diff --git a/pendulum/tz/local_timezone.py b/pendulum/tz/local_timezone.py
index 08a6e4fa..09747aee 100644
--- a/pendulum/tz/local_timezone.py
+++ b/pendulum/tz/local_timezone.py
@@ -248,7 +248,11 @@ def _tz_from_env(tzenv):  # type: (str) -> Timezone
 
     # TZ specifies a file
     if os.path.exists(tzenv):
-        return TimezoneFile(tzenv)
+        try:
+            return TimezoneFile(tzenv)
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            # if cannot load from timezone file, assume path existing is coincidence
+            pass
 
     # TZ specifies a zoneinfo zone.
     try:
diff --git a/tests/tz/test_local_timezone.py b/tests/tz/test_local_timezone.py
index fdf1cc2f..478f4a36 100644
--- a/tests/tz/test_local_timezone.py
+++ b/tests/tz/test_local_timezone.py
@@ -7,6 +7,16 @@
 from pendulum.tz.local_timezone import _get_windows_timezone
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    sys.platform == "win32", reason="Test only available for UNIX systems"
+)
+def test_unix_environment_variable(monkeypatch):
+    # localtime can be set on unix with TZ environment variable
+    monkeypatch.setenv("TZ", "UTC")
+    tz = _get_unix_timezone()
+    assert tz.name == "UTC"
+
+
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
     sys.platform == "win32", reason="Test only available for UNIX systems"
 )