diff --git a/src/graphics/Screen.cpp b/src/graphics/Screen.cpp
index ed5e1c3a0..09cafc348 100644
--- a/src/graphics/Screen.cpp
+++ b/src/graphics/Screen.cpp
@@ -380,13 +380,16 @@ static void drawTextMessageFrame(OLEDDisplay *display, OLEDDisplayUiState *state
         display->setColor(BLACK);
     }
 
-    tm *tm = localtime(reinterpret_cast<const time_t *>(&mp.rx_time));
+    uint32_t seconds = sinceReceived(&mp);
+    uint32_t minutes = seconds / 60;
+    uint32_t hours = minutes / 60;
+    uint32_t days = hours / 24;
 
     if (config.display.heading_bold) {
-        display->drawStringf(1 + x, 0 + y, tempBuf, "[%02d:%02d:%02d] From: %s", tm->tm_hour, tm->tm_min, tm->tm_sec,
+        display->drawStringf(1 + x, 0 + y, tempBuf, "%s ago from %s", screen->drawTimeDelta(days, hours, minutes, seconds),
                              (node && node->has_user) ? node->user.short_name : "???");
     }
-    display->drawStringf(0 + x, 0 + y, tempBuf, "[%02d:%02d:%02d] From: %s", tm->tm_hour, tm->tm_min, tm->tm_sec,
+    display->drawStringf(0 + x, 0 + y, tempBuf, "%s ago from %s", screen->drawTimeDelta(days, hours, minutes, seconds),
                          (node && node->has_user) ? node->user.short_name : "???");
 
     display->setColor(WHITE);
@@ -417,38 +420,6 @@ static void drawColumns(OLEDDisplay *display, int16_t x, int16_t y, const char *
     }
 }
 
-#if 0
-    /// Draw a series of fields in a row, wrapping to multiple rows if needed
-    /// @return the max y we ended up printing to
-    static uint32_t drawRows(OLEDDisplay *display, int16_t x, int16_t y, const char **fields)
-    {
-        // The coordinates define the left starting point of the text
-        display->setTextAlignment(TEXT_ALIGN_LEFT);
-
-        const char **f = fields;
-        int xo = x, yo = y;
-        const int COLUMNS = 2; // hardwired for two columns per row....
-        int col = 0;           // track which column we are on
-        while (*f) {
-            display->drawString(xo, yo, *f);
-            xo += SCREEN_WIDTH / COLUMNS;
-            // Wrap to next row, if needed.
-            if (++col >= COLUMNS) {
-                xo = x;
-                yo += FONT_HEIGHT_SMALL;
-                col = 0;
-            }
-            f++;
-        }
-        if (col != 0) {
-            // Include last incomplete line in our total.
-            yo += FONT_HEIGHT_SMALL;
-        }
-
-        return yo;
-    }
-#endif
-
 // Draw power bars or a charging indicator on an image of a battery, determined by battery charge voltage or percentage.
 static void drawBattery(OLEDDisplay *display, int16_t x, int16_t y, uint8_t *imgBuffer, const PowerStatus *powerStatus)
 {
@@ -1365,6 +1336,20 @@ void Screen::blink()
     dispdev.setBrightness(brightness);
 }
 
+String Screen::drawTimeDelta(uint32_t days, uint32_t hours, uint32_t minutes, uint32_t seconds)
+{
+    String uptime;
+    if (days >= 2)
+        uptime = String(days) + "d";
+    else if (hours >= 2)
+        uptime = String(hours) + "h";
+    else if (minutes >= 1)
+        uptime = String(minutes) + "m";
+    else
+        uptime = String(seconds) + "s";
+    return uptime;
+}
+
 void Screen::handlePrint(const char *text)
 {
     // the string passed into us probably has a newline, but that would confuse the logging system
@@ -1729,15 +1714,7 @@ void DebugInfo::drawFrameSettings(OLEDDisplay *display, OLEDDisplayUiState *stat
     display->setColor(WHITE);
 
     // Show uptime as days, hours, minutes OR seconds
-    String uptime;
-    if (days >= 2)
-        uptime += String(days) + "d ";
-    else if (hours >= 2)
-        uptime += String(hours) + "h ";
-    else if (minutes >= 1)
-        uptime += String(minutes) + "m ";
-    else
-        uptime += String(seconds) + "s ";
+    String uptime = screen->drawTimeDelta(days, hours, minutes, seconds);
 
     uint32_t rtc_sec = getValidTime(RTCQuality::RTCQualityDevice);
     if (rtc_sec > 0) {
@@ -1753,7 +1730,7 @@ void DebugInfo::drawFrameSettings(OLEDDisplay *display, OLEDDisplayUiState *stat
         int sec = (hms % SEC_PER_HOUR) % SEC_PER_MIN; // or hms % SEC_PER_MIN
 
         char timebuf[9];
-        snprintf(timebuf, sizeof(timebuf), "%02d:%02d:%02d", hour, min, sec);
+        snprintf(timebuf, sizeof(timebuf), " %02d:%02d:%02d", hour, min, sec);
         uptime += timebuf;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/graphics/Screen.h b/src/graphics/Screen.h
index db851e8bb..1d732ad4c 100644
--- a/src/graphics/Screen.h
+++ b/src/graphics/Screen.h
@@ -206,6 +206,9 @@ class Screen : public concurrency::OSThread
         }
     }
 
+    /// generates a very brief time delta display
+    String drawTimeDelta(uint32_t days, uint32_t hours, uint32_t minutes, uint32_t seconds);
+
     /// Overrides the default utf8 character conversion, to replace empty space with question marks
     static char customFontTableLookup(const uint8_t ch)
     {
diff --git a/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp b/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
index 37697bc18..89063f550 100644
--- a/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
@@ -599,6 +599,17 @@ uint32_t sinceLastSeen(const meshtastic_NodeInfo *n)
     return delta;
 }
 
+uint32_t sinceReceived(const meshtastic_MeshPacket *p)
+{
+    uint32_t now = getTime();
+
+    int delta = (int)(now - p->rx_time);
+    if (delta < 0) // our clock must be slightly off still - not set from GPS yet
+        delta = 0;
+
+    return delta;
+}
+
 #define NUM_ONLINE_SECS (60 * 60 * 2) // 2 hrs to consider someone offline
 
 size_t NodeDB::getNumOnlineNodes()
diff --git a/src/mesh/NodeDB.h b/src/mesh/NodeDB.h
index 106d35402..a6fbd9cb0 100644
--- a/src/mesh/NodeDB.h
+++ b/src/mesh/NodeDB.h
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ extern meshtastic_User &owner;
 /// Given a node, return how many seconds in the past (vs now) that we last heard from it
 uint32_t sinceLastSeen(const meshtastic_NodeInfo *n);
 
+/// Given a packet, return how many seconds in the past (vs now) it was received
+uint32_t sinceReceived(const meshtastic_MeshPacket *p);
+
 class NodeDB
 {
     // NodeNum provisionalNodeNum; // if we are trying to find a node num this is our current attempt