diff --git a/mercurial/templatefilters.py b/mercurial/templatefilters.py
--- a/mercurial/templatefilters.py
+++ b/mercurial/templatefilters.py
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ def age(date):
         return 'in the future'
 
     delta = max(1, int(now - then))
+    if delta > agescales[0][1] * 2:
+        return util.shortdate(date)
+
     for t, s in agescales:
         n = delta // s
         if n >= 2 or s == 1:
diff --git a/tests/get-with-headers.py b/tests/get-with-headers.py
--- a/tests/get-with-headers.py
+++ b/tests/get-with-headers.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ for h in headers:
         print "%s: %s" % (h, response.getheader(h))
 print
 data = response.read()
-data = re.sub('\d+ years', 'many years', data)
 sys.stdout.write(data)
 
 if 200 <= response.status <= 299:
diff --git a/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out b/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out
--- a/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out
+++ b/tests/test-hgweb-commands.out
@@ -210,17 +210,17 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
   <th class="description">description</th>
  </tr>
  <tr class="parity0">
-  <td class="age">many years ago</td>
+  <td class="age">1970-01-01</td>
   <td class="author">test</td>
   <td class="description"><a href="/rev/1d22e65f027e">branch</a><span class="branchhead">stable</span> <span class="tag">tip</span> </td>
  </tr>
  <tr class="parity1">
-  <td class="age">many years ago</td>
+  <td class="age">1970-01-01</td>
   <td class="author">test</td>
   <td class="description"><a href="/rev/a4f92ed23982">Added tag 1.0 for changeset 2ef0ac749a14</a><span class="branchhead">default</span> </td>
  </tr>
  <tr class="parity0">
-  <td class="age">many years ago</td>
+  <td class="age">1970-01-01</td>
   <td class="author">test</td>
   <td class="description"><a href="/rev/2ef0ac749a14">base</a><span class="tag">1.0</span> </td>
  </tr>
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="date">date</th>
- <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (many years ago)</td></tr>
+ <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (1970-01-01)</td></tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="author">parents</th>
  <td class="author"></td>
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="date">date</th>
- <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (many years ago)</td>
+ <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (1970-01-01)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="author">parents</th>
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ branches |
 <table cellspacing="0">
 
 <tr class="parity0">
-<td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
+<td class="age"><i>1970-01-01</i></td>
 <td><a class="list" href="/shortlog/1d22e65f027e?style=gitweb"><b>1d22e65f027e</b></a></td>
 <td class="open">stable</td>
 <td class="link">
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ branches |
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr class="parity1">
-<td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
+<td class="age"><i>1970-01-01</i></td>
 <td><a class="list" href="/shortlog/a4f92ed23982?style=gitweb"><b>a4f92ed23982</b></a></td>
 <td class="inactive">default</td>
 <td class="link">
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ summary |
 <table cellspacing="0">
 
 <tr class="parity0">
-<td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
+<td class="age"><i>1970-01-01</i></td>
 <td><i>test</i></td>
 <td>
 <a class="list" href="/rev/1d22e65f027e?style=gitweb">
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ summary |
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr class="parity1">
-<td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
+<td class="age"><i>1970-01-01</i></td>
 <td><i>test</i></td>
 <td>
 <a class="list" href="/rev/a4f92ed23982?style=gitweb">
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ summary |
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr class="parity0">
-<td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
+<td class="age"><i>1970-01-01</i></td>
 <td><i>test</i></td>
 <td>
 <a class="list" href="/rev/2ef0ac749a14?style=gitweb">
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ summary |
 <table cellspacing="0">
 
 <tr class="parity0">
-<td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
+<td class="age"><i>1970-01-01</i></td>
 <td><a class="list" href="/rev/2ef0ac749a14?style=gitweb"><b>1.0</b></a></td>
 <td class="link">
 <a href="/rev/2ef0ac749a14?style=gitweb">changeset</a> |
@@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ summary |
 <table cellspacing="0">
 
 <tr class="parity0">
-<td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
+<td class="age"><i>1970-01-01</i></td>
 <td><a class="list" href="/shortlog/1d22e65f027e?style=gitweb"><b>1d22e65f027e</b></a></td>
 <td class="">stable</td>
 <td class="link">
@@ -681,7 +681,7 @@ summary |
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr class="parity1">
-<td class="age"><i>many years ago</i></td>
+<td class="age"><i>1970-01-01</i></td>
 <td><a class="list" href="/shortlog/a4f92ed23982?style=gitweb"><b>a4f92ed23982</b></a></td>
 <td class="">default</td>
 <td class="link">
@@ -764,7 +764,7 @@ graph |
 <script>
 <!-- hide script content
 
-var data = [["1d22e65f027e", [0, 1], [[0, 0, 1]], "branch", "test", "many years ago", ["stable", true], ["tip"]], ["a4f92ed23982", [0, 1], [[0, 0, 1]], "Added tag 1.0 for changeset 2ef0ac749a14", "test", "many years ago", ["default", true], []], ["2ef0ac749a14", [0, 1], [], "base", "test", "many years ago", ["default", false], ["1.0"]]];
+var data = [["1d22e65f027e", [0, 1], [[0, 0, 1]], "branch", "test", "1970-01-01", ["stable", true], ["tip"]], ["a4f92ed23982", [0, 1], [[0, 0, 1]], "Added tag 1.0 for changeset 2ef0ac749a14", "test", "1970-01-01", ["default", true], []], ["2ef0ac749a14", [0, 1], [], "base", "test", "1970-01-01", ["default", false], ["1.0"]]];
 var graph = new Graph();
 graph.scale(39);
 
diff --git a/tests/test-hgweb-diffs.out b/tests/test-hgweb-diffs.out
--- a/tests/test-hgweb-diffs.out
+++ b/tests/test-hgweb-diffs.out
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="date">date</th>
- <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (many years ago)</td></tr>
+ <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (1970-01-01)</td></tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="author">parents</th>
  <td class="author"></td>
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th>date</th>
- <td>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (many years ago)</td>
+ <td>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (1970-01-01)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th>parents</th>
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="date">date</th>
- <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (many years ago)</td></tr>
+ <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (1970-01-01)</td></tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="author">parents</th>
  <td class="author"></td>
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th>date</th>
- <td>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (many years ago)</td>
+ <td>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (1970-01-01)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th>parents</th>
diff --git a/tests/test-hgweb-filelog.out b/tests/test-hgweb-filelog.out
--- a/tests/test-hgweb-filelog.out
+++ b/tests/test-hgweb-filelog.out
@@ -148,12 +148,12 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
   <th class="description">description</th>
  </tr>
  <tr class="parity0">
-  <td class="age">many years ago</td>
+  <td class="age">1970-01-01</td>
   <td class="author">test</td>
   <td class="description"><a href="/rev/01de2d66a28d">second a</a></td>
  </tr>
  <tr class="parity1">
-  <td class="age">many years ago</td>
+  <td class="age">1970-01-01</td>
   <td class="author">test</td>
   <td class="description"><a href="/rev/5ed941583260">first a</a></td>
  </tr>
@@ -231,12 +231,12 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
   <th class="description">description</th>
  </tr>
  <tr class="parity0">
-  <td class="age">many years ago</td>
+  <td class="age">1970-01-01</td>
   <td class="author">test</td>
   <td class="description"><a href="/rev/01de2d66a28d">second a</a></td>
  </tr>
  <tr class="parity1">
-  <td class="age">many years ago</td>
+  <td class="age">1970-01-01</td>
   <td class="author">test</td>
   <td class="description"><a href="/rev/5ed941583260">first a</a></td>
  </tr>
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
   <th class="description">description</th>
  </tr>
  <tr class="parity0">
-  <td class="age">many years ago</td>
+  <td class="age">1970-01-01</td>
   <td class="author">test</td>
   <td class="description"><a href="/rev/5ed941583260">first a</a></td>
  </tr>
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
   <th class="description">description</th>
  </tr>
  <tr class="parity0">
-  <td class="age">many years ago</td>
+  <td class="age">1970-01-01</td>
   <td class="author">test</td>
   <td class="description"><a href="/rev/5ed941583260">first a</a></td>
  </tr>
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ 200 Script output follows
 
 <table class="logEntry parity0">
  <tr>
-  <th class="age">many years ago:</th>
+  <th class="age">1970-01-01:</th>
   <th class="firstline"><a href="/rev/38d962e6234d?style=spartan">change c</a></th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ 200 Script output follows
 
 <table class="logEntry parity1">
  <tr>
-  <th class="age">many years ago:</th>
+  <th class="age">1970-01-01:</th>
   <th class="firstline"><a href="/rev/a3b6a9e4507e?style=spartan">mv b</a></th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
diff --git a/tests/test-hgweb-removed.out b/tests/test-hgweb-removed.out
--- a/tests/test-hgweb-removed.out
+++ b/tests/test-hgweb-removed.out
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="date">date</th>
- <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (many years ago)</td></tr>
+ <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (1970-01-01)</td></tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="author">parents</th>
  <td class="author"><a href="/rev/cb9a9f314b8b">cb9a9f314b8b</a> </td>
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th>date</th>
- <td>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (many years ago)</td>
+ <td>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (1970-01-01)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th>parents</th>
diff --git a/tests/test-highlight.out b/tests/test-highlight.out
--- a/tests/test-highlight.out
+++ b/tests/test-highlight.out
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="date">date</th>
- <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (many years ago)</td>
+ <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (1970-01-01)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="author">parents</th>
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ files, or words in the commit message</d
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="date">date</th>
- <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (many years ago)</td>
+ <td class="date">Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 (1970-01-01)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <th class="author">parents</th>