diff --git a/models/issue.go b/models/issue.go
index 850346674..1421b28da 100644
--- a/models/issue.go
+++ b/models/issue.go
@@ -953,6 +953,25 @@ func (issue *Issue) GetTasksDone() int {
 	return len(issueTasksDonePat.FindAllStringIndex(issue.Content, -1))
 }
 
+// GetLastEventTimestamp returns the last user visible event timestamp, either the creation of this issue or the close.
+func (issue *Issue) GetLastEventTimestamp() util.TimeStamp {
+	if issue.IsClosed {
+		return issue.ClosedUnix
+	}
+	return issue.CreatedUnix
+}
+
+// GetLastEventLabel returns the localization label for the current issue.
+func (issue *Issue) GetLastEventLabel() string {
+	if issue.IsClosed {
+		if issue.IsPull && issue.PullRequest.HasMerged {
+			return "repo.pulls.merged_by"
+		}
+		return "repo.issues.closed_by"
+	}
+	return "repo.issues.opened_by"
+}
+
 // NewIssueOptions represents the options of a new issue.
 type NewIssueOptions struct {
 	Repo        *Repository
diff --git a/templates/repo/issue/list.tmpl b/templates/repo/issue/list.tmpl
index f42492455..edf88ebf4 100644
--- a/templates/repo/issue/list.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/issue/list.tmpl
@@ -181,7 +181,6 @@
 
 		<div class="issue list">
 			{{range .Issues}}
-				{{ $timeStr:= TimeSinceUnix .CreatedUnix $.Lang }}
 				<li class="item">
 					<div class="ui checkbox issue-checkbox">
 						<input type="checkbox" data-issue-id={{.ID}}></input>
@@ -205,22 +204,8 @@
 					{{end}}
 
 					<p class="desc">
-						{{ $textToTranslate := "repo.issues.opened_by" }}
-						{{ if not .IsClosed }}
-							{{ $timeStr = TimeSinceUnix .CreatedUnix $.Lang }}
-						{{ else if and .IsClosed .IsPull  }}
-							{{ $timeStr = TimeSinceUnix .ClosedUnix $.Lang }}
-							{{ if .PullRequest.HasMerged }}
-								{{ $textToTranslate = "repo.pulls.merged_by"}}
-							{{ else }}
-								{{ $textToTranslate = "repo.issues.closed_by"}}
-							{{ end }}
-						{{ else }}
-							{{ $timeStr = TimeSinceUnix .ClosedUnix $.Lang }}
-							{{ $textToTranslate = "repo.issues.closed_by"}}
-						{{ end }}
-
-						{{$.i18n.Tr $textToTranslate $timeStr .Poster.HomeLink .Poster.Name | Safe}}
+						{{ $timeStr := TimeSinceUnix .GetLastEventTimestamp $.Lang }}
+						{{$.i18n.Tr .GetLastEventLabel $timeStr .Poster.HomeLink .Poster.Name | Safe}}
 
 						{{$tasks := .GetTasks}}
 						{{if gt $tasks 0}}