diff --git a/src/time/format.go b/src/time/format.go
index ea95f0be44..0ad3cf64e4 100644
--- a/src/time/format.go
+++ b/src/time/format.go
@@ -1021,12 +1021,12 @@ func parse(layout, value string, defaultLocation, local *Location) (Time, error)
 		// If that zone was in effect at the given time, use it.
 		name, offset, _, _, _ := local.lookup(t.sec + internalToUnix)
 		if offset == zoneOffset && (zoneName == "" || name == zoneName) {
-			t.loc = local
+			t.setLoc(local)
 			return t, nil
 		}
 
 		// Otherwise create fake zone to record offset.
-		t.loc = FixedZone(zoneName, zoneOffset)
+		t.setLoc(FixedZone(zoneName, zoneOffset))
 		return t, nil
 	}
 
@@ -1037,7 +1037,7 @@ func parse(layout, value string, defaultLocation, local *Location) (Time, error)
 		offset, _, ok := local.lookupName(zoneName, t.sec+internalToUnix)
 		if ok {
 			t.sec -= int64(offset)
-			t.loc = local
+			t.setLoc(local)
 			return t, nil
 		}
 
@@ -1046,7 +1046,7 @@ func parse(layout, value string, defaultLocation, local *Location) (Time, error)
 			offset, _ = atoi(zoneName[3:]) // Guaranteed OK by parseGMT.
 			offset *= 3600
 		}
-		t.loc = FixedZone(zoneName, offset)
+		t.setLoc(FixedZone(zoneName, offset))
 		return t, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/time/time.go b/src/time/time.go
index 569ba354ee..d9e1f645eb 100644
--- a/src/time/time.go
+++ b/src/time/time.go
@@ -50,11 +50,18 @@ type Time struct {
 	// loc specifies the Location that should be used to
 	// determine the minute, hour, month, day, and year
 	// that correspond to this Time.
-	// Only the zero Time has a nil Location.
-	// In that case it is interpreted to mean UTC.
+	// The nil location means UTC.
+	// All UTC times are represented with loc==nil, never loc==&utcLoc.
 	loc *Location
 }
 
+func (t *Time) setLoc(loc *Location) {
+	if loc == &utcLoc {
+		loc = nil
+	}
+	t.loc = loc
+}
+
 // After reports whether the time instant t is after u.
 func (t Time) After(u Time) bool {
 	return t.sec > u.sec || t.sec == u.sec && t.nsec > u.nsec
@@ -788,13 +795,13 @@ func Now() Time {
 
 // UTC returns t with the location set to UTC.
 func (t Time) UTC() Time {
-	t.loc = UTC
+	t.setLoc(&utcLoc)
 	return t
 }
 
 // Local returns t with the location set to local time.
 func (t Time) Local() Time {
-	t.loc = Local
+	t.setLoc(Local)
 	return t
 }
 
@@ -805,7 +812,7 @@ func (t Time) In(loc *Location) Time {
 	if loc == nil {
 		panic("time: missing Location in call to Time.In")
 	}
-	t.loc = loc
+	t.setLoc(loc)
 	return t
 }
 
@@ -846,7 +853,7 @@ const timeBinaryVersion byte = 1
 func (t Time) MarshalBinary() ([]byte, error) {
 	var offsetMin int16 // minutes east of UTC. -1 is UTC.
 
-	if t.Location() == &utcLoc {
+	if t.Location() == UTC {
 		offsetMin = -1
 	} else {
 		_, offset := t.Zone()
@@ -907,11 +914,11 @@ func (t *Time) UnmarshalBinary(data []byte) error {
 	offset := int(int16(buf[1])|int16(buf[0])<<8) * 60
 
 	if offset == -1*60 {
-		t.loc = &utcLoc
+		t.setLoc(&utcLoc)
 	} else if _, localoff, _, _, _ := Local.lookup(t.sec + internalToUnix); offset == localoff {
-		t.loc = Local
+		t.setLoc(Local)
 	} else {
-		t.loc = FixedZone("", offset)
+		t.setLoc(FixedZone("", offset))
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -1104,7 +1111,9 @@ func Date(year int, month Month, day, hour, min, sec, nsec int, loc *Location) T
 		unix -= int64(offset)
 	}
 
-	return Time{unix + unixToInternal, int32(nsec), loc}
+	t := Time{unix + unixToInternal, int32(nsec), nil}
+	t.setLoc(loc)
+	return t
 }
 
 // Truncate returns the result of rounding t down to a multiple of d (since the zero time).
diff --git a/src/time/time_test.go b/src/time/time_test.go
index 293c71203a..0af9da34a2 100644
--- a/src/time/time_test.go
+++ b/src/time/time_test.go
@@ -1117,6 +1117,8 @@ var defaultLocTests = []struct {
 
 	{"Truncate", func(t1, t2 Time) bool { return t1.Truncate(Hour).Equal(t2.Truncate(Hour)) }},
 	{"Round", func(t1, t2 Time) bool { return t1.Round(Hour).Equal(t2.Round(Hour)) }},
+	
+	{"== Time{}", func(t1, t2 Time) bool { return (t1==Time{}) == (t2==Time{}) }},
 }
 
 func TestDefaultLoc(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1126,7 +1128,7 @@ func TestDefaultLoc(t *testing.T) {
 		t1 := Time{}
 		t2 := Time{}.UTC()
 		if !tt.f(t1, t2) {
-			t.Errorf("Default fail on fuction: %s", tt.name)
+			t.Errorf("Time{} and Time{}.UTC() behave differently for %s", tt.name)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -1213,3 +1215,18 @@ func BenchmarkDay(b *testing.B) {
 		_ = t.Day()
 	}
 }
+
+func TestMarshalBinaryZeroTime(t *testing.T) {
+	t0 := Time{}
+	enc, err := t0.MarshalBinary()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t1 := Now() // not zero
+	if err := t1.UnmarshalBinary(enc); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if t1 != t0 {
+		t.Errorf("t0=%#v\nt1=%#v\nwant identical structures", t0, t1)
+	}
+}