diff --git a/src/controllers/organisms/RoomView.js b/src/controllers/organisms/RoomView.js
index 1300f714d5..29933d4ad8 100644
--- a/src/controllers/organisms/RoomView.js
+++ b/src/controllers/organisms/RoomView.js
@@ -398,6 +398,13 @@ module.exports = {
                     continuation = false;
                 }
             }
+
+            if (i === 1) { // n.b. 1, not 0, as the 0th event is an m.room.create and so doesn't show on the timeline
+                var ts1 = this.state.room.timeline[i].getTs();
+                dateSeparator = <DateSeparator key={ts1} ts={ts1}/>;
+                continuation = false;
+            }
+
             if (!TileType) continue;
             ret.unshift(
                 <li key={mxEv.getId()}><TileType mxEvent={mxEv} continuation={continuation} last={last}/></li>
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/views/atoms/MessageTimestamp.js b/src/skins/vector/views/atoms/MessageTimestamp.js
index e9b7bd1342..cd0c7a15dd 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/views/atoms/MessageTimestamp.js
+++ b/src/skins/vector/views/atoms/MessageTimestamp.js
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ var React = require('react');
 
 var MessageTimestampController = require('matrix-react-sdk/lib/controllers/atoms/MessageTimestamp')
 
+var days = ["Sun", "Mon", "Tue", "Wed", "Thu", "Fri", "Sat"];
+var months = ["Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Apr", "May", "Jun", "Jul", "Aug", "Sep", "Oct", "Nov", "Dec"];
+
 module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'MessageTimestamp',
     mixins: [MessageTimestampController],
@@ -30,7 +33,20 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         function pad(n) {
             return (n < 10 ? '0' : '') + n;
         }
-        return pad(date.getHours()) + ':' + pad(date.getMinutes());
+
+        var now = new Date();
+        if (date.toDateString() === now.toDateString()) {
+            return pad(date.getHours()) + ':' + pad(date.getMinutes());
+        }
+        else if (now.getTime() - date.getTime() < 6 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000) {
+            return days[date.getDay()] + " " + pad(date.getHours()) + ':' + pad(date.getMinutes());
+        }
+        else if (now.getFullYear() === date.getFullYear()) {
+            return days[date.getDay()] + ", " + months[date.getMonth()] + " " + (date.getDay()+1) + " " + pad(date.getHours()) + ':' + pad(date.getMinutes());
+        }
+        else {
+            return days[date.getDay()] + ", " + months[date.getMonth()] + " " + (date.getDay()+1) + " " + date().getFullYear() + " " + pad(date.getHours()) + ':' + pad(date.getMinutes());
+        }
     },
 
     render: function() {