diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js
index 26ce0e4be..876cbc4e8 100644
--- a/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/join-thread-message-spec.js
@@ -1,138 +1,135 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 
 import { messageTypes } from '../../types/message-types';
 import type {
   MessageInfo,
   ClientDBMessageInfo,
 } from '../../types/message-types';
 import type {
   JoinThreadMessageData,
   JoinThreadMessageInfo,
   RawJoinThreadMessageInfo,
 } from '../../types/messages/join-thread';
 import type { NotifTexts } from '../../types/notif-types';
 import type { ThreadInfo } from '../../types/thread-types';
 import type { RelativeUserInfo } from '../../types/user-types';
+import { ET, type EntityText } from '../../utils/entity-text';
 import { values } from '../../utils/objects';
 import { pluralize } from '../../utils/text-utils';
 import {
   robotextToRawString,
   robotextForMessageInfo,
   removeCreatorAsViewer,
 } from '../message-utils';
 import { stringForUser } from '../user-utils';
 import type {
   MessageSpec,
   MessageTitleParam,
   NotificationTextsParams,
-  RobotextParams,
 } from './message-spec';
 import { joinResult } from './utils';
 
 export const joinThreadMessageSpec: MessageSpec<
   JoinThreadMessageData,
   RawJoinThreadMessageInfo,
   JoinThreadMessageInfo,
 > = Object.freeze({
   rawMessageInfoFromServerDBRow(row: Object): RawJoinThreadMessageInfo {
     return {
       type: messageTypes.JOIN_THREAD,
       id: row.id.toString(),
       threadID: row.threadID.toString(),
       time: row.time,
       creatorID: row.creatorID.toString(),
     };
   },
 
   rawMessageInfoFromClientDB(
     clientDBMessageInfo: ClientDBMessageInfo,
   ): RawJoinThreadMessageInfo {
     const rawJoinThreadMessageInfo: RawJoinThreadMessageInfo = {
       type: messageTypes.JOIN_THREAD,
       id: clientDBMessageInfo.id,
       threadID: clientDBMessageInfo.thread,
       time: parseInt(clientDBMessageInfo.time),
       creatorID: clientDBMessageInfo.user,
     };
     return rawJoinThreadMessageInfo;
   },
 
   messageTitle({
     messageInfo,
     threadInfo,
     viewerContext,
   }: MessageTitleParam<JoinThreadMessageInfo>) {
     let validMessageInfo: JoinThreadMessageInfo = (messageInfo: JoinThreadMessageInfo);
     if (viewerContext === 'global_viewer') {
       validMessageInfo = removeCreatorAsViewer(validMessageInfo);
     }
     return robotextToRawString(
       robotextForMessageInfo(validMessageInfo, threadInfo),
     );
   },
 
   createMessageInfo(
     rawMessageInfo: RawJoinThreadMessageInfo,
     creator: RelativeUserInfo,
   ): JoinThreadMessageInfo {
     return {
       type: messageTypes.JOIN_THREAD,
       id: rawMessageInfo.id,
       threadID: rawMessageInfo.threadID,
       creator,
       time: rawMessageInfo.time,
     };
   },
 
   rawMessageInfoFromMessageData(
     messageData: JoinThreadMessageData,
     id: ?string,
   ): RawJoinThreadMessageInfo {
     invariant(id, 'RawJoinThreadMessageInfo needs id');
     return { ...messageData, id };
   },
 
-  robotext(
-    messageInfo: JoinThreadMessageInfo,
-    creator: string,
-    params: RobotextParams,
-  ): string {
-    return (
-      `${creator} joined ` +
-      params.encodedThreadEntity(messageInfo.threadID, 'this chat')
-    );
+  robotext(messageInfo: JoinThreadMessageInfo): EntityText {
+    const creator = ET.user({ userInfo: messageInfo.creator });
+    return ET`${creator} joined ${ET.thread({
+      display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
+      threadID: messageInfo.threadID,
+    })}`;
   },
 
   notificationTexts(
     messageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<MessageInfo>,
     threadInfo: ThreadInfo,
     params: NotificationTextsParams,
   ): NotifTexts {
     const joinerArray = {};
     for (const messageInfo of messageInfos) {
       invariant(
         messageInfo.type === messageTypes.JOIN_THREAD,
         'messageInfo should be messageTypes.JOIN_THREAD!',
       );
       joinerArray[messageInfo.creator.id] = messageInfo.creator;
     }
     const joiners = values(joinerArray);
     const joinersString = pluralize(joiners.map(stringForUser));
 
     const body = `${joinersString} joined`;
     const merged = `${body} ${params.notifThreadName(threadInfo)}`;
     return {
       merged,
       title: threadInfo.uiName,
       body,
     };
   },
 
   notificationCollapseKey(rawMessageInfo: RawJoinThreadMessageInfo): string {
     return joinResult(rawMessageInfo.type, rawMessageInfo.threadID);
   },
 
   generatesNotifs: async () => undefined,
 });
diff --git a/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js b/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js
index 2586d83c3..a4447dca1 100644
--- a/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js
+++ b/lib/shared/messages/leave-thread-message-spec.js
@@ -1,138 +1,135 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 
 import { messageTypes } from '../../types/message-types';
 import type {
   MessageInfo,
   ClientDBMessageInfo,
 } from '../../types/message-types';
 import type {
   LeaveThreadMessageData,
   LeaveThreadMessageInfo,
   RawLeaveThreadMessageInfo,
 } from '../../types/messages/leave-thread';
 import type { NotifTexts } from '../../types/notif-types';
 import type { ThreadInfo } from '../../types/thread-types';
 import type { RelativeUserInfo } from '../../types/user-types';
+import { ET, type EntityText } from '../../utils/entity-text';
 import { values } from '../../utils/objects';
 import { pluralize } from '../../utils/text-utils';
 import {
   robotextToRawString,
   robotextForMessageInfo,
   removeCreatorAsViewer,
 } from '../message-utils';
 import { stringForUser } from '../user-utils';
 import type {
   MessageSpec,
   MessageTitleParam,
   NotificationTextsParams,
-  RobotextParams,
 } from './message-spec';
 import { joinResult } from './utils';
 
 export const leaveThreadMessageSpec: MessageSpec<
   LeaveThreadMessageData,
   RawLeaveThreadMessageInfo,
   LeaveThreadMessageInfo,
 > = Object.freeze({
   rawMessageInfoFromServerDBRow(row: Object): RawLeaveThreadMessageInfo {
     return {
       type: messageTypes.LEAVE_THREAD,
       id: row.id.toString(),
       threadID: row.threadID.toString(),
       time: row.time,
       creatorID: row.creatorID.toString(),
     };
   },
 
   rawMessageInfoFromClientDB(
     clientDBMessageInfo: ClientDBMessageInfo,
   ): RawLeaveThreadMessageInfo {
     const rawLeaveThreadMessageInfo: RawLeaveThreadMessageInfo = {
       type: messageTypes.LEAVE_THREAD,
       id: clientDBMessageInfo.id,
       threadID: clientDBMessageInfo.thread,
       time: parseInt(clientDBMessageInfo.time),
       creatorID: clientDBMessageInfo.user,
     };
     return rawLeaveThreadMessageInfo;
   },
 
   messageTitle({
     messageInfo,
     threadInfo,
     viewerContext,
   }: MessageTitleParam<LeaveThreadMessageInfo>) {
     let validMessageInfo: LeaveThreadMessageInfo = (messageInfo: LeaveThreadMessageInfo);
     if (viewerContext === 'global_viewer') {
       validMessageInfo = removeCreatorAsViewer(validMessageInfo);
     }
     return robotextToRawString(
       robotextForMessageInfo(validMessageInfo, threadInfo),
     );
   },
 
   createMessageInfo(
     rawMessageInfo: RawLeaveThreadMessageInfo,
     creator: RelativeUserInfo,
   ): LeaveThreadMessageInfo {
     return {
       type: messageTypes.LEAVE_THREAD,
       id: rawMessageInfo.id,
       threadID: rawMessageInfo.threadID,
       creator,
       time: rawMessageInfo.time,
     };
   },
 
   rawMessageInfoFromMessageData(
     messageData: LeaveThreadMessageData,
     id: ?string,
   ): RawLeaveThreadMessageInfo {
     invariant(id, 'RawLeaveThreadMessageInfo needs id');
     return { ...messageData, id };
   },
 
-  robotext(
-    messageInfo: LeaveThreadMessageInfo,
-    creator: string,
-    params: RobotextParams,
-  ): string {
-    return (
-      `${creator} left ` +
-      params.encodedThreadEntity(messageInfo.threadID, 'this chat')
-    );
+  robotext(messageInfo: LeaveThreadMessageInfo): EntityText {
+    const creator = ET.user({ userInfo: messageInfo.creator });
+    return ET`${creator} left ${ET.thread({
+      display: 'alwaysDisplayShortName',
+      threadID: messageInfo.threadID,
+    })}`;
   },
 
   notificationTexts(
     messageInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<MessageInfo>,
     threadInfo: ThreadInfo,
     params: NotificationTextsParams,
   ): NotifTexts {
     const leaverBeavers = {};
     for (const messageInfo of messageInfos) {
       invariant(
         messageInfo.type === messageTypes.LEAVE_THREAD,
         'messageInfo should be messageTypes.LEAVE_THREAD!',
       );
       leaverBeavers[messageInfo.creator.id] = messageInfo.creator;
     }
     const leavers = values(leaverBeavers);
     const leaversString = pluralize(leavers.map(stringForUser));
 
     const body = `${leaversString} left`;
     const merged = `${body} ${params.notifThreadName(threadInfo)}`;
     return {
       merged,
       title: threadInfo.uiName,
       body,
     };
   },
 
   notificationCollapseKey(rawMessageInfo: RawLeaveThreadMessageInfo): string {
     return joinResult(rawMessageInfo.type, rawMessageInfo.threadID);
   },
 
   generatesNotifs: async () => undefined,
 });