diff --git a/_locales/en/messages.json b/_locales/en/messages.json
index 3255b252..ba3e56ee 100644
--- a/_locales/en/messages.json
+++ b/_locales/en/messages.json
@@ -310,43 +310,15 @@
         "description": "Informational text displayed if a sync operation times out."
     },
     "timestamp_s": {
-       "description": "Short or abbreviated timestamp for messages sent less than a minute ago. Displayed in the conversation list.",
+       "description": "Brief timestamp for messages sent less than a minute ago. Displayed in the conversation list and message bubble.",
        "message": "now"
     },
     "timestamp_m": {
-      "description": "Short or abbreviated timestamp for messages sent a minute ago. Displayed in the conversation list.",
-      "message": "1 min"
-    },
-    "timestamp_mm": {
-        "description": "Short or abbreviated timestamp for messages sent multiple minutes ago. Displayed in the conversation list.",
-       "message": "%d min"
+       "description": "Brief timestamp for messages sent about one minute ago. Displayed in the conversation list and message bubble.",
+       "message": "1 minute"
     },
     "timestamp_h": {
-        "description": "Short or abbreviated timestamp for messages sent about an hour ago. Displayed in the conversation list.",
+       "description": "Brief timestamp for messages sent about one minute ago. Displayed in the conversation list and message bubble.",
        "message": "1 hour"
-    },
-    "timestamp_hh": {
-        "description": "Short or abbreviated timestamp for messages sent multiple hours ago. Displayed in the conversation list.",
-       "message": "%d hours"
-    },
-    "extendedTimestamp_s": {
-        "description": "Timestamp for messages sent less than a minute ago. Displayed in the message bubble.",
-       "message": "now"
-    },
-    "extendedTimestamp_m": {
-       "description": "Timestamp for messages sent about a minute ago. Displayed in the message bubble.",
-       "message": "1 minute ago"
-    },
-    "extendedTimestamp_mm": {
-       "description": "Timestamp for messages sent multiple minutes ago. Displayed in the message bubble.",
-       "message": "%d minutes ago"
-    },
-    "extendedTimestamp_h": {
-       "description": "Timestamp for messages sent one hour ago. Displayed in the message bubble.",
-       "message": "1 hour ago"
-    },
-    "extendedTimestamp_hh": {
-       "description": "Timestamp for messages sent multiple hours ago. Displayed in the message bubble.",
-       "message": "%d hours ago"
     }
 }
diff --git a/js/chromium.js b/js/chromium.js
index 87412124..39d7b5f3 100644
--- a/js/chromium.js
+++ b/js/chromium.js
@@ -169,9 +169,12 @@
             return chrome.i18n.getMessage(message, substitutions);
         }
     };
-    if (window.chrome && chrome.i18n) {
-        moment.locale(chrome.i18n.getUILanguage());
-    }
+    i18n.getLocale = function() {
+        if (window.chrome && chrome.i18n) {
+            return chrome.i18n.getUILanguage();
+        }
+        return 'en';
+    };
 
     window.textsecure = window.textsecure || {};
     window.textsecure.registration = {
diff --git a/js/views/timestamp_view.js b/js/views/timestamp_view.js
index bb1999bd..3de8b515 100644
--- a/js/views/timestamp_view.js
+++ b/js/views/timestamp_view.js
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@
     'use strict';
     window.Whisper = window.Whisper || {};
 
+    moment.updateLocale(i18n.getLocale(), {
+        relativeTime : {
+            s: i18n('timestamp_s') || 'now',
+            m: i18n('timestamp_m') || '1 minute',
+            h: i18n('timestamp_h') || '1 hour'
+        }
+    });
+    moment.locale(i18n.getLocale());
+
     Whisper.TimestampView = Whisper.View.extend({
         initialize: function(options) {
             extension.windows.onClosed(this.clearTimeout.bind(this));
@@ -50,13 +59,13 @@
                 return timestamp.format(this._format.d);
             } else if (timediff.hours() > 1) {
                 this.delay = moment(timestamp).add(timediff.hours() + 1,'h').diff(moment());
-                return this.relativeTime(timediff.hours(), 'hh');
+                return this.relativeTime(timediff.hours(), 'h');
             } else if (timediff.hours() === 1) {
                 this.delay = moment(timestamp).add(timediff.hours() + 1,'h').diff(moment());
                 return this.relativeTime(timediff.hours(), 'h');
             } else if (timediff.minutes() > 1) {
                 this.delay = moment(timestamp).add(timediff.minutes() + 1,'m').diff(moment());
-                return this.relativeTime(timediff.minutes(), 'mm');
+                return this.relativeTime(timediff.minutes(), 'm');
             } else if (timediff.minutes() === 1) {
                 this.delay = moment(timestamp).add(timediff.minutes() + 1,'m').diff(moment());
                 return this.relativeTime(timediff.minutes(), 'm');
@@ -65,16 +74,10 @@
                 return this.relativeTime(timediff.seconds(), 's');
             }
         },
-        relativeTime : function (number, string, isFuture) {
-            var format = i18n("timestamp_"+string) || this._format[string];
-            return format.replace(/%d/i, number);
+        relativeTime : function (number, string) {
+            return moment.duration(number, string).humanize();
         },
         _format: {
-            s: "now",
-            m: "1 min",
-            mm: "%d min",
-            h: "1 hour",
-            hh: "%d hours",
             y: "MMM D, YYYY",
             mo: "MMM D",
             d: "ddd"
@@ -82,15 +85,9 @@
     });
     Whisper.ExtendedTimestampView = Whisper.TimestampView.extend({
         relativeTime : function (number, string, isFuture) {
-            var format = i18n("extendedTimestamp_"+string) || this._format[string];
-            return format.replace(/%d/i, number);
+            return moment.duration(-1 * number, string).humanize(string !== 's');
         },
         _format: {
-            s: "now",
-            m: "%d minute ago",
-            mm: "%d minutes ago",
-            h: "%d hour ago",
-            hh: "%d hours ago",
             y: "MMM D, YYYY LT",
             mo: "MMM D LT",
             d: "ddd LT"
diff --git a/test/views/timestamp_view_test.js b/test/views/timestamp_view_test.js
index 3615666e..bf426926 100644
--- a/test/views/timestamp_view_test.js
+++ b/test/views/timestamp_view_test.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ describe('TimestampView', function() {
 
         // check recent timestamps
         checkDiff(30, 'now', 'now'); // 30 seconds
-        checkDiff(40*60, '40 min', '40 minutes ago');
+        checkDiff(40*60, '40 minutes', '40 minutes ago');
         checkDiff(60*60, '1 hour', '1 hour ago');
         checkDiff(125*60, '2 hours', '2 hours ago');