diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py b/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py
--- a/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ from rhodecode.lib.utils2 import str2boo
 from rhodecode.lib.markup_renderer import MarkupRenderer
 from rhodecode.lib.vcs.exceptions import ChangesetDoesNotExistError
 from rhodecode.lib.vcs.backends.base import BaseChangeset
+from rhodecode.config.conf import DATE_FORMAT, DATETIME_FORMAT
 from rhodecode.model.db import URL_SEP
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -350,8 +351,8 @@ hide_credentials = lambda x: ''.join(cre
 
 def fmt_date(date):
     if date:
-        return (date.strftime(_(u"%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S").encode('utf8'))
-            .decode('utf8'))
+        _fmt = _(u"%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S").encode('utf8')
+        return date.strftime(_fmt).decode('utf8')
 
     return ""
 
diff --git a/rhodecode/model/notification.py b/rhodecode/model/notification.py
--- a/rhodecode/model/notification.py
+++ b/rhodecode/model/notification.py
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ import datetime
 from pylons.i18n.translation import _
 
 import rhodecode
-from rhodecode.config.conf import DATETIME_FORMAT
 from rhodecode.lib import helpers as h
 from rhodecode.model import BaseModel
 from rhodecode.model.db import Notification, User, UserNotification
@@ -181,12 +180,12 @@ class NotificationModel(BaseModel):
             notification.TYPE_REGISTRATION: _('registered in RhodeCode')
         }
 
-        tmpl = "%(user)s %(action)s %(when)s"
+        # action == _map string
+        tmpl = "%(user)s %(action)s at %(when)s"
         if show_age:
             when = h.age(notification.created_on)
         else:
-            DTF = lambda d: datetime.datetime.strftime(d, DATETIME_FORMAT)
-            when = DTF(notification.created_on)
+            when = h.fmt_date(notification.created_on)
 
         data = dict(
             user=notification.created_by_user.username,