diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/timerender.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/timerender.js
index bb9e7826ac..79c644c990 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/timerender.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/timerender.js
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ run_test('absolute_time_24_hour', () => {
 
 run_test('set_full_datetime', () => {
     var message = {
-        timestamp: 1495091573, // 2017-5-18 07:12:53 AM (UTC+0)
+        timestamp: 1495091573, // 2017/5/18 7:12:53 AM (UTC+0)
     };
     var time_element = $('<span/>');
     var attrs = new Dict();
@@ -207,14 +207,10 @@ run_test('set_full_datetime', () => {
         return time_element;
     };
 
-    // since node >= 8 date.toLocaleDateString and
-    // date.toLocaleTimeString have been changed, instead of
-    // returning 5/18/2017 7:12:53 AM (UTC+0) they now return
-    // 2017-5-18 07:12:53 (UTC+0) - This change does not affect browsers
-    // since browsers have their own way of returning string that is
-    // or maybe inconsistenc with node's way.
+    // The formatting of the string time.toLocale(Date|Time)String() on Node
+    // might differ from the browser.
     var time = new Date(message.timestamp * 1000);
-    var expected = `${time.toLocaleDateString()} 07:12:53 (UTC+0)`;
+    var expected = `${time.toLocaleDateString()} 7:12:53 AM (UTC+0)`;
     timerender.set_full_datetime(message, time_element);
     var actual = attrs.get('title');
     assert.equal(expected, actual);
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js
index 8a1015c47d..fc7fd478b4 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/typeahead_helper.js
@@ -336,22 +336,30 @@ run_test('sort_recipients', () => {
             is_admin: false,
             is_bot: false,
             user_id: 43,
+        }, {
+            email: "a_user@zulip.net",
+            full_name: "A user",
+            is_admin: false,
+            is_bot: false,
+            user_id: 44,
         }, {
             email: "all",
             full_name: "All 2",
             is_admin: false,
             is_bot: false,
-            user_id: 44,
+            user_id: 45,
         },
     ];
 
     recipients = th.sort_recipients(small_matches, "a", "Linux", "Linux Topic");
+
     recipients_email = _.map(recipients, function (person) {
         return person.email;
     });
     expected = [
         'all',
         'all',
+        'a_user@zulip.net',
     ];
     assert.deepEqual(recipients_email, expected);
 
diff --git a/scripts/lib/install-node b/scripts/lib/install-node
index 88d657bae7..d5505d41cf 100755
--- a/scripts/lib/install-node
+++ b/scripts/lib/install-node
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ if [ "$TRAVIS" ] ; then
     ZULIP_SRV="/home/travis"
 fi
 YARN_PACKAGE_JSON="$ZULIP_SRV/zulip-yarn/package.json"
-node_version=8.11.1
+node_version=12.3.1
 yarn_version=1.16.0
 
 # This is a fix for the fact that nvm uses $HOME to determine which