diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org/veupathdb/vdi/lib/json/JSON.kt b/src/main/kotlin/org/veupathdb/vdi/lib/json/JSON.kt
index 7d40378..5dbd6b9 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/org/veupathdb/vdi/lib/json/JSON.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org/veupathdb/vdi/lib/json/JSON.kt
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype.jdk8.Jdk8Module
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype.jsr310.JavaTimeModule
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.module.kotlin.KotlinModule
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.module.paramnames.ParameterNamesModule
+import java.text.SimpleDateFormat
+import java.util.TimeZone
 
 /**
  * Jackson Object Mapper
@@ -20,6 +22,10 @@ val JSON = JsonMapper.builder()
   .addModule(JavaTimeModule())
   .addModule(KotlinModule.Builder().build())
   .build()!!
+  .also {
+    it.dateFormat = SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssXXX")
+    it.dateFormat.timeZone = TimeZone.getDefault()
+  }
 
 /**
  * Writes an arbitrary value as a JSON string.