diff --git a/AndroidManifest.xml b/AndroidManifest.xml
index 375b7c650..30869fdec 100644
--- a/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -68,4 +68,4 @@
 
     </application>    
         
-</manifest> 
\ No newline at end of file
+</manifest> 
diff --git a/res/values-de/strings.xml b/res/values-de/strings.xml
index d63b59068..6236ba837 100644
--- a/res/values-de/strings.xml
+++ b/res/values-de/strings.xml
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
         </plurals>
         
         <!-- Time Constants -->
-        <string name="dateFormatter">MMM d</string> <!-- used for long due 
+        <string name="dateFormatter">d. MMM</string> <!-- used for long due 
             dates. c.f. Java's SimpleDateFormat -->
         <string name="daysVertical">D\na\ny\ns</string> <!-- vertical labels
             are used in the number dialogs -->
diff --git a/res/values/strings.xml b/res/values/strings.xml
index 3a1ec46f6..362e692f2 100644
--- a/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
         <!-- Time Constants -->
         <string name="dateFormatter">MMM d</string> <!-- used for long due 
             dates. c.f. Java's SimpleDateFormat -->
+        <string name="alarmDateFormatter">M/dd HH:mm</string> <!--  used for alarms -->
         <string name="daysVertical">D\na\ny\ns</string> <!-- vertical labels
             are used in the number dialogs -->
         <string name="hoursVertical">H\no\nu\nr\ns</string>
diff --git a/src/com/timsu/astrid/activities/TaskListAdapter.java b/src/com/timsu/astrid/activities/TaskListAdapter.java
index ea9a6521f..1a13c954a 100644
--- a/src/com/timsu/astrid/activities/TaskListAdapter.java
+++ b/src/com/timsu/astrid/activities/TaskListAdapter.java
@@ -90,8 +90,7 @@ public class TaskListAdapter extends ArrayAdapter<TaskModelForList> {
     private static final int FULL_DATE_THRESHOLD = 7*24*3600;
 
     // alarm date formatter
-    private static final Format alarmFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(
-            "MM/dd HH:mm");
+    private static Format alarmFormat = null;
 
     private final Activity activity;
     private ArrayList<TaskModelForList> objects;
@@ -304,11 +303,11 @@ public class TaskListAdapter extends ArrayAdapter<TaskModelForList> {
             if(CACHE_TRUE.equals(task.getCachedLabel(KEY_HIDDEN)))
                 name.setTypeface(Typeface.DEFAULT, Typeface.ITALIC);
             else
-                name.setTypeface(Typeface.DEFAULT_BOLD);
+                name.setTypeface(Typeface.DEFAULT, Typeface.BOLD);
         }
 
         // importance
-        final View importance = (View)view.findViewById(R.id.importance);
+        final View importance = view.findViewById(R.id.importance);
         if(visibleFields.IMPORTANCE) {
             importance.setBackgroundColor(r.getColor(
                     task.getImportance().getColorResource()));
@@ -454,6 +453,9 @@ public class TaskListAdapter extends ArrayAdapter<TaskModelForList> {
         	            if(nextAlarm != null) {
             	            if(label.length() > 0)
             	                label.append(". ");
+            	            if(alarmFormat == null)
+            	            	alarmFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(
+            	            			r.getString(R.string.alarmDateFormatter));
             	            String alarmString = alarmFormat.format(nextAlarm);
             	            label.append(r.getString(R.string.taskList_alarmPrefix) +
             	                    " " + alarmString);
@@ -738,4 +740,4 @@ public class TaskListAdapter extends ArrayAdapter<TaskModelForList> {
         }
     }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/com/timsu/astrid/utilities/DateUtilities.java b/src/com/timsu/astrid/utilities/DateUtilities.java
index 20f0d0a1d..215c2d895 100644
--- a/src/com/timsu/astrid/utilities/DateUtilities.java
+++ b/src/com/timsu/astrid/utilities/DateUtilities.java
@@ -28,9 +28,12 @@ import com.timsu.astrid.R;
 
 public class DateUtilities {
 
+	private static SimpleDateFormat format = null;
+
     /** Format a time into a medium length absolute format */
     public static String getFormattedDate(Resources r, Date date) {
-        SimpleDateFormat format = new SimpleDateFormat(r.getString(R.string.dateFormatter));
+    	if(format == null)
+    		format = new SimpleDateFormat(r.getString(R.string.dateFormatter));
         return format.format(date);
     }