diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py b/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py
index e1cd57330..482d459c9 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py
@@ -319,6 +319,8 @@ def trunc_time(time, mins, hours=None):
                         second = 0,
                         microsecond = 0)
 
+def long_datetime(datetime):
+    return datetime.ctime() + " GMT"
 
 def median(l):
     if l:
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/comment.html b/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
index d2b3477af..4d47ec47a 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
    from r2.lib.pages import WrappedUser
 %>
 
+<%namespace file="utils.html" import="timestamp" />
 <%inherit file="comment_skeleton.html"/>
 
 #####################
@@ -95,8 +96,7 @@ ${parent.collapsed()}
     %if show:
        ${unsafe(self.score(thing, likes = thing.likes))}&#32;
     %endif
-    ## thing.timesince is a cache stub
-    ${unsafe(_("%(timeago)s ago") % dict(timeago=thing.timesince))}
+    ${timestamp(thing, thing.timesince)}&#32;${_("ago")}
     %if thing.editted:
       <em>*</em>&nbsp;
     %endif
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/link.html b/r2/r2/templates/link.html
index cbd180fca..67ae9e45c 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/link.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/link.html
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 %>
  
 <%inherit  file="printable.html"/>
-<%namespace file="utils.html" import="plain_link" />
+<%namespace file="utils.html" import="plain_link, timestamp" />
 <%namespace file="printablebuttons.html" import="toggle_button" />
  
 <%def name="numcol()">
@@ -214,8 +214,8 @@ ${parent.thing_css_class(what)} ${"over18" if thing.over_18 else ""}
 
   ${unsafe(taglinetext % dict(reddit = self.subreddit(), 
                               score = capture(self.score, thing, thing.likes, tag='span'),
-                              when = thing.timesince, 
-                              author= WrappedUser(thing.author, thing.attribs, thing).render()))}
+                              when = capture(timestamp, thing, thing.timesince),
+                              author = WrappedUser(thing.author, thing.attribs, thing).render()))}
 
 </%def>
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/profilebar.html b/r2/r2/templates/profilebar.html
index a83bd999a..e842f6768 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/profilebar.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/profilebar.html
@@ -24,9 +24,8 @@
    import locale
    from r2.lib.filters import edit_comment_filter, unsafe, safemarkdown
    from r2.lib.template_helpers import static
-   from r2.lib.utils import timesince
  %>
-<%namespace file="utils.html" import="submit_form, plain_link"/>
+<%namespace file="utils.html" import="submit_form, plain_link, timestamp"/>
 <%namespace file="printablebuttons.html" import="toggle_button"/>
 
 <div class="titlebox">
@@ -129,7 +128,7 @@
     %endif
 
     <span class="age">
-      ${_("redditor for %(time)s") % dict(time=timesince(thing.user._date))}
+      ${_("redditor for")}&#32;${timestamp(thing.user)}
     </span>
   </div>
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/subredditinfobar.html b/r2/r2/templates/subredditinfobar.html
index ee2beba72..413f4e576 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/subredditinfobar.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/subredditinfobar.html
@@ -22,12 +22,11 @@
 
 <%!
    import locale
-   from r2.lib.utils import timesince
    from r2.lib.strings import strings, Score
    from r2.lib.pages import WrappedUser
  %>
 
-<%namespace file="utils.html" import="plain_link"/>
+<%namespace file="utils.html" import="plain_link, timestamp"/>
 <%namespace file="subreddit.html" import="addremove_button" />
 <%namespace file="printablebuttons.html" import="ynbutton, state_button" />
 
@@ -70,7 +69,7 @@
     %endif
     
     <span class="age">
-      ${_("a community for %(time)s") % dict(time=timesince(thing.sr._date))}
+      ${_("a community for")}&#32;${timestamp(thing.sr)}
     </span>  
   </div>
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/utils.html b/r2/r2/templates/utils.html
index ea019e1a6..e9c34ff82 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/utils.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/utils.html
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 <%!
    from r2.lib.filters import spaceCompress, unsafe
    from r2.lib.template_helpers import add_sr
-   from r2.lib.utils import cols
+   from r2.lib.utils import cols, long_datetime, timesince
 %>
 <%def name="tags(**kw)">
 %for k, v in kw.iteritems():
@@ -476,6 +476,14 @@ ${unsafe(txt)}
     </div>
 </%def>
 
+<%def name="timestamp(thing, since=None)">
+  ## todo: use pubdate attribute once things are <article> tags.
+  ## note: comment and link templates will pass a CachedVariable stub as since.
+  <time title="${long_datetime(thing._date)}" datetime="${thing._date.isoformat()}">
+    ${unsafe(since or timesince(thing._date))}
+  </time>
+</%def>
+
 <%def name="percentage(slice, total)">
   %if total is None or total == "" or total == 0 or slice is None or slice == "":
     --