diff --git a/server/accounts.go b/server/accounts.go
index 04535073..94074edc 100644
--- a/server/accounts.go
+++ b/server/accounts.go
@@ -3532,7 +3532,7 @@ func (s *Server) updateAccountClaimsWithRefresh(a *Account, ac *jwt.AccountClaim
 		a.jsLimits = nil
 	}
 
-	a.updated = time.Now().UTC()
+	a.updated = time.Now()
 	clients := a.getClientsLocked()
 	a.mu.Unlock()
 
@@ -3991,7 +3991,7 @@ func removeCb(s *Server, pubKey string) {
 	a.mpay = 0
 	a.mconns = 0
 	a.mleafs = 0
-	a.updated = time.Now().UTC()
+	a.updated = time.Now()
 	jsa := a.js
 	a.mu.Unlock()
 	// set the account to be expired and disconnect clients
diff --git a/server/gateway.go b/server/gateway.go
index bb3ae71b..900b903b 100644
--- a/server/gateway.go
+++ b/server/gateway.go
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ func (s *Server) createGateway(cfg *gatewayCfg, url *url.URL, conn net.Conn) {
 	// Snapshot server options.
 	opts := s.getOpts()
 
-	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	now := time.Now()
 	c := &client{srv: s, nc: conn, start: now, last: now, kind: GATEWAY}
 
 	// Are we creating the gateway based on the configuration
diff --git a/server/jetstream_cluster.go b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
index 13322e3e..baed19e4 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_cluster.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
@@ -5868,6 +5868,18 @@ func (s *Server) jsClusteredStreamUpdateRequest(ci *ClientInfo, acc *Account, su
 	if isReplicaChange {
 		// We are adding new peers here.
 		if newCfg.Replicas > len(rg.Peers) {
+			// Check if we do not have a cluster assigned, and if we do not make sure we
+			// try to pick one. This could happen with older streams that were assigned by
+			// previous servers.
+			if rg.Cluster == _EMPTY_ {
+				// Prefer placement directrives if we have them.
+				if newCfg.Placement != nil && newCfg.Placement.Cluster != _EMPTY_ {
+					rg.Cluster = newCfg.Placement.Cluster
+				} else {
+					// Fall back to the cluster assignment from the client.
+					rg.Cluster = ci.Cluster
+				}
+			}
 			peers, err := cc.selectPeerGroup(newCfg.Replicas, rg.Cluster, newCfg, rg.Peers, 0, nil)
 			if err != nil {
 				resp.Error = NewJSClusterNoPeersError(err)
diff --git a/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go b/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go
index 899f1ff8..f2f19bbc 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go
@@ -3997,3 +3997,52 @@ func TestJetStreamClusterStreamAccountingDriftFixups(t *testing.T) {
 	require_NoError(t, err)
 	require_True(t, jsz.JetStreamStats.Store == 0)
 }
+
+// Some older streams seem to have been created or exist with no explicit cluster setting.
+// For server <= 2.9.16 you could not scale the streams up since we could not place them in another cluster.
+func TestJetStreamClusterStreamScaleUpNoGroupCluster(t *testing.T) {
+	c := createJetStreamClusterExplicit(t, "NATS", 3)
+	defer c.shutdown()
+
+	nc, js := jsClientConnect(t, c.randomServer())
+	defer nc.Close()
+
+	_, err := js.AddStream(&nats.StreamConfig{
+		Name:     "TEST",
+		Subjects: []string{"*"},
+	})
+	require_NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Manually going to grab stream assignment and update it to be without the group cluster.
+	s := c.streamLeader(globalAccountName, "TEST")
+	mset, err := s.GlobalAccount().lookupStream("TEST")
+	require_NoError(t, err)
+
+	sa := mset.streamAssignment()
+	require_NotNil(t, sa)
+	// Make copy to not change stream's
+	sa = sa.copyGroup()
+	// Remove cluster and preferred.
+	sa.Group.Cluster = _EMPTY_
+	sa.Group.Preferred = _EMPTY_
+	// Insert into meta layer.
+	s.mu.RLock()
+	s.js.cluster.meta.ForwardProposal(encodeUpdateStreamAssignment(sa))
+	s.mu.RUnlock()
+	// Make sure it got propagated..
+	checkFor(t, 10*time.Second, 200*time.Millisecond, func() error {
+		sa := mset.streamAssignment().copyGroup()
+		require_NotNil(t, sa)
+		if sa.Group.Cluster != _EMPTY_ {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Cluster still not cleared")
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+	// Now we know it has been nil'd out. Make sure we can scale up.
+	_, err = js.UpdateStream(&nats.StreamConfig{
+		Name:     "TEST",
+		Subjects: []string{"*"},
+		Replicas: 3,
+	})
+	require_NoError(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/server/monitor.go b/server/monitor.go
index 09b7d15d..e67b4052 100644
--- a/server/monitor.go
+++ b/server/monitor.go
@@ -787,7 +787,7 @@ type RouteInfo struct {
 // Routez returns a Routez struct containing information about routes.
 func (s *Server) Routez(routezOpts *RoutezOptions) (*Routez, error) {
 	rs := &Routez{Routes: []*RouteInfo{}}
-	rs.Now = time.Now().UTC()
+	rs.Now = time.Now()
 
 	if routezOpts == nil {
 		routezOpts = &RoutezOptions{}
@@ -980,7 +980,7 @@ func (s *Server) Subsz(opts *SubszOptions) (*Subsz, error) {
 	slStats := &SublistStats{}
 
 	// FIXME(dlc) - Make account aware.
-	sz := &Subsz{s.info.ID, time.Now().UTC(), slStats, 0, offset, limit, nil}
+	sz := &Subsz{s.info.ID, time.Now(), slStats, 0, offset, limit, nil}
 
 	if subdetail {
 		var raw [4096]*subscription
@@ -1607,7 +1607,7 @@ func (s *Server) updateVarzConfigReloadableFields(v *Varz) {
 	v.MaxPending = opts.MaxPending
 	v.TLSTimeout = opts.TLSTimeout
 	v.WriteDeadline = opts.WriteDeadline
-	v.ConfigLoadTime = s.configTime
+	v.ConfigLoadTime = s.configTime.UTC()
 	// Update route URLs if applicable
 	if s.varzUpdateRouteURLs {
 		v.Cluster.URLs = urlsToStrings(opts.Routes)
diff --git a/server/mqtt.go b/server/mqtt.go
index ed1893e3..bada616b 100644
--- a/server/mqtt.go
+++ b/server/mqtt.go
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ func (s *Server) createMQTTClient(conn net.Conn, ws *websocket) *client {
 	if maxSubs == 0 {
 		maxSubs = -1
 	}
-	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	now := time.Now()
 
 	c := &client{srv: s, nc: conn, mpay: maxPay, msubs: maxSubs, start: now, last: now, mqtt: &mqtt{}, ws: ws}
 	c.headers = true
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 5c3d2c45..a341d053 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -606,7 +606,7 @@ func NewServer(opts *Options) (*Server, error) {
 		info.TLSAvailable = true
 	}
 
-	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	now := time.Now()
 
 	s := &Server{
 		kp:                 kp,
@@ -1154,7 +1154,7 @@ func (s *Server) configureAccounts(reloading bool) (map[string]struct{}, error)
 			s.mu.Lock()
 			acc.mu.Lock()
 		}
-		acc.updated = time.Now().UTC()
+		acc.updated = time.Now()
 		acc.mu.Unlock()
 		return true
 	})
@@ -1647,7 +1647,7 @@ func (s *Server) createInternalClient(kind int) *client {
 	if kind != SYSTEM && kind != JETSTREAM && kind != ACCOUNT {
 		return nil
 	}
-	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	now := time.Now()
 	c := &client{srv: s, kind: kind, opts: internalOpts, msubs: -1, mpay: -1, start: now, last: now}
 	c.initClient()
 	c.echo = false
@@ -1718,7 +1718,7 @@ func (s *Server) registerAccountNoLock(acc *Account) *Account {
 		acc.lqws = make(map[string]int32)
 	}
 	acc.srv = s
-	acc.updated = time.Now().UTC()
+	acc.updated = time.Now()
 	accName := acc.Name
 	jsEnabled := len(acc.jsLimits) > 0
 	acc.mu.Unlock()
@@ -2890,7 +2890,7 @@ func (s *Server) createClient(conn net.Conn) *client {
 	if maxSubs == 0 {
 		maxSubs = -1
 	}
-	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	now := time.Now()
 
 	c := &client{srv: s, nc: conn, opts: defaultOpts, mpay: maxPay, msubs: maxSubs, start: now, last: now}
 
@@ -3057,7 +3057,7 @@ func (s *Server) createClient(conn net.Conn) *client {
 // This will save off a closed client in a ring buffer such that
 // /connz can inspect. Useful for debugging, etc.
 func (s *Server) saveClosedClient(c *client, nc net.Conn, reason ClosedState) {
-	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	now := time.Now()
 
 	s.accountDisconnectEvent(c, now, reason.String())