diff --git a/lib/private/server.php b/lib/private/server.php
index ce21980c53..e010550697 100644
--- a/lib/private/server.php
+++ b/lib/private/server.php
@@ -275,6 +275,12 @@ class Server extends SimpleContainer implements IServerContainer {
 			$groupManager = $c->getGroupManager();
 			return new \OC\App\AppManager($userSession, $appConfig, $groupManager);
 		});
+		$this->registerService('DateTimeFormatter', function(Server $c) {
+			$timeZone = $c->getTimeZone();
+			$language = $c->getConfig()->getUserValue($c->getSession()->get('user_id'), 'core', 'lang', null);
+
+			return new \OC\DateTimeFormatter($timeZone, $c->getL10N('lib', $language));
+		});
 		$this->registerService('MountConfigManager', function () {
 			$loader = \OC\Files\Filesystem::getLoader();
 			return new \OC\Files\Config\MountProviderCollection($loader);
@@ -686,6 +692,31 @@ class Server extends SimpleContainer implements IServerContainer {
 		return $this->webRoot;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Get the timezone of the current user, based on his session information and config data
+	 *
+	 * @return \DateTimeZone
+	 */
+	public function getTimeZone() {
+		$timeZone = $this->getConfig()->getUserValue($this->getSession()->get('user_id'), 'core', 'timezone', null);
+		if ($timeZone === null) {
+			if ($this->getSession()->exists('timezone')) {
+				$offsetHours = $this->getSession()->get('timezone');
+				// Note: the timeZone name is the inverse to the offset,
+				// so a positive offset means negative timeZone
+				// and the other way around.
+				if ($offsetHours > 0) {
+					return new \DateTimeZone('Etc/GMT-' . $offsetHours);
+				} else {
+					return new \DateTimeZone('Etc/GMT+' . abs($offsetHours));
+				}
+			} else {
+				return new \DateTimeZone('UTC');
+			}
+		}
+		return new \DateTimeZone($timeZone);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @return \OCP\Files\Config\IMountProviderCollection
 	 */
diff --git a/lib/private/template/functions.php b/lib/private/template/functions.php
index 4172d47ba6..288b7838ca 100644
--- a/lib/private/template/functions.php
+++ b/lib/private/template/functions.php
@@ -205,36 +205,16 @@ function strip_time($timestamp){
  * @param int $timestamp timestamp to format
  * @param int $fromTime timestamp to compare from, defaults to current time
  * @param bool $dateOnly whether to strip time information
- * @return OC_L10N_String timestamp
+ * @return string timestamp
  */
 function relative_modified_date($timestamp, $fromTime = null, $dateOnly = false) {
-	$l = \OC::$server->getL10N('lib');
-	if (!isset($fromTime) || $fromTime === null){
-		$fromTime = time();
-	}
-	if ($dateOnly){
-		$fromTime = strip_time($fromTime);
-		$timestamp = strip_time($timestamp);
-	}
-	$timediff = $fromTime - $timestamp;
-	$diffminutes = round($timediff/60);
-	$diffhours = round($diffminutes/60);
-	$diffdays = round($diffhours/24);
-	$diffmonths = round($diffdays/31);
+	/** @var \OC\DateTimeFormatter $formatter */
+	$formatter = \OC::$server->query('DateTimeFormatter');
 
-	if(!$dateOnly && $timediff < 60) { return $l->t('seconds ago'); }
-	else if(!$dateOnly && $timediff < 3600) { return $l->n('%n minute ago', '%n minutes ago', $diffminutes); }
-	else if(!$dateOnly && $timediff < 86400) { return $l->n('%n hour ago', '%n hours ago', $diffhours); }
-	else if((date('G', $fromTime)-$diffhours) >= 0) { return $l->t('today'); }
-	else if((date('G', $fromTime)-$diffhours) >= -24) { return $l->t('yesterday'); }
-	// 86400 * 31 days = 2678400
-	else if($timediff < 2678400) { return $l->n('%n day go', '%n days ago', $diffdays); }
-	// 86400 * 60 days = 518400
-	else if($timediff < 5184000) { return $l->t('last month'); }
-	else if((date('n', $fromTime)-$diffmonths) > 0) { return $l->n('%n month ago', '%n months ago', $diffmonths); }
-	// 86400 * 365.25 days * 2 = 63113852
-	else if($timediff < 63113852) { return $l->t('last year'); }
-	else { return $l->t('years ago'); }
+	if ($dateOnly){
+		return $formatter->formatDateSpan($timestamp, $fromTime);
+	}
+	return $formatter->formatTimeSpan($timestamp, $fromTime);
 }
 
 function html_select_options($options, $selected, $params=array()) {
diff --git a/lib/private/util.php b/lib/private/util.php
index d28fa80160..6ccb9dba08 100644
--- a/lib/private/util.php
+++ b/lib/private/util.php
@@ -435,27 +435,20 @@ class OC_Util {
 	 * @param bool $dateOnly option to omit time from the result
 	 * @param DateTimeZone|string $timeZone where the given timestamp shall be converted to
 	 * @return string timestamp
-	 * @description adjust to clients timezone if we know it
+	 *
+	 * @deprecated Use \OC::$server->query('DateTimeFormatter') instead
 	 */
 	public static function formatDate($timestamp, $dateOnly = false, $timeZone = null) {
-		if (is_null($timeZone)) {
-			if (\OC::$server->getSession()->exists('timezone')) {
-				$systemTimeZone = intval(date('O'));
-				$systemTimeZone = (round($systemTimeZone / 100, 0) * 60) + ($systemTimeZone % 100);
-				$clientTimeZone = \OC::$server->getSession()->get('timezone') * 60;
-				$offset = $clientTimeZone - $systemTimeZone;
-				$timestamp = $timestamp + $offset * 60;
-			}
-		} else {
-			if (!$timeZone instanceof DateTimeZone) {
-				$timeZone = new DateTimeZone($timeZone);
-			}
-			$dt = new DateTime("@$timestamp");
-			$offset = $timeZone->getOffset($dt);
-			$timestamp += $offset;
+		if ($timeZone !== null && !$timeZone instanceof \DateTimeZone) {
+			$timeZone = new \DateTimeZone($timeZone);
 		}
-		$l = \OC::$server->getL10N('lib');
-		return $l->l($dateOnly ? 'date' : 'datetime', $timestamp);
+
+		/** @var \OC\DateTimeFormatter $formatter */
+		$formatter = \OC::$server->query('DateTimeFormatter');
+		if ($dateOnly) {
+			return $formatter->formatDate($timestamp, 'long', $timeZone);
+		}
+		return $formatter->formatDateTime($timestamp, 'long', 'long', $timeZone);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/lib/public/template.php b/lib/public/template.php
index 93af794ba6..89934a842e 100644
--- a/lib/public/template.php
+++ b/lib/public/template.php
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ function human_file_size( $bytes ) {
  * @param int $timestamp unix timestamp
  * @param boolean $dateOnly
  * @return \OC_L10N_String human readable interpretation of the timestamp
+ *
  * @deprecated Use \OCP\Template::relative_modified_date() instead
  */
 function relative_modified_date( $timestamp, $dateOnly = false ) {
@@ -188,12 +189,12 @@ class Template extends \OC_Template {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Return the relative date in relation to today. Returns something like "last hour" or "two month ago"
-	 *
-	 * @param int $timestamp unix timestamp
-	 * @param boolean $dateOnly
-	 * @return \OC_L10N_String human readable interpretation of the timestamp
-	 */
+	* Return the relative date in relation to today. Returns something like "last hour" or "two month ago"
+	*
+	* @param int $timestamp unix timestamp
+	* @param boolean $dateOnly
+	* @return string human readable interpretation of the timestamp
+	*/
 	public static function relative_modified_date($timestamp, $dateOnly = false) {
 		return \relative_modified_date($timestamp, null, $dateOnly);
 	}
diff --git a/lib/public/util.php b/lib/public/util.php
index 793a16c4d8..7f1974a421 100644
--- a/lib/public/util.php
+++ b/lib/public/util.php
@@ -163,6 +163,8 @@ class Util {
 	 * @param bool $dateOnly option to omit time from the result
 	 * @param DateTimeZone|string $timeZone where the given timestamp shall be converted to
 	 * @return string timestamp
+	 *
+	 * @deprecated Use \OC::$server->query('DateTimeFormatter') instead
 	 */
 	public static function formatDate($timestamp, $dateOnly=false, $timeZone = null) {
 		return(\OC_Util::formatDate($timestamp, $dateOnly, $timeZone));
diff --git a/tests/lib/template.php b/tests/lib/template.php
index d77284a5bf..db58238eae 100644
--- a/tests/lib/template.php
+++ b/tests/lib/template.php
@@ -117,15 +117,15 @@ class Test_TemplateFunctions extends \Test\TestCase {
 
 	public function testRelativeDateMonthsAgo(){
 		$currentTime = 1380703592;
-		$elementTime = $currentTime - 86400 * 60;
-		$result = (string)relative_modified_date($elementTime, $currentTime, true);
-
-		$this->assertEquals('2 months ago', $result);
-
 		$elementTime = $currentTime - 86400 * 65;
 		$result = (string)relative_modified_date($elementTime, $currentTime, true);
 
 		$this->assertEquals('2 months ago', $result);
+
+		$elementTime = $currentTime - 86400 * 130;
+		$result = (string)relative_modified_date($elementTime, $currentTime, true);
+
+		$this->assertEquals('4 months ago', $result);
 	}
 
 	public function testRelativeDateLastYear(){
@@ -146,12 +146,12 @@ class Test_TemplateFunctions extends \Test\TestCase {
 		$elementTime = $currentTime - 86400 * 365.25 * 2;
 		$result = (string)relative_modified_date($elementTime, $currentTime, true);
 
-		$this->assertEquals('years ago', $result);
+		$this->assertEquals('2 years ago', $result);
 
 		$elementTime = $currentTime - 86400 * 365.25 * 3;
 		$result = (string)relative_modified_date($elementTime, $currentTime, true);
 
-		$this->assertEquals('years ago', $result);
+		$this->assertEquals('3 years ago', $result);
 	}
 
 	// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -211,15 +211,15 @@ class Test_TemplateFunctions extends \Test\TestCase {
 
 	public function testRelativeTimeMonthsAgo(){
 		$currentTime = 1380703592;
-		$elementTime = $currentTime - 86400 * 60;
-		$result = (string)relative_modified_date($elementTime, $currentTime, false);
-
-		$this->assertEquals('2 months ago', $result);
-
 		$elementTime = $currentTime - 86400 * 65;
 		$result = (string)relative_modified_date($elementTime, $currentTime, false);
 
 		$this->assertEquals('2 months ago', $result);
+
+		$elementTime = $currentTime - 86400 * 130;
+		$result = (string)relative_modified_date($elementTime, $currentTime, false);
+
+		$this->assertEquals('4 months ago', $result);
 	}
 
 	public function testRelativeTimeLastYear(){
@@ -240,11 +240,11 @@ class Test_TemplateFunctions extends \Test\TestCase {
 		$elementTime = $currentTime - 86400 * 365.25 * 2;
 		$result = (string)relative_modified_date($elementTime, $currentTime, false);
 
-		$this->assertEquals('years ago', $result);
+		$this->assertEquals('2 years ago', $result);
 
 		$elementTime = $currentTime - 86400 * 365.25 * 3;
 		$result = (string)relative_modified_date($elementTime, $currentTime, false);
 
-		$this->assertEquals('years ago', $result);
+		$this->assertEquals('3 years ago', $result);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/lib/util.php b/tests/lib/util.php
index 3bb4b47c09..1a2cb09f38 100644
--- a/tests/lib/util.php
+++ b/tests/lib/util.php
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class Test_Util extends \Test\TestCase {
 		date_default_timezone_set("UTC");
 
 		$result = OC_Util::formatDate(1350129205, false, 'Europe/Berlin');
-		$expected = 'October 13, 2012 at 1:53:25 PM GMT+0';
+		$expected = 'October 13, 2012 at 1:53:25 PM GMT+2';
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
 	}
 
@@ -55,10 +55,22 @@ class Test_Util extends \Test\TestCase {
 	function testFormatDateWithTZFromSession() {
 		date_default_timezone_set("UTC");
 
+		$oldDateTimeFormatter = \OC::$server->query('DateTimeFormatter');
 		\OC::$server->getSession()->set('timezone', 3);
+		$newDateTimeFormatter = new \OC\DateTimeFormatter(\OC::$server->getTimeZone(), new \OC_L10N('lib', 'en'));
+		$this->setDateFormatter($newDateTimeFormatter);
+
 		$result = OC_Util::formatDate(1350129205, false);
-		$expected = 'October 13, 2012 at 2:53:25 PM GMT+0';
+		$expected = 'October 13, 2012 at 2:53:25 PM GMT+3';
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
+
+		$this->setDateFormatter($oldDateTimeFormatter);
+	}
+
+	protected function setDateFormatter($formatter) {
+		\OC::$server->registerService('DateTimeFormatter', function ($c) use ($formatter) {
+			return $formatter;
+		});
 	}
 
 	function testCallRegister() {