Index: datetime.py
===================================================================
--- datetime.py	(revision 82218)
+++ datetime.py	(working copy)
@@ -1761,19 +1761,23 @@
     return week1monday
 
 class timezone(tzinfo):
-    def __init__(self, offset, *args):
+    def __new__(cls, offset, *args):
         # Reproduce C behavior
         n = len(args)
         if n > 1:
             raise TypeError("timezone() takes at most 2 arguments (%d given)"
                             % n)
         if n == 0:
-            name = None
+            name = None                
         else:
             name = args[0]
             if not isinstance(name, str):
                 raise TypeError("name must be a string")
         if isinstance(offset, timedelta):
+            if (offset == timedelta(0) and name is None and 
+                _utc is not None):
+                return _utc
+            self = tzinfo.__new__(cls)
             if self._minoffset <= offset <= self._maxoffset:
                 if (offset.microseconds != 0 or
                     offset.seconds % 60 != 0):
@@ -1786,7 +1790,13 @@
             raise TypeError("offset must be timedelta")
 
         self.__name = name
+        return self
 
+    def __reduce__(self):
+        if self is _utc:
+            return '_utc'
+        return tzinfo.__reduce__(self)
+
     def __getinitargs__(self):
         """pickle support"""
         if self.__name is None:
@@ -1845,7 +1855,8 @@
         minutes = rest // timedelta(minutes=1)
         return 'UTC{}{:02d}:{:02d}'.format(sign, hours, minutes)
 
-timezone.utc = timezone(timedelta(0))
+_utc = None
+_utc = timezone.utc = timezone(timedelta(0))
 timezone.min = timezone(timezone._minoffset)
 timezone.max = timezone(timezone._maxoffset)