diff --git a/ckan/lib/helpers.py b/ckan/lib/helpers.py
index f8768cd760d..ab233f9b79f 100644
--- a/ckan/lib/helpers.py
+++ b/ckan/lib/helpers.py
@@ -345,3 +345,10 @@ def resource_link(resource_dict, package_id):
         resource_id=resource_dict['id'])
     return link_to(text, url)
 
+def tag_link(tag):
+    url = url_for(controller='tag', action='read', id=tag['name'])
+    return link_to(tag['name'], url)
+
+def group_link(group):
+    url = url_for(controller='group', action='read', id=group['name'])
+    return link_to(group['name'], url)
diff --git a/ckan/templates/_util.html b/ckan/templates/_util.html
index 2d517727200..1c6e7d7bf4e 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/_util.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/_util.html
@@ -451,4 +451,23 @@
     </tr>
   </table>
 
+  <div py:def="activity_stream_event(subject, verb, object=None)">
+    <span class="activity_stream_event_subject">
+      ${subject}
+    </span>
+    <span class="activity_stream_event_verb">
+      ${verb}
+    </span>
+    <py:choose>
+      <span class="activity_stream_event_object" py:when="object">
+        ${object}
+      </span>
+      <py:otherwise>
+      </py:otherwise>
+    </py:choose>
+    <span class="activity_stream_event_date">
+      ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
+    </span>
+  </div>
+
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/added_tag.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/added_tag.html
index 6f27f3c7616..f31bb6b792b 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/added_tag.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/added_tag.html
@@ -6,18 +6,11 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">added</span>
-    the tag
-    <a href="${h.url_for(controller='tag', action='read',
-                         id=detail.data.tag.name)}">
-        ${detail.data.tag.name}
-    </a>
-    to the dataset
-    ${package_summary(detail.data.package)}
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='added',
+  object=("the tag "+h.tag_link(detail.data.tag)+
+  " to the dataset "+h.dataset_link(detail.data.package)),
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_group.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_group.html
index d6904ad3000..d4963d854af 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_group.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_group.html
@@ -6,18 +6,10 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">updated</span>
-    the group
-    <a href="${h.url_for(controller='group', action='read', id=activity.data.group.name)}">
-        ${activity.data.group.name}
-    </a>
-  <div style="color:#999;">
-    ${h.truncate(activity.data.group.description, length=80, whole_word=True)}
-  </div>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='updated',
+  object="the group "+h.group_link(activity.data.group),
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_package.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_package.html
index 4777baabca8..f132682c793 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_package.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_package.html
@@ -6,16 +6,9 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">updated</span>
-    the dataset
-    ${package_summary(activity.data.package)} <br/>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-  <div style="color:#999;">
-    ${h.markdown_extract(activity.data.package.notes)}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='updated',
+  object="the dataset "+h.dataset_link(activity.data.package),
+  activity=activity)}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_package_extra.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_package_extra.html
index 5f1fafe5e8c..a07fa6add52 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_package_extra.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_package_extra.html
@@ -6,16 +6,11 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">changed</span>
-    the extra "${detail.data.package_extra.key}"
-    in the dataset ${package_summary(activity.data.package)}<br/>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-  <div style="color:#999;">
-    ${h.markdown_extract(activity.data.package.notes)}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='changed',
+  object=('the extra "'+detail.data.package_extra.key+'" of the dataset '
+    +h.dataset_link(activity.data.package)),
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_resource.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_resource.html
index dcaeca96652..168314ca280 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_resource.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_resource.html
@@ -6,16 +6,12 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">updated</span>
-    the resource ${resource_summary(activity.data.package, detail.data.resource)}
-    in the dataset ${package_summary(activity.data.package)}<br/>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-  <div style="color:#999;">
-    ${h.markdown_extract(activity.data.package.notes)}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='updated',
+  object=('the resource '+h.resource_link(detail.data.resource,
+    activity.data.package.id)+' in the dataset '
+    +h.dataset_link(activity.data.package)),
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_user.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_user.html
index feb2afa2464..a2340eab803 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_user.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/changed_user.html
@@ -6,11 +6,9 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">updated their profile</span>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='updated their profile.',
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_group.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_group.html
index 4ad438dc10b..2c20c5a5e19 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_group.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_group.html
@@ -6,15 +6,10 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">deleted</span>
-    the group ${activity.data.group.name}
-  <div style="color:#999;">
-    ${h.truncate(activity.data.group.description, length=80, whole_word=True)}
-  </div>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='deleted',
+  object="the group "+h.group_link(activity.data.group),
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_package.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_package.html
index 2bdcf300df1..f132682c793 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_package.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_package.html
@@ -6,16 +6,9 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">deleted</span>
-    the dataset
-    ${activity.data.package.name} - ${activity.data.package.title}
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-  <div style="color:#999;">
-    ${h.markdown_extract(activity.data.package.notes)}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='updated',
+  object="the dataset "+h.dataset_link(activity.data.package),
+  activity=activity)}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_package_extra.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_package_extra.html
index 433a0254500..a6cf932483a 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_package_extra.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_package_extra.html
@@ -6,16 +6,11 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">deleted</span>
-    the extra "${detail.data.package_extra.key}"
-    from the dataset ${package_summary(activity.data.package)}<br/>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-  <div style="color:#999;">
-    ${h.markdown_extract(activity.data.package.notes)}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='deleted',
+  object=('the extra "'+detail.data.package_extra.key+'" from the dataset '
+    +h.dataset_link(activity.data.package)),
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_resource.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_resource.html
index 0e2d4b2a77c..77133fe8aa6 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_resource.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/deleted_resource.html
@@ -6,16 +6,12 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">deleted</span>
-    the resource ${h.resource_display_name(detail.data.resource)}
-    from the dataset ${package_summary(activity.data.package)}<br/>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-  <div style="color:#999;">
-    ${h.markdown_extract(activity.data.package.notes)}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='deleted',
+  object=('the resource '+h.resource_link(detail.data.resource,
+    activity.data.package.id)+' from the dataset '
+    +h.dataset_link(activity.data.package)),
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_group.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_group.html
index d987047f28d..dba6209f8a0 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_group.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_group.html
@@ -6,15 +6,10 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">created</span>
-    the group
-    <a href="${h.url_for(controller='group', action='read', id=activity.data.group.name)}">
-        ${activity.data.group.name}
-    </a>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='created',
+  object="the group "+h.group_link(activity.data.group),
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_package.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_package.html
index a29ad669312..6e984dcf5fc 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_package.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_package.html
@@ -6,16 +6,9 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">created</span>
-    the dataset
-    ${package_summary(activity.data.package)} <br/>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-  <div style="color:#999;">
-    ${h.markdown_extract(activity.data.package.notes)}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='created',
+  object="the dataset "+h.dataset_link(activity.data.package),
+  activity=activity)}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_package_extra.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_package_extra.html
index 2dba8215343..fce4ff960a3 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_package_extra.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_package_extra.html
@@ -6,16 +6,11 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">added</span>
-    the extra "${detail.data.package_extra.key}"
-    to the dataset ${package_summary(activity.data.package)}<br/>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-  <div style="color:#999;">
-    ${h.markdown_extract(activity.data.package.notes)}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='added',
+  object=('the extra "'+detail.data.package_extra.key+'" to the dataset '
+    +h.dataset_link(activity.data.package)),
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_resource.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_resource.html
index 5f9913388cd..d8031fa6b7d 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_resource.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_resource.html
@@ -6,16 +6,12 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">added</span>
-    the resource ${resource_summary(activity.data.package, detail.data.resource)}
-    to the dataset ${package_summary(activity.data.package)}<br/>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-  <div style="color:#999;">
-    ${h.markdown_extract(activity.data.package.notes)}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='added',
+  object=('the resource '+h.resource_link(detail.data.resource,
+    activity.data.package.id)+' to the dataset '
+    +h.dataset_link(activity.data.package)),
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_user.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_user.html
index 491a488473b..1f1a9f8493d 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_user.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/new_user.html
@@ -6,11 +6,9 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">signed up</span>
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='signed up.',
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>
diff --git a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/removed_tag.html b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/removed_tag.html
index df59b4386e5..228d99c47b9 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/activity_streams/removed_tag.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/activity_streams/removed_tag.html
@@ -6,18 +6,11 @@
   py:strip=""
   >
   <xi:include href="../_util.html" />
-<div>
-  <div style="font-weight:bold;">
-    ${h.linked_user(activity.user_id)}
-    <span style="background:yellow;">removed</span>
-    the tag
-    <a href="${h.url_for(controller='tag', action='read',
-                         id=detail.data.tag.name)}">
-        ${detail.data.tag.name}
-    </a>
-    from the dataset
-    ${package_summary(detail.data.package)}
-    ${h.render_datetime(activity.timestamp, '%B %d %Y')}
-  </div>
-</div>
+${activity_stream_event(
+  subject=h.linked_user(activity.user_id),
+  verb='removed',
+  object=("the tag "+h.tag_link(detail.data.tag)+
+  " from the dataset "+h.dataset_link(detail.data.package)),
+  activity=activity
+  )}
 </html>