diff --git a/src/threadTools.js b/src/threadTools.js
index a20323eb1f..620eb7d089 100644
--- a/src/threadTools.js
+++ b/src/threadTools.js
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 				topics.getTopicField(tid, 'title', function(err, title) {
 					topics.getTeaser(tid, function(err, teaser) {
 						if (!err) {
-							notifications.create(teaser.username + ' has posted a reply to: "' + title + '"', null, '/topic/' + tid, 'topic:' + tid, function(nid) {
+							notifications.create('<strong>' + teaser.username + '</strong> has posted a reply to: "<strong>' + title + '</strong>"', null, '/topic/' + tid, 'topic:' + tid, function(nid) {
 								next(null, nid);
 							});
 						} else next(err);
diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index 98c50eaf14..3ac1b7830d 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ var utils = require('./../public/src/utils.js'),
 		User.getUserField(uid, 'username', function(err, username) {
 			RDB.smembers('followers:' + uid, function(err, followers) {
 				topics.getTopicField(tid, 'slug', function(err, slug) {
-					var message = username + ' made a new post';
+					var message = '<strong>' + username + '</strong> made a new post';
 
 					notifications.create(message, 5, nconf.get('url') + 'topic/' + slug + '#' + pid, 'notification_'+ Date.now(), function(nid) {
 		 				notifications.push(nid, followers);
diff --git a/src/websockets.js b/src/websockets.js
index d5bee80316..a3edea4f19 100644
--- a/src/websockets.js
+++ b/src/websockets.js
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ var SocketIO = require('socket.io').listen(global.server, { log:false }),
 
 
 			user.getUserField(uid, 'username', function(err, username) {
-				var finalMessage = username + ' : ' + msg;
+				var finalMessage = 'New message from <strong>' + username + '</strong>';
 
 				notifications.create(finalMessage, 5, '#', 'notification_' + uid + '_' + touid, function(nid) {
 					notifications.push(nid, [touid], function(success) {