diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index afa61569..5b1ab730 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func main() {
 // Output: {"time":1516134303,"level":"debug","message":"hello world"}
 ```
 > Note: By default log writes to `os.Stderr`
-> Note: The default log level for `log.Print` is *debug*
+> Note: The default log level for `log.Print` is *trace*
 
 ### Contextual Logging
 
@@ -412,15 +412,7 @@ Equivalent of `Lshortfile`:
 
 ```go
 zerolog.CallerMarshalFunc = func(pc uintptr, file string, line int) string {
-    short := file
-    for i := len(file) - 1; i > 0; i-- {
-        if file[i] == '/' {
-            short = file[i+1:]
-            break
-        }
-    }
-    file = short
-    return file + ":" + strconv.Itoa(line)
+    return filepath.Base(file) + ":" + strconv.Itoa(line)
 }
 log.Logger = log.With().Caller().Logger()
 log.Info().Msg("hello world")
diff --git a/console.go b/console.go
index 423d6879..3c6258b0 100644
--- a/console.go
+++ b/console.go
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ type ConsoleWriter struct {
 	// TimeFormat specifies the format for timestamp in output.
 	TimeFormat string
 
+	// TimeLocation tells ConsoleWriter’s default FormatTimestamp
+	// how to localize the time.
+	TimeLocation *time.Location
+
 	// PartsOrder defines the order of parts in output.
 	PartsOrder []string
 
@@ -88,9 +92,9 @@ type ConsoleWriter struct {
 // NewConsoleWriter creates and initializes a new ConsoleWriter.
 func NewConsoleWriter(options ...func(w *ConsoleWriter)) ConsoleWriter {
 	w := ConsoleWriter{
-		Out:        os.Stdout,
-		TimeFormat: consoleDefaultTimeFormat,
-		PartsOrder: consoleDefaultPartsOrder(),
+		Out:          os.Stdout,
+		TimeFormat:   consoleDefaultTimeFormat,
+		PartsOrder:   consoleDefaultPartsOrder(),
 	}
 
 	for _, opt := range options {
@@ -294,7 +298,7 @@ func (w ConsoleWriter) writePart(buf *bytes.Buffer, evt map[string]interface{},
 		}
 	case TimestampFieldName:
 		if w.FormatTimestamp == nil {
-			f = consoleDefaultFormatTimestamp(w.TimeFormat, w.NoColor)
+			f = consoleDefaultFormatTimestamp(w.TimeFormat, w.TimeLocation, w.NoColor)
 		} else {
 			f = w.FormatTimestamp
 		}
@@ -390,19 +394,23 @@ func consoleDefaultPartsOrder() []string {
 	}
 }
 
-func consoleDefaultFormatTimestamp(timeFormat string, noColor bool) Formatter {
+func consoleDefaultFormatTimestamp(timeFormat string, location *time.Location, noColor bool) Formatter {
 	if timeFormat == "" {
 		timeFormat = consoleDefaultTimeFormat
 	}
+	if location == nil {
+		location = time.Local
+	}
+
 	return func(i interface{}) string {
 		t := "<nil>"
 		switch tt := i.(type) {
 		case string:
-			ts, err := time.ParseInLocation(TimeFieldFormat, tt, time.Local)
+			ts, err := time.ParseInLocation(TimeFieldFormat, tt, location)
 			if err != nil {
 				t = tt
 			} else {
-				t = ts.Local().Format(timeFormat)
+				t = ts.In(location).Format(timeFormat)
 			}
 		case json.Number:
 			i, err := tt.Int64()
@@ -423,7 +431,7 @@ func consoleDefaultFormatTimestamp(timeFormat string, noColor bool) Formatter {
 				}
 
 				ts := time.Unix(sec, nsec)
-				t = ts.Format(timeFormat)
+				t = ts.In(location).Format(timeFormat)
 			}
 		}
 		return colorize(t, colorDarkGray, noColor)
diff --git a/console_test.go b/console_test.go
index 6945ffe9..32b6c3f5 100644
--- a/console_test.go
+++ b/console_test.go
@@ -343,6 +343,35 @@ func TestConsoleWriterConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 
+	t.Run("Sets TimeFormat and TimeLocation", func(t *testing.T) {
+		locs := []*time.Location{ time.Local, time.UTC }
+
+		for _, location := range locs {
+			buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
+			w := zerolog.ConsoleWriter{
+				Out: buf,
+				NoColor: true,
+				TimeFormat: time.RFC3339,
+				TimeLocation: location,
+			}
+
+			ts := time.Unix(0, 0)
+			d := ts.UTC().Format(time.RFC3339)
+			evt := `{"time": "` + d + `", "level": "info", "message": "Foobar"}`
+
+			_, err := w.Write([]byte(evt))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("Unexpected error when writing output: %s", err)
+			}
+
+			expectedOutput := ts.In(location).Format(time.RFC3339) + " INF Foobar\n"
+			actualOutput := buf.String()
+			if actualOutput != expectedOutput {
+				t.Errorf("Unexpected output %q, want: %q (location=%s)", actualOutput, expectedOutput, location)
+			}
+		}
+	})
+
 	t.Run("Sets PartsOrder", func(t *testing.T) {
 		buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
 		w := zerolog.ConsoleWriter{Out: buf, NoColor: true, PartsOrder: []string{"message", "level"}}
diff --git a/globals.go b/globals.go
index b38a7fce..ac1d9c48 100644
--- a/globals.go
+++ b/globals.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package zerolog
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -81,8 +82,22 @@ var (
 	}
 
 	// InterfaceMarshalFunc allows customization of interface marshaling.
-	// Default: "encoding/json.Marshal"
-	InterfaceMarshalFunc = json.Marshal
+	// Default: "encoding/json.Marshal" with disabled HTML escaping
+	InterfaceMarshalFunc = func(v interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		encoder := json.NewEncoder(&buf)
+		encoder.SetEscapeHTML(false)
+		err := encoder.Encode(v)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		b := buf.Bytes()
+		if len(b) > 0 {
+			// Remove trailing \n which is added by Encode.
+			return b[:len(b)-1], nil
+		}
+		return b, nil
+	}
 
 	// TimeFieldFormat defines the time format of the Time field type. If set to
 	// TimeFormatUnix, TimeFormatUnixMs, TimeFormatUnixMicro or TimeFormatUnixNano, the time is formatted as a UNIX
diff --git a/internal/json/types.go b/internal/json/types.go
index ef3a2a7a..43feaaa8 100644
--- a/internal/json/types.go
+++ b/internal/json/types.go
@@ -311,7 +311,25 @@ func appendFloat(dst []byte, val float64, bitSize int) []byte {
 	case math.IsInf(val, -1):
 		return append(dst, `"-Inf"`...)
 	}
-	return strconv.AppendFloat(dst, val, 'f', -1, bitSize)
+	// convert as if by es6 number to string conversion
+	// see also https://cs.opensource.google/go/go/+/refs/tags/go1.20.3:src/encoding/json/encode.go;l=573
+	strFmt := byte('f')
+	// Use float32 comparisons for underlying float32 value to get precise cutoffs right.
+	if abs := math.Abs(val); abs != 0 {
+		if bitSize == 64 && (abs < 1e-6 || abs >= 1e21) || bitSize == 32 && (float32(abs) < 1e-6 || float32(abs) >= 1e21) {
+			strFmt = 'e'
+		}
+	}
+	dst = strconv.AppendFloat(dst, val, strFmt, -1, bitSize)
+	if strFmt == 'e' {
+		// Clean up e-09 to e-9
+		n := len(dst)
+		if n >= 4 && dst[n-4] == 'e' && dst[n-3] == '-' && dst[n-2] == '0' {
+			dst[n-2] = dst[n-1]
+			dst = dst[:n-1]
+		}
+	}
+	return dst
 }
 
 // AppendFloat32 converts the input float32 to a string and
diff --git a/internal/json/types_test.go b/internal/json/types_test.go
index 26dc3e80..350affef 100644
--- a/internal/json/types_test.go
+++ b/internal/json/types_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package json
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"math"
+	"math/rand"
 	"net"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ func TestAppendType(t *testing.T) {
 		{"AppendFloat32(0)", "AppendFloat32", float32(0), []byte(`0`)},
 		{"AppendFloat32(-1.1)", "AppendFloat32", float32(-1.1), []byte(`-1.1`)},
 		{"AppendFloat32(1e20)", "AppendFloat32", float32(1e20), []byte(`100000000000000000000`)},
-		{"AppendFloat32(1e21)", "AppendFloat32", float32(1e21), []byte(`1000000000000000000000`)},
+		{"AppendFloat32(1e21)", "AppendFloat32", float32(1e21), []byte(`1e+21`)},
 
 		{"AppendFloat64(-Inf)", "AppendFloat64", float64(math.Inf(-1)), []byte(`"-Inf"`)},
 		{"AppendFloat64(+Inf)", "AppendFloat64", float64(math.Inf(1)), []byte(`"+Inf"`)},
@@ -52,7 +54,7 @@ func TestAppendType(t *testing.T) {
 		{"AppendFloat64(0)", "AppendFloat64", float64(0), []byte(`0`)},
 		{"AppendFloat64(-1.1)", "AppendFloat64", float64(-1.1), []byte(`-1.1`)},
 		{"AppendFloat64(1e20)", "AppendFloat64", float64(1e20), []byte(`100000000000000000000`)},
-		{"AppendFloat64(1e21)", "AppendFloat64", float64(1e21), []byte(`1000000000000000000000`)},
+		{"AppendFloat64(1e21)", "AppendFloat64", float64(1e21), []byte(`1e+21`)},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -207,3 +209,340 @@ func Test_appendObjectData(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+var float64Tests = []struct {
+	Name string
+	Val  float64
+	Want string
+}{
+	{
+		Name: "Positive integer",
+		Val:  1234.0,
+		Want: "1234",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Negative integer",
+		Val:  -5678.0,
+		Want: "-5678",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Positive decimal",
+		Val:  12.3456,
+		Want: "12.3456",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Negative decimal",
+		Val:  -78.9012,
+		Want: "-78.9012",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Large positive number",
+		Val:  123456789.0,
+		Want: "123456789",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Large negative number",
+		Val:  -987654321.0,
+		Want: "-987654321",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Zero",
+		Val:  0.0,
+		Want: "0",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Smallest positive value",
+		Val:  math.SmallestNonzeroFloat64,
+		Want: "5e-324",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Largest positive value",
+		Val:  math.MaxFloat64,
+		Want: "1.7976931348623157e+308",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Smallest negative value",
+		Val:  -math.SmallestNonzeroFloat64,
+		Want: "-5e-324",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Largest negative value",
+		Val:  -math.MaxFloat64,
+		Want: "-1.7976931348623157e+308",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "NaN",
+		Val:  math.NaN(),
+		Want: `"NaN"`,
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "+Inf",
+		Val:  math.Inf(1),
+		Want: `"+Inf"`,
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "-Inf",
+		Val:  math.Inf(-1),
+		Want: `"-Inf"`,
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Clean up e-09 to e-9 case 1",
+		Val:  1e-9,
+		Want: "1e-9",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Clean up e-09 to e-9 case 2",
+		Val:  -2.236734e-9,
+		Want: "-2.236734e-9",
+	},
+}
+
+func TestEncoder_AppendFloat64(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range float64Tests {
+		t.Run(tc.Name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var b []byte
+			b = (Encoder{}).AppendFloat64(b, tc.Val)
+			if s := string(b); tc.Want != s {
+				t.Errorf("%q", s)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func FuzzEncoder_AppendFloat64(f *testing.F) {
+	for _, tc := range float64Tests {
+		f.Add(tc.Val)
+	}
+	f.Fuzz(func(t *testing.T, val float64) {
+		actual := (Encoder{}).AppendFloat64(nil, val)
+		if len(actual) == 0 {
+			t.Fatal("empty buffer")
+		}
+
+		if actual[0] == '"' {
+			switch string(actual) {
+			case `"NaN"`:
+				if !math.IsNaN(val) {
+					t.Fatalf("expected %v got NaN", val)
+				}
+			case `"+Inf"`:
+				if !math.IsInf(val, 1) {
+					t.Fatalf("expected %v got +Inf", val)
+				}
+			case `"-Inf"`:
+				if !math.IsInf(val, -1) {
+					t.Fatalf("expected %v got -Inf", val)
+				}
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected string: %s", actual)
+			}
+			return
+		}
+
+		if expected, err := json.Marshal(val); err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		} else if string(actual) != string(expected) {
+			t.Errorf("expected %s, got %s", expected, actual)
+		}
+
+		var parsed float64
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(actual, &parsed); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		if parsed != val {
+			t.Fatalf("expected %v, got %v", val, parsed)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+var float32Tests = []struct {
+	Name string
+	Val  float32
+	Want string
+}{
+	{
+		Name: "Positive integer",
+		Val:  1234.0,
+		Want: "1234",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Negative integer",
+		Val:  -5678.0,
+		Want: "-5678",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Positive decimal",
+		Val:  12.3456,
+		Want: "12.3456",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Negative decimal",
+		Val:  -78.9012,
+		Want: "-78.9012",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Large positive number",
+		Val:  123456789.0,
+		Want: "123456790",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Large negative number",
+		Val:  -987654321.0,
+		Want: "-987654340",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Zero",
+		Val:  0.0,
+		Want: "0",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Smallest positive value",
+		Val:  math.SmallestNonzeroFloat32,
+		Want: "1e-45",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Largest positive value",
+		Val:  math.MaxFloat32,
+		Want: "3.4028235e+38",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Smallest negative value",
+		Val:  -math.SmallestNonzeroFloat32,
+		Want: "-1e-45",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Largest negative value",
+		Val:  -math.MaxFloat32,
+		Want: "-3.4028235e+38",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "NaN",
+		Val:  float32(math.NaN()),
+		Want: `"NaN"`,
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "+Inf",
+		Val:  float32(math.Inf(1)),
+		Want: `"+Inf"`,
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "-Inf",
+		Val:  float32(math.Inf(-1)),
+		Want: `"-Inf"`,
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Clean up e-09 to e-9 case 1",
+		Val:  1e-9,
+		Want: "1e-9",
+	},
+	{
+		Name: "Clean up e-09 to e-9 case 2",
+		Val:  -2.236734e-9,
+		Want: "-2.236734e-9",
+	},
+}
+
+func TestEncoder_AppendFloat32(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range float32Tests {
+		t.Run(tc.Name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var b []byte
+			b = (Encoder{}).AppendFloat32(b, tc.Val)
+			if s := string(b); tc.Want != s {
+				t.Errorf("%q", s)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func FuzzEncoder_AppendFloat32(f *testing.F) {
+	for _, tc := range float32Tests {
+		f.Add(tc.Val)
+	}
+	f.Fuzz(func(t *testing.T, val float32) {
+		actual := (Encoder{}).AppendFloat32(nil, val)
+		if len(actual) == 0 {
+			t.Fatal("empty buffer")
+		}
+
+		if actual[0] == '"' {
+			val := float64(val)
+			switch string(actual) {
+			case `"NaN"`:
+				if !math.IsNaN(val) {
+					t.Fatalf("expected %v got NaN", val)
+				}
+			case `"+Inf"`:
+				if !math.IsInf(val, 1) {
+					t.Fatalf("expected %v got +Inf", val)
+				}
+			case `"-Inf"`:
+				if !math.IsInf(val, -1) {
+					t.Fatalf("expected %v got -Inf", val)
+				}
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected string: %s", actual)
+			}
+			return
+		}
+
+		if expected, err := json.Marshal(val); err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		} else if string(actual) != string(expected) {
+			t.Errorf("expected %s, got %s", expected, actual)
+		}
+
+		var parsed float32
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(actual, &parsed); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		if parsed != val {
+			t.Fatalf("expected %v, got %v", val, parsed)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+func generateFloat32s(n int) []float32 {
+	floats := make([]float32, n)
+	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+		floats[i] = rand.Float32()
+	}
+	return floats
+}
+
+func generateFloat64s(n int) []float64 {
+	floats := make([]float64, n)
+	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+		floats[i] = rand.Float64()
+	}
+	return floats
+}
+
+// this is really just for the memory allocation characteristics
+func BenchmarkEncoder_AppendFloat32(b *testing.B) {
+	floats := append(generateFloat32s(5000), float32(math.NaN()), float32(math.Inf(1)), float32(math.Inf(-1)))
+	dst := make([]byte, 0, 128)
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		for _, f := range floats {
+			dst = (Encoder{}).AppendFloat32(dst[:0], f)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// this is really just for the memory allocation characteristics
+func BenchmarkEncoder_AppendFloat64(b *testing.B) {
+	floats := append(generateFloat64s(5000), math.NaN(), math.Inf(1), math.Inf(-1))
+	dst := make([]byte, 0, 128)
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		for _, f := range floats {
+			dst = (Encoder{}).AppendFloat64(dst[:0], f)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/log_test.go b/log_test.go
index 4d0d93b1..e51eb8fb 100644
--- a/log_test.go
+++ b/log_test.go
@@ -1013,3 +1013,12 @@ func TestUnmarshalTextLevel(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestHTMLNoEscaping(t *testing.T) {
+	out := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	log := New(out)
+	log.Log().Interface("head", "<test>").Send()
+	if got, want := decodeIfBinaryToString(out.Bytes()), `{"head":"<test>"}`+"\n"; got != want {
+		t.Errorf("invalid log output:\ngot:  %v\nwant: %v", got, want)
+	}
+}