://www.php.net/timezones>`_. You can also use 'local' if you want to get time().
-
-Step 6: Move your errors folder
+Step 5: Move your errors folder
 ===============================
 
-In version 3.0.0, the errors folder has been moved from "application/errors" to "application/views/errors".
\ No newline at end of file
+In version 3.0.0, the errors folder has been moved from _application/errors_ to _application/views/errors_.
\ No newline at end of file