diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/change-settings-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/change-settings-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/change-settings-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/change-settings-message-spec.js
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 
-import { pushTypes, type MessageSpec } from './message-spec.js';
+import {
+  pushTypes,
+  type MessageSpec,
+  type RobotextParams,
+} from './message-spec.js';
 import { joinResult } from './utils.js';
 import { messageTypes } from '../../types/message-types.js';
 import type {
@@ -99,17 +103,23 @@
     return { ...messageData, id };
   },
 
-  robotext(messageInfo: ChangeSettingsMessageInfo): EntityText {
+  robotext(
+    messageInfo: ChangeSettingsMessageInfo,
+    params: RobotextParams,
+  ): EntityText {
     const creator = ET.user({ userInfo: messageInfo.creator });
+    const thread = ET.thread({
+      display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
+      threadID: messageInfo.threadID,
+      threadType: params.threadInfo?.type,
+      parentThreadID: params.threadInfo?.parentThreadID,
+      possessive: true,
+    });
     if (
       (messageInfo.field === 'name' || messageInfo.field === 'description') &&
       messageInfo.value.toString() === ''
     ) {
-      return ET`${creator} cleared ${ET.thread({
-        display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
-        threadID: messageInfo.threadID,
-        possessive: true,
-      })} ${messageInfo.field}`;
+      return ET`${creator} cleared ${thread} ${messageInfo.field}`;
     }
     let value;
     if (
@@ -127,11 +137,7 @@
     } else {
       value = messageInfo.value.toString();
     }
-    return ET`${creator} updated ${ET.thread({
-      display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
-      threadID: messageInfo.threadID,
-      possessive: true,
-    })} ${messageInfo.field} to "${value}"`;
+    return ET`${creator} updated ${thread} ${messageInfo.field} to "${value}"`;
   },
 
   async notificationTexts(
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/create-sidebar-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/create-sidebar-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/create-sidebar-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/create-sidebar-message-spec.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
   type CreateMessageInfoParams,
   type MessageSpec,
   type NotificationTextsParams,
+  type RobotextParams,
 } from './message-spec.js';
 import { joinResult } from './utils.js';
 import type { PlatformDetails } from '../../types/device-types.js';
@@ -133,10 +134,15 @@
     return { ...messageData, id };
   },
 
-  robotext(messageInfo: CreateSidebarMessageInfo): EntityText {
+  robotext(
+    messageInfo: CreateSidebarMessageInfo,
+    params: RobotextParams,
+  ): EntityText {
     let text = ET`started ${ET.thread({
       display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
       threadID: messageInfo.threadID,
+      threadType: params.threadInfo?.type,
+      parentThreadID: params.threadInfo?.parentThreadID,
     })}`;
     const users = messageInfo.initialThreadState.otherMembers.filter(
       member => member.id !== messageInfo.sourceMessageAuthor.id,
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/create-thread-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/create-thread-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/create-thread-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/create-thread-message-spec.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
   pushTypes,
   type CreateMessageInfoParams,
   type MessageSpec,
+  type RobotextParams,
 } from './message-spec.js';
 import { assertSingleMessageInfo } from './utils.js';
 import { messageTypes } from '../../types/message-types.js';
@@ -113,10 +114,15 @@
     return { ...messageData, id };
   },
 
-  robotext(messageInfo: CreateThreadMessageInfo): EntityText {
+  robotext(
+    messageInfo: CreateThreadMessageInfo,
+    params: RobotextParams,
+  ): EntityText {
     let text = ET`created ${ET.thread({
       display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
       threadID: messageInfo.threadID,
+      threadType: params.threadInfo?.type,
+      parentThreadID: params.threadInfo?.parentThreadID,
     })}`;
     const parentThread = messageInfo.initialThreadState.parentThreadInfo;
     if (parentThread) {
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 
-import type { MessageSpec } from './message-spec.js';
+import type { MessageSpec, RobotextParams } from './message-spec.js';
 import { joinResult } from './utils.js';
 import { messageTypes } from '../../types/message-types.js';
 import type {
@@ -73,11 +73,16 @@
     return { ...messageData, id };
   },
 
-  robotext(messageInfo: JoinThreadMessageInfo): EntityText {
+  robotext(
+    messageInfo: JoinThreadMessageInfo,
+    params: RobotextParams,
+  ): EntityText {
     const creator = ET.user({ userInfo: messageInfo.creator });
     return ET`${creator} joined ${ET.thread({
       display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
       threadID: messageInfo.threadID,
+      threadType: params.threadInfo?.type,
+      parentThreadID: params.threadInfo?.parentThreadID,
     })}`;
   },
 
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 
-import type { MessageSpec } from './message-spec.js';
+import type { MessageSpec, RobotextParams } from './message-spec.js';
 import { joinResult } from './utils.js';
 import { messageTypes } from '../../types/message-types.js';
 import type {
@@ -73,11 +73,16 @@
     return { ...messageData, id };
   },
 
-  robotext(messageInfo: LeaveThreadMessageInfo): EntityText {
+  robotext(
+    messageInfo: LeaveThreadMessageInfo,
+    params: RobotextParams,
+  ): EntityText {
     const creator = ET.user({ userInfo: messageInfo.creator });
     return ET`${creator} left ${ET.thread({
       display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
       threadID: messageInfo.threadID,
+      threadType: params.threadInfo?.type,
+      parentThreadID: params.threadInfo?.parentThreadID,
     })}`;
   },
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/entity-text.js b/lib/utils/entity-text.js
--- a/lib/utils/entity-text.js
+++ b/lib/utils/entity-text.js
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
       // displays threadInfo.name if set, or eg. 'this thread' or 'this chat'
       +display: 'shortName',
       +threadType?: ?ThreadType,
+      +parentThreadID?: ?string,
       +alwaysDisplayShortName?: ?boolean, // don't default to name
       +subchannel?: ?boolean, // short name should be "subchannel"
       +possessive?: ?boolean, // eg. `this thread's` instead of `this thread`
@@ -114,6 +115,8 @@
   | {
       +display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
       +threadID: string,
+      +parentThreadID?: ?string,
+      +threadType?: ?ThreadType,
       +possessive?: ?boolean,
     };
 entityTextFunction.thread = (input: EntityTextThreadInput) => {
@@ -131,13 +134,14 @@
     };
   }
   if (input.display === 'alwaysDisplayShortName' && input.threadID) {
-    const { threadID, possessive } = input;
+    const { threadID, threadType, parentThreadID, possessive } = input;
     return {
       type: 'thread',
       id: threadID,
       name: undefined,
       display: 'shortName',
-      threadType: undefined,
+      threadType,
+      parentThreadID,
       alwaysDisplayShortName: true,
       possessive,
     };
@@ -149,6 +153,7 @@
       name: threadInfo.name,
       display: 'shortName',
       threadType: threadInfo.type,
+      parentThreadID: threadInfo.parentThreadID,
       alwaysDisplayShortName: true,
       possessive,
     };
@@ -160,6 +165,7 @@
       name: threadInfo.name,
       display: 'shortName',
       threadType: threadInfo.type,
+      parentThreadID: threadInfo.parentThreadID,
       subchannel,
       possessive,
     };