diff --git a/humbug/settings.py b/humbug/settings.py
index ac3d80d99d..d95498e814 100644
--- a/humbug/settings.py
+++ b/humbug/settings.py
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ PIPELINE_JS = {
             'js/zephyr.js',
             'js/activity.js',
             'js/colorspace.js',
+            'js/timerender.js',
         ),
         'output_filename': 'min/app.js'
     },
diff --git a/tools/jslint/check-all.js b/tools/jslint/check-all.js
index a664b30f21..54ac40594b 100644
--- a/tools/jslint/check-all.js
+++ b/tools/jslint/check-all.js
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ var globals =
     // invite.js
     + ' invite'
 
+    // timerender.js
+    + ' timerender'
+
     // ui.js
     + ' ui'
 
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/timerender.js b/zephyr/static/js/timerender.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..67a8b5a9a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/timerender.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+var timerender = (function () {
+
+var exports = {};
+
+// Given an XDate object 'time', return a DOM node that initially
+// displays the human-formatted time, and is updated automatically as
+// necessary (e.g. changing "Mon 11:21" to "Jan 14 11:21" after a week
+// or so).
+
+// (But for now it just returns a static node.)
+exports.render_time = function(time) {
+    // Wrap the text in a span because (oddly) a text node has no outerHTML attribute.
+    return $("<span />").text(time.toString("MMM dd") + "\xa0\xa0" + time.toString("HH:mm"));
+};
+
+return exports;
+}());
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js b/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
index 5d97a50bf9..868b70efc3 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/zephyr.js
@@ -349,8 +349,7 @@ function add_display_time(message, prev) {
 
     // NB: timestr is HTML, inserted into the document without escaping.
     if (include_date) {
-        message.timestr = time.toString("MMM dd") + "&nbsp;&nbsp;" +
-            time.toString("HH:mm");
+        message.timestr = (timerender.render_time(time))[0].outerHTML;
     } else {
         message.timestr = time.toString("HH:mm");
     }