diff --git a/api/js/etemplate/et2_widget_countdown.js b/api/js/etemplate/et2_widget_countdown.js
index 1b3a7452dd..509bce8e48 100644
--- a/api/js/etemplate/et2_widget_countdown.js
+++ b/api/js/etemplate/et2_widget_countdown.js
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ var et2_core_valueWidget_1 = require("./et2_core_valueWidget");
 /**
  * Class which implements the "countdown" XET-Tag
  *
- * Value for countdown is the expiry date of the counter or a numeric timeout in seconds.
+ * Value for countdown is an integer duration in seconds or a server-side to a duration converted expiry datetime.
  *
- * The timeout has the benefit, that it does not depend on the correct set time and timezone of the browser / computer of the user.
+ * The duration has the benefit, that it does not depend on the correct set time and timezone of the browser / computer of the user.
  */
 var et2_countdown = /** @class */ (function (_super) {
     __extends(et2_countdown, _super);
@@ -64,25 +64,14 @@ var et2_countdown = /** @class */ (function (_super) {
             .addClass("et2_countdown_minutes").appendTo(_this.container);
         _this.seconds = jQuery(document.createElement("span"))
             .addClass("et2_countdown_seconds").appendTo(_this.container);
-        // create a date widget
-        _this.time = et2_core_widget_1.et2_createWidget('date-time', {});
         _this.setDOMNode(_this.container[0]);
-        _this.offset = (new Date).getTimezoneOffset();
         return _this;
     }
     et2_countdown.prototype.set_value = function (_time) {
-        if (_time == "")
+        if (isNaN(_time))
             return;
-        if (!isNaN(_time)) {
-            var t = new Date();
-            t.setSeconds(t.getSeconds() + parseInt(_time));
-            _time = t;
-            this.offset = 0;
-        }
-        else {
-            this.offset = (new Date).getTimezoneOffset();
-        }
-        this.time.set_value(_time);
+        this.time = new Date();
+        this.time.setSeconds(this.time.getSeconds() + parseInt(_time));
         var self = this;
         this.timer = setInterval(function () {
             if (self._updateTimer() <= 0) {
@@ -93,10 +82,8 @@ var et2_countdown = /** @class */ (function (_super) {
         }, 1000);
     };
     et2_countdown.prototype._updateTimer = function () {
-        var tempDate = new Date();
-        var now = new Date(tempDate.getFullYear(), tempDate.getMonth(), tempDate.getDate(), tempDate.getHours(), tempDate.getMinutes() - this.offset, tempDate.getSeconds());
-        var time = new Date(this.time.getValue());
-        var distance = time.getTime() - now.getTime();
+        var now = new Date();
+        var distance = this.time.getTime() - now.getTime();
         if (distance < 0)
             return 0;
         if (this.options.alarm > 0 && this.options.alarm == distance / 1000 && typeof this.onAlarm == 'function') {
diff --git a/api/js/etemplate/et2_widget_countdown.ts b/api/js/etemplate/et2_widget_countdown.ts
index eca57c2c8e..d0c313d36c 100644
--- a/api/js/etemplate/et2_widget_countdown.ts
+++ b/api/js/etemplate/et2_widget_countdown.ts
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ import {et2_valueWidget} from "./et2_core_valueWidget";
 /**
  * Class which implements the "countdown" XET-Tag
  *
- * Value for countdown is the expiry date of the counter or a numeric timeout in seconds.
+ * Value for countdown is an integer duration in seconds or a server-side to a duration converted expiry datetime.
  *
- * The timeout has the benefit, that it does not depend on the correct set time and timezone of the browser / computer of the user.
+ * The duration has the benefit, that it does not depend on the correct set time and timezone of the browser / computer of the user.
  */
 export class et2_countdown extends et2_valueWidget {
 	static readonly _attributes: any = {
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export class et2_countdown extends et2_valueWidget {
 		}
 	};
 
-	private time : et2_date;
+	private time : Date;
 
 	private timer = null;
 	private container : JQuery = null;
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ export class et2_countdown extends et2_valueWidget {
 	private hours : JQuery = null;
 	private minutes : JQuery = null;
 	private seconds : JQuery = null;
-	private offset;
 
 	/**
 	 * Constructor
@@ -89,27 +88,16 @@ export class et2_countdown extends et2_valueWidget {
 			.addClass("et2_countdown_minutes").appendTo(this.container);
 		this.seconds = jQuery(document.createElement("span"))
 			.addClass("et2_countdown_seconds").appendTo(this.container);
-		// create a date widget
-		this.time = <et2_date> et2_createWidget('date-time', {});
 		this.setDOMNode(this.container[0]);
-		this.offset = (new Date).getTimezoneOffset();
 	}
 
 	public set_value(_time)
 	{
-		if (_time == "") return;
-		if (!isNaN(_time))
-		{
-			let t = new Date();
-			t.setSeconds(t.getSeconds()+parseInt(_time));
-			_time = t;
-			this.offset = 0;
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			this.offset = (new Date).getTimezoneOffset();
-		}
-		this.time.set_value(_time);
+		if (isNaN(_time)) return;
+
+		this.time = new Date();
+		this.time.setSeconds(this.time.getSeconds() + parseInt(_time));
+
 		let self = this;
 		this.timer = setInterval(function(){
 			if (self._updateTimer() <= 0)
@@ -122,18 +110,8 @@ export class et2_countdown extends et2_valueWidget {
 
 	private _updateTimer()
 	{
-		let tempDate = new Date();
-		let now = new Date(
-			tempDate.getFullYear(),
-			tempDate.getMonth(),
-			tempDate.getDate(),
-			tempDate.getHours(),
-			tempDate.getMinutes()-this.offset,
-			tempDate.getSeconds()
-		);
-
-		let time = new Date (this.time.getValue());
-		let distance = time.getTime() - now.getTime();
+		let now = new Date();
+		let distance = this.time.getTime() - now.getTime();
 
 		if (distance < 0) return 0;
 		if (this.options.alarm > 0 && this.options.alarm == distance/1000 && typeof this.onAlarm == 'function')
diff --git a/api/src/Etemplate/Widget/Countdown.php b/api/src/Etemplate/Widget/Countdown.php
index 0c82fb937a..0481ef34dd 100644
--- a/api/src/Etemplate/Widget/Countdown.php
+++ b/api/src/Etemplate/Widget/Countdown.php
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ use EGroupware\Api;
 /**
  * eTemplate countdown widget
  *
+ * Value for countdown is an expiry datetime or a duration like '+123seconds'.
+ * Both are converted by beforeSendToClient to integer duration in seconds.
+ * Integer are treated as timestamps not duration!
+ *
+ * The duration has the benefit, that it does not depend on the correct set time and timezone of the browser / computer of the user.
  */
 class Countdown extends Api\Etemplate\Widget
 {
@@ -33,8 +38,29 @@ class Countdown extends Api\Etemplate\Widget
 
 		if ($value)
 		{
-			$value = Api\DateTime::to($value, 'utc') - Api\DateTime::to('now', 'utc');
+			$value = Api\DateTime::to($value, 'utc') - time(); // =Api\DateTime::to('now', 'utc');
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Perform any needed data manipulation on each row
+	 * before sending it to client.
+	 *
+	 * This is used by Nextmatch on each row to do any needed
+	 * adjustments.  If not needed, don't implement it.
+	 *
+	 * @param type $cname
+	 * @param array $expand
+	 * @param array $data Row data
+	 * @return type
+	 */
+	public function set_row_value($cname, Array $expand, Array &$data)
+	{
+		$form_name = self::form_name($cname, $this->id, $expand);
+		$value =& $this->get_array($data, $form_name, true);
+
+		if ($value) $value = Api\DateTime::to($value, 'utc') - time(); // =Api\DateTime::to('now', 'utc');
+	}
+
 }
 \EGroupware\Api\Etemplate\Widget::registerWidget(Countdown::class, 'countdown');
\ No newline at end of file