diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/templates.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/templates.js
index 9a35a42109..05928ca117 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/templates.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/templates.js
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ function render(template_name, args) {
     global.write_test_output("message_edit_history.handlebars", html);
     var edited_message = $(html).find("div.messagebox-content");
     assert.equal(edited_message.text().trim(),
-                "1468132659\n            Let's go to dinner!\n            Edited by Alice");
+                "1468132659\n                Let's go to dinner!\n                Edited by Alice");
 }());
 
 (function message_reaction() {
diff --git a/static/js/message_edit.js b/static/js/message_edit.js
index 9c350c43c6..79353aa3eb 100644
--- a/static/js/message_edit.js
+++ b/static/js/message_edit.js
@@ -434,6 +434,7 @@ exports.show_history = function (message) {
         success: function (data) {
             // For now, we ignore topic edits
             var content_edit_history = [];
+            var prev_timestamp;
             _.each(data.message_history, function (msg, index) {
                 if (index !== 0 && !msg.prev_content) {
                     // Skip topic edits
@@ -441,13 +442,20 @@ exports.show_history = function (message) {
                 }
 
                 // Format timestamp nicely for display
-                var item = {timestamp: moment(timerender.get_full_time(msg.timestamp)).format("h:mm A")};
+                var timestamp = timerender.get_full_time(msg.timestamp);
+                var item = {
+                    timestamp: moment(timestamp).format("h:mm A"),
+                    display_date: moment(timestamp).format("MMMM D, YYYY"),
+                };
                 if (index === 0) {
                     item.posted_or_edited = "Posted by";
                     item.body_to_render = msg.rendered_content;
+                    prev_timestamp = timestamp;
+                    item.show_date_row = true;
                 } else {
                     item.posted_or_edited = "Edited by";
                     item.body_to_render = msg.content_html_diff;
+                    item.show_date_row = !moment(timestamp).isSame(prev_timestamp, 'day');
                 }
                 if (msg.user_id) {
                     var person = people.get_person_from_user_id(msg.user_id);
diff --git a/static/templates/message_edit_history.handlebars b/static/templates/message_edit_history.handlebars
index ec58bc34b6..79604f85d0 100644
--- a/static/templates/message_edit_history.handlebars
+++ b/static/templates/message_edit_history.handlebars
@@ -1,15 +1,17 @@
 {{! Client-side Mustache template for viewing message edit history.}}
 
-<div class="date_row"><span id="timerender2">{{t 'Earliest' }}</span></div>
 {{#each edited_messages}}
-<div class="">
-    <div class="messagebox-border">
-        <div class="messagebox-content">
-            <div class="message_top_line"><span class="message_time">{{ timestamp }}</span></div>
-            <div class="message_edit_content">{{{ body_to_render }}}</div>
-            <div class="message_author"><div class="author_details">{{ posted_or_edited }} {{ edited_by }}</div></div>
+    {{#if show_date_row}}
+    <div class="date_row"><span>{{ display_date }}</span></div>
+    {{/if}}
+    <div class="">
+        <div class="messagebox-border">
+            <div class="messagebox-content">
+                <div class="message_top_line"><span class="message_time">{{ timestamp }}</span></div>
+                <div class="message_edit_content">{{{ body_to_render }}}</div>
+                <div class="message_author"><div class="author_details">{{ posted_or_edited }} {{ edited_by }}</div></div>
+            </div>
         </div>
     </div>
-</div>
-<hr/>
+    <hr/>
 {{/each}}