diff --git a/Guardfile b/Guardfile
index 147f523cc2b..a3e3ef8b9c2 100644
--- a/Guardfile
+++ b/Guardfile
@@ -58,19 +58,21 @@ unless ENV["USING_AUTOSPEC"]
   end
 end
 
-def message_bus
-  MessageBus::Instance.new.tap do |bus|
-    bus.site_id_lookup do
-      # this is going to be dev the majority of the time, if you have multisite configured in dev stuff may be different
-      "default"
-    end
-  end
-end
 
 module ::Guard
   class AutoReload < ::Guard::Guard
 
     require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/config/environment'
+
+    def self.message_bus
+      MessageBus::Instance.new.tap do |bus|
+        bus.site_id_lookup do
+          # this is going to be dev the majority of the time, if you have multisite configured in dev stuff may be different
+          "default"
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
     def run_on_change(paths)
       paths.map! do |p|
         hash = nil
@@ -82,7 +84,7 @@ module ::Guard
         p = p.sub /^app\/assets\/stylesheets/, "assets"
         {name: p, hash: hash}
       end
-      message_bus.publish "/file-change", paths
+      self.class.message_bus.publish "/file-change", paths
     end
 
     def run_all
@@ -93,7 +95,7 @@ end
 Thread.new do
   Listen.to('tmp/') do |modified,added,removed|
     modified.each do |m|
-      message_bus.publish "/file-change", ["refresh"] if m =~ /refresh_browser/
+      Guard::AutoReload.message_bus.publish "/file-change", ["refresh"] if m =~ /refresh_browser/
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse.js
index 228db475c01..c619a7dcb18 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse.js
@@ -141,6 +141,10 @@ Discourse = Ember.Application.createWithMixins({
         xhr.setRequestHeader('X-CSRF-Token', csrfToken);
       }
     });
+
+    setInterval(function(){
+      Discourse.Formatter.updateRelativeAge($('.relative-date'));
+    },60 * 1000);
   },
 
   /**
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/formatter.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/formatter.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a7152f51d77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/formatter.js
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+Discourse.Formatter = (function(){
+  var updateRelativeAge, autoUpdatingRelativeAge, relativeAge;
+
+  updateRelativeAge = function(elems) {
+    elems.each(function(){
+      var $this = $(this);
+      $this.html(relativeAge(new Date($this.data('time')), $this.data('format')));
+    });
+  };
+
+  autoUpdatingRelativeAge = function(date,options) {
+    options = options || {};
+    var format = options.format || "tiny";
+
+    return "<span class='relative-date' data-time='" + date.getTime() + "' data-format='" + format +  "'>" + relativeAge(date, options)  + "</span>";
+  };
+
+  // mostly lifted from rails with a few amendments
+  relativeAge = function(date, options) {
+    options = options || {};
+    var format = options.format || "tiny";
+
+    var distance = Math.round((new Date() - date) / 1000);
+    var distance_in_minutes = Math.round(distance / 60.0);
+
+    var formatted;
+    var t = function(key,opts){
+      return Ember.String.i18n("dates." + format + "." + key, opts);
+    };
+
+    switch(true){
+
+    case(distance_in_minutes < 1):
+      formatted = t("less_than_x_minutes", {count: 1});
+      break;
+    case(distance_in_minutes >= 1 && distance_in_minutes <= 44):
+      formatted = t("x_minutes", {count: distance_in_minutes});
+      break;
+    case(distance_in_minutes >= 45 && distance_in_minutes <= 89):
+      formatted = t("about_x_hours", {count: 1});
+      break;
+    case(distance_in_minutes >= 90 && distance_in_minutes <= 1439):
+      formatted = t("about_x_hours", {count: Math.round(distance_in_minutes / 60.0)});
+      break;
+    case(distance_in_minutes >= 1440 && distance_in_minutes <= 2519):
+      formatted = t("x_days", {count: 1});
+      break;
+    case(distance_in_minutes >= 2520 && distance_in_minutes <= 129599):
+      formatted = t("x_days", {count: Math.round(distance_in_minutes / 1440.0)});
+      break;
+    case(distance_in_minutes >= 129600 && distance_in_minutes <= 525599):
+      formatted = t("x_months", {count: Math.round(distance_in_minutes / 43200.0)});
+      break;
+    default:
+      var months = Math.round(distance_in_minutes / 43200.0);
+      if (months < 24) {
+        formatted = t("x_months", {count: months});
+      } else {
+        formatted = t("over_x_years", {count: Math.round(months / 12.0)});
+      }
+      break;
+    }
+
+    return formatted;
+  };
+
+  return {relativeAge: relativeAge, autoUpdatingRelativeAge: autoUpdatingRelativeAge, updateRelativeAge: updateRelativeAge};
+})();
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/application_helpers.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/application_helpers.js
index 40a4fdf5391..6091aba78fb 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/application_helpers.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/application_helpers.js
@@ -173,11 +173,21 @@ Handlebars.registerHelper('avatar', function(user, options) {
   @for Handlebars
 **/
 Handlebars.registerHelper('unboundDate', function(property, options) {
-  var dt;
-  dt = new Date(Ember.Handlebars.get(this, property, options));
+  var dt = new Date(Ember.Handlebars.get(this, property, options));
   return dt.format("long");
 });
 
+/**
+  Live refreshing age helper
+
+  @method unboundDate
+  @for Handlebars
+**/
+Handlebars.registerHelper('unboundAge', function(property, options) {
+  var dt = new Date(Ember.Handlebars.get(this, property, options));
+  return new Handlebars.SafeString(Discourse.Formatter.autoUpdatingRelativeAge(dt));
+});
+
 /**
   Display a date related to an edit of a post
 
@@ -285,7 +295,7 @@ Handlebars.registerHelper('date', function(property, options) {
     }
     displayDate = humanized;
     if (!leaveAgo) {
-        displayDate = (dt.millisecondsAgo()).duration();
+      displayDate = (dt.millisecondsAgo()).duration();
     }
   }
   return new Handlebars.SafeString("<span class='date' title='" + fullReadable + "'>" + displayDate + "</span>");
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topic_list_item.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topic_list_item.js.handlebars
index 5ab4f16640c..f03e659e238 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topic_list_item.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topic_list_item.js.handlebars
@@ -63,14 +63,14 @@
 
   {{#if bumped}}
     <td class='num activity'>
-      <a href="{{url}}" {{{bindAttr class=":age ageCold"}}} title='{{i18n first_post}}: {{{unboundDate created_at}}}' >{{{age}}}</a>
+      <a href="{{url}}" {{{bindAttr class=":age ageCold"}}} title='{{i18n first_post}}: {{{unboundDate created_at}}}' >{{unboundAge created_at}}</a>
     </td>
     <td class='num activity last'>
-      <a href="{{lastPostUrl}}" class='age' title='{{i18n last_post}}: {{{unboundDate bumped_at}}}'>{{{bumped_age}}}</a>
+      <a href="{{lastPostUrl}}" class='age' title='{{i18n last_post}}: {{{unboundDate bumped_at}}}'>{{unboundAge bumped_at}}</a>
     </td>
   {{else}}
     <td class='num activity'>
-      <a href="{{url}}" class='age' title='{{i18n first_post}}: {{{unboundDate created_at}}}'>{{{age}}}</a>
+      <a href="{{url}}" class='age' title='{{i18n first_post}}: {{{unboundDate created_at}}}'>{{unboundAge created_at}}</a>
     </td>
     <td></td>
   {{/if}}
diff --git a/app/serializers/listable_topic_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/listable_topic_serializer.rb
index 8b66469201d..b48448a24a4 100644
--- a/app/serializers/listable_topic_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/listable_topic_serializer.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-require_dependency 'age_words'
 require_dependency 'pinned_check'
 
 class ListableTopicSerializer < BasicTopicSerializer
@@ -10,8 +9,6 @@ class ListableTopicSerializer < BasicTopicSerializer
              :last_posted_at,
              :bumped,
              :bumped_at,
-             :bumped_age,
-             :age,
              :unseen,
              :last_read_post_number,
              :unread,
@@ -23,20 +20,10 @@ class ListableTopicSerializer < BasicTopicSerializer
              :closed,
              :archived
 
-  def age
-    AgeWords.age_words(Time.now - (object.created_at || Time.now))
-  end
-
   def bumped
     object.created_at < object.bumped_at
   end
 
-  def bumped_age
-    return nil if object.bumped_at.blank?
-    AgeWords.age_words(Time.now - object.bumped_at)
-  end
-  alias include_bumped_age? :bumped
-
   def seen
     object.user_data.present?
   end
diff --git a/config/locales/client.en.yml b/config/locales/client.en.yml
index 6011936edf4..ff7ec173bd7 100644
--- a/config/locales/client.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/client.en.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,42 @@
 
 en:
   js:
+    dates:
+      tiny:
+        half_a_minute: "< 1m"
+        less_than_x_seconds:
+          one:   "< 1s"
+          other: "< %{count}s"
+        x_seconds:
+          one:   "1s"
+          other: "%{count}s"
+        less_than_x_minutes:
+          one:   "< 1m"
+          other: "< %{count}m"
+        x_minutes:
+          one:   "1m"
+          other: "%{count}m"
+        about_x_hours:
+          one:   "1h"
+          other: "%{count}h"
+        x_days:
+          one:   "1d"
+          other: "%{count}d"
+        about_x_months:
+          one:   "1mon"
+          other: "%{count}mon"
+        x_months:
+          one:   "1mon"
+          other: "%{count}mon"
+        about_x_years:
+          one:   "1y"
+          other: "%{count}y"
+        over_x_years:
+          one:   "> 1y"
+          other: "> %{count}y"
+        almost_x_years:
+          one:   "1y"
+          other: "%{count}y"
     share:
       topic: 'share a link to this topic'
       post: 'share a link to this post'
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/components/formatter_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/components/formatter_spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8ea077199c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/javascripts/components/formatter_spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/*global expect:true describe:true it:true beforeEach:true afterEach:true spyOn:true */
+
+describe("Discourse.Formatter", function() {
+
+  describe("relativeTime", function() {
+
+    it("can format dates", function() {
+      var mins_ago = function(mins){
+        return new Date((new Date()) - mins * 60 * 1000);
+      };
+
+      var formatMins = function(mins) {
+        return Discourse.Formatter.relativeAge(mins_ago(mins));
+      };
+
+      var formatHours = function(hours) {
+        return formatMins(hours * 60);
+      };
+
+      var formatDays = function(days) {
+        return formatHours(days * 24);
+      };
+
+      var formatMonths = function(months) {
+        return formatDays(months * 30);
+      };
+
+      expect(formatMins(0)).toBe("< 1m");
+      expect(formatMins(2)).toBe("2m");
+      expect(formatMins(60)).toBe("1h");
+      expect(formatHours(4)).toBe("4h");
+      expect(formatDays(1)).toBe("1d");
+      expect(formatDays(20)).toBe("20d");
+      expect(formatMonths(3)).toBe("3mon");
+      expect(formatMonths(23)).toBe("23mon");
+      expect(formatMonths(24)).toBe("> 2y");
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("autoUpdatingRelativeAge", function(){
+    it("can format dates", function(){
+      var d = new Date();
+
+      var $elem = $(Discourse.Formatter.autoUpdatingRelativeAge(d));
+
+      expect($elem.data('format')).toBe("tiny");
+      expect($elem.data('time')).toBe(d.getTime());
+    });
+  });
+  describe("updateRelativeAge", function(){
+    it("can update relative dates", function(){
+
+      var d = new Date();
+      var $elem = $(Discourse.Formatter.autoUpdatingRelativeAge(d));
+      $elem.data('time', d.getTime() - 2 * 60 * 1000);
+
+      Discourse.Formatter.updateRelativeAge($elem);
+
+      expect($elem.html()).toBe("2m");
+
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/spec.js b/spec/javascripts/spec.js
index e7d3fe6736f..3a589046230 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/spec.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 //= require ../../app/assets/javascripts/locales/i18n
 //= require ../../app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/i18n_helpers
+//= require ../../app/assets/javascripts/locales/en
 //= require ../../app/assets/javascripts/discourse
 
 // Stuff we need to load first