--- a/pytz/__init__.py
+++ b/pytz/__init__.py
@@ -91,8 +91,7 @@
     if zoneinfo_dir is not None:
         filename = os.path.join(zoneinfo_dir, *name_parts)
     else:
-        filename = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
-                                'zoneinfo', *name_parts)
+        filename = os.path.join('/usr/share/zoneinfo', *name_parts)
         if not os.path.exists(filename):
             # http://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/383171 - we avoid using this
             # unless absolutely necessary to help when a broken version of
