diff --git a/skins/base/views/molecules/MRoomMemberTile.js b/skins/base/views/molecules/MRoomMemberTile.js
index e79130c39d..e5a7f7153c 100644
--- a/skins/base/views/molecules/MRoomMemberTile.js
+++ b/skins/base/views/molecules/MRoomMemberTile.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ var MRoomMemberTileController = require("../../../../src/controllers/molecules/M
 
 var MatrixClientPeg = require("../../../../src/MatrixClientPeg");
 var ComponentBroker = require('../../../../src/ComponentBroker');
+var TextForEvent = require('../../../../src/TextForEvent');
 var MessageTimestamp = ComponentBroker.get('atoms/MessageTimestamp');
 
 module.exports = React.createClass({
@@ -29,34 +30,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     mixins: [MRoomMemberTileController],
 
     getMemberEventText: function() {
-        var ev = this.props.mxEvent;
-        // XXX: SYJS-16
-        var senderName = ev.sender ? ev.sender.name : "Someone";
-        var targetName = ev.target ? ev.target.name : "Someone";
-        var reason = ev.getContent().reason ? (
-            " Reason: " + ev.getContent().reason
-        ) : "";
-        switch (ev.getContent().membership) {
-            case 'invite':
-                return senderName + " invited " + targetName + ".";
-            case 'ban':
-                return senderName + " banned " + targetName + "." + reason;
-            case 'join':
-                return targetName + " joined the room.";
-            case 'leave':
-                if (ev.getSender() === ev.getStateKey()) {
-                    return targetName + " left the room.";
-                }
-                else if (ev.getPrevContent().membership === "ban") {
-                    return senderName + " unbanned " + targetName + ".";
-                }
-                else if (ev.getPrevContent().membership === "join") {
-                    return senderName + " kicked " + targetName + "." + reason;
-                }
-                else {
-                    return targetName + " left the room.";
-                }
-        }
+        return TextForEvent.textForEvent(this.props.mxEvent);
     },
 
     render: function() {
diff --git a/skins/base/views/organisms/Notifier.js b/skins/base/views/organisms/Notifier.js
index 09f1921ac3..7df76e29f1 100644
--- a/skins/base/views/organisms/Notifier.js
+++ b/skins/base/views/organisms/Notifier.js
@@ -19,32 +19,14 @@ limitations under the License.
 var NotifierController = require("../../../../src/controllers/organisms/Notifier");
 
 var MatrixClientPeg = require("../../../../src/MatrixClientPeg");
+var TextForEvent = require("../../../../src/TextForEvent");
 var extend = require("../../../../src/extend");
 var dis = require("../../../../src/dispatcher");
 
 
 var NotifierView = {
     notificationMessageForEvent: function(ev) {
-        var senderDisplayName = ev.sender ? ev.sender.name : '';
-        var message = null;
-
-        if (ev.event.type === "m.room.message") {
-            message = ev.getContent().body;
-            if (ev.getContent().msgtype === "m.emote") {
-                message = "* " + senderDisplayName + " " + message;
-            } else if (ev.getContent().msgtype === "m.image") {
-                message = senderDisplayName + " sent an image.";
-            }
-        } else if (ev.event.type == "m.room.member") {
-            if (ev.event.state_key !== MatrixClientPeg.get().credentials.userId  && "join" === ev.getContent().membership) {
-                // Notify when another user joins
-                message = senderDisplayName + " joined";
-            } else if (ev.event.state_key === MatrixClientPeg.get().credentials.userId  && "invite" === ev.getContent().membership) {
-                // notify when you are invited
-                message = senderDisplayName + " invited you to a room";
-            }
-        }
-        return message;
+        return TextForEvent.textForEvent(ev);
     },
 
     displayNotification: function(ev, room) {
@@ -61,8 +43,18 @@ var NotifierView = {
         var title;
         if (!ev.sender ||  room.name == ev.sender.name) {
             title = room.name;
+            // notificationMessageForEvent includes sender,
+            // but we already have the sender here
+            if (ev.getContent().body) msg = ev.getContent().body;
+        } else if (ev.getType() == 'm.room.member') {
+            // context is all in the message here, we don't need
+            // to display sender info
+            title = room.name;
         } else if (ev.sender) {
             title = ev.sender.name + " (" + room.name + ")";
+            // notificationMessageForEvent includes sender,
+            // but we've just out sender in the title
+            if (ev.getContent().body) msg = ev.getContent().body;
         }
 
         var notification = new global.Notification(
diff --git a/src/TextForEvent.js b/src/TextForEvent.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4a6d6dc361
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/TextForEvent.js
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+
+function textForMemberEvent(ev) {
+    // XXX: SYJS-16
+    var senderName = ev.sender ? ev.sender.name : ev.getSender();
+    var targetName = ev.target ? ev.target.name : ev.getContent().target;
+    var reason = ev.getContent().reason ? (
+        " Reason: " + ev.getContent().reason
+    ) : "";
+    switch (ev.getContent().membership) {
+        case 'invite':
+            return senderName + " invited " + targetName + ".";
+        case 'ban':
+            return senderName + " banned " + targetName + "." + reason;
+        case 'join':
+            if (ev.getPrevContent() && ev.getPrevContent().membership == 'join') {
+                if (ev.getPrevContent().displayname && ev.getContent().displayname) {
+                    return ev.getSender() + " changed their display name from " +
+                        ev.getPrevContent().displayname + " to " +
+                        ev.getContent().displayname;
+                } else if (!ev.getPrevContent().displayname && ev.getContent().displayname) {
+                    return ev.getSender() + " set their display name to " + ev.getContent().displayname;
+                } else if (ev.getPrevContent().displayname && !ev.getContent().displayname) {
+                    return ev.getSender() + " removed their display name";
+                }
+            } else {
+                return targetName + " joined the room.";
+            }
+        case 'leave':
+            if (ev.getSender() === ev.getStateKey()) {
+                return targetName + " left the room.";
+            }
+            else if (ev.getPrevContent().membership === "ban") {
+                return senderName + " unbanned " + targetName + ".";
+            }
+            else if (ev.getPrevContent().membership === "join") {
+                return senderName + " kicked " + targetName + "." + reason;
+            }
+            else {
+                return targetName + " left the room.";
+            }
+    }
+};
+
+function textForMessageEvent(ev) {
+    var senderDisplayName = ev.sender && ev.sender.name ? ev.sender.name : ev.getSender();
+
+    var message = senderDisplayName + ': ' + ev.getContent().body;
+    if (ev.getContent().msgtype === "m.emote") {
+        message = "* " + senderDisplayName + " " + message;
+    } else if (ev.getContent().msgtype === "m.image") {
+        message = senderDisplayName + " sent an image.";
+    }
+    return message;
+};
+
+var handlers = {
+    'm.room.message': textForMessageEvent,
+    'm.room.member': textForMemberEvent
+};
+
+module.exports = {
+    textForEvent(ev) {
+        var hdlr = handlers[ev.getType()];
+        if (!hdlr) return "Unknown entry event";
+        return hdlr(ev);
+    }
+}