diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/reaction-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/reaction-message-spec.js
--- a/lib/shared/messages/reaction-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/reaction-message-spec.js
@@ -20,13 +20,11 @@
 import type { RelativeUserInfo } from '../../types/user-types';
 import { ET } from '../../utils/entity-text';
 import { threadIsGroupChat } from '../thread-utils';
-import { stringForUser } from '../user-utils';
 import { hasMinCodeVersion } from '../version-utils';
 import {
   pushTypes,
   type MessageSpec,
   type MessageTitleParam,
-  type NotificationTextsParams,
   type GeneratesNotifsParams,
 } from './message-spec';
 import { assertSingleMessageInfo, joinResult } from './utils';
@@ -163,7 +161,6 @@
   async notificationTexts(
     messageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<MessageInfo>,
     threadInfo: ThreadInfo,
-    params: NotificationTextsParams,
   ): Promise<NotifTexts> {
     const messageInfo = assertSingleMessageInfo(messageInfos);
     invariant(
@@ -171,25 +168,23 @@
       'messageInfo should be reaction type',
     );
 
-    const userString = stringForUser(messageInfo.creator);
+    const creator = ET.user({ userInfo: messageInfo.creator });
     const body =
       messageInfo.action === 'add_reaction'
         ? 'reacted to your message'
         : 'unreacted to your message';
 
-    let merged;
-    if (!threadInfo.name && !threadIsGroupChat(threadInfo)) {
-      merged = `${userString} ${body}`;
-    } else {
-      const threadName = params.notifThreadName(threadInfo);
-      merged = `${userString} ${body} in ${threadName}`;
+    let merged = ET`${creator} ${body}`;
+    if (threadInfo.name || threadIsGroupChat(threadInfo)) {
+      const thread = ET.thread({ display: 'shortName', threadInfo });
+      merged = ET`${merged} in ${thread}`;
     }
 
     return {
       merged,
       body,
       title: threadInfo.uiName,
-      prefix: userString,
+      prefix: ET`${creator}`,
     };
   },