diff --git a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
index d4bf147ad5..d98a464aef 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         // shape parameter to be passed to EventTiles
         tileShape: React.PropTypes.string,
+
+        // show twelve hour timestamps
+        isTwelveHour: React.PropTypes.bool,
     },
 
     componentWillMount: function() {
@@ -230,8 +233,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     _getEventTiles: function() {
-        var EventTile = sdk.getComponent('rooms.EventTile');
-        var DateSeparator = sdk.getComponent('messages.DateSeparator');
+        const EventTile = sdk.getComponent('rooms.EventTile');
+        const DateSeparator = sdk.getComponent('messages.DateSeparator');
         const MemberEventListSummary = sdk.getComponent('views.elements.MemberEventListSummary');
 
         this.eventNodes = {};
@@ -413,8 +416,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     _getTilesForEvent: function(prevEvent, mxEv, last) {
-        var EventTile = sdk.getComponent('rooms.EventTile');
-        var DateSeparator = sdk.getComponent('messages.DateSeparator');
+        const EventTile = sdk.getComponent('rooms.EventTile');
+        const DateSeparator = sdk.getComponent('messages.DateSeparator');
         var ret = [];
 
         // is this a continuation of the previous message?
@@ -468,7 +471,6 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         if (this.props.manageReadReceipts) {
             readReceipts = this._getReadReceiptsForEvent(mxEv);
         }
-
         ret.push(
                 <li key={eventId}
                         ref={this._collectEventNode.bind(this, eventId)}
@@ -482,6 +484,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                         checkUnmounting={this._isUnmounting}
                         eventSendStatus={mxEv.status}
                         tileShape={this.props.tileShape}
+                        isTwelveHour={this.props.isTwelveHour}
                         last={last} isSelectedEvent={highlight}/>
                 </li>
         );
diff --git a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
index 8794713501..c629f51c31 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ var ObjectUtils = require('../../ObjectUtils');
 var Modal = require("../../Modal");
 var UserActivity = require("../../UserActivity");
 var KeyCode = require('../../KeyCode');
+import UserSettingsStore from '../../UserSettingsStore';
 
 var PAGINATE_SIZE = 20;
 var INITIAL_SIZE = 20;
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ var TimelinePanel = React.createClass({
         let initialReadMarker = null;
         if (this.props.manageReadMarkers) {
             const readmarker = this.props.timelineSet.room.getAccountData('m.fully_read');
-            if (readmarker){
+            if (readmarker) {
                 initialReadMarker = readmarker.getContent().event_id;
             } else {
                 initialReadMarker = this._getCurrentReadReceipt();
@@ -171,6 +172,9 @@ var TimelinePanel = React.createClass({
 
             // cache of matrixClient.getSyncState() (but from the 'sync' event)
             clientSyncState: MatrixClientPeg.get().getSyncState(),
+
+            // should the event tiles have twelve hour times
+            isTwelveHour: UserSettingsStore.getSyncedSetting('showTwelveHourTimestamps'),
         };
     },
 
@@ -1106,7 +1110,6 @@ var TimelinePanel = React.createClass({
         const forwardPaginating = (
             this.state.forwardPaginating || this.state.clientSyncState == 'PREPARED'
         );
-
         return (
             <MessagePanel ref="messagePanel"
                     hidden={ this.props.hidden }
@@ -1125,6 +1128,7 @@ var TimelinePanel = React.createClass({
                     onFillRequest={ this.onMessageListFillRequest }
                     onUnfillRequest={ this.onMessageListUnfillRequest }
                     opacity={ this.props.opacity }
+                    isTwelveHour={ this.state.isTwelveHour }
                     className={ this.props.className }
                     tileShape={ this.props.tileShape }
             />
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js
index fd5fa81390..67a2f03590 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 'use strict';
 
-import UserSettingsStore from '../../../UserSettingsStore';
 
 var React = require('react');
 var classNames = require("classnames");
@@ -131,6 +130,9 @@ module.exports = WithMatrixClient(React.createClass({
          * for now.
          */
         tileShape: React.PropTypes.string,
+
+        // show twelve hour timestamps
+        isTwelveHour: React.PropTypes.bool,
     },
 
     getInitialState: function() {
@@ -406,12 +408,10 @@ module.exports = WithMatrixClient(React.createClass({
         var isSending = (['sending', 'queued', 'encrypting'].indexOf(this.props.eventSendStatus) !== -1);
         const isRedacted = (eventType === 'm.room.message') && this.props.isRedacted;
 
-        const isTwelveHour = UserSettingsStore.getSyncedSetting('showTwelveHourTimestamps');
-
         const classes = classNames({
             mx_EventTile: true,
             mx_EventTile_info: isInfoMessage,
-            mx_EventTile_12hr: isTwelveHour,
+            mx_EventTile_12hr: this.props.isTwelveHour,
             mx_EventTile_encrypting: this.props.eventSendStatus == 'encrypting',
             mx_EventTile_sending: isSending,
             mx_EventTile_notSent: this.props.eventSendStatus == 'not_sent',
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ module.exports = WithMatrixClient(React.createClass({
             e2e = <img onClick={ this.onCryptoClicked } className="mx_EventTile_e2eIcon" alt="Unencrypted message" src="img/e2e-unencrypted.svg" width="12" height="12"/>;
         }
         const timestamp = this.props.mxEvent.getTs() ?
-            <MessageTimestamp showTwelveHour={isTwelveHour} ts={this.props.mxEvent.getTs()} /> : null;
+            <MessageTimestamp showTwelveHour={this.props.isTwelveHour} ts={this.props.mxEvent.getTs()} /> : null;
 
         if (this.props.tileShape === "notif") {
             const room = this.props.matrixClient.getRoom(this.props.mxEvent.getRoomId());