diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
index 79911a38bc..48d59436d9 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/utils.py
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ from django.utils import simplejson
 from django.db import connection
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django_comment_client.permissions import check_permissions_by_view
+from django_comment_client.models import Role
 from mitxmako import middleware
 
 import logging
@@ -226,11 +228,15 @@ def permalink(content):
                        args=[content['course_id'], content['commentable_id'], content['thread_id']]) + '#' + content['id']
 
 def extend_content(content):
+    user = User.objects.get(pk=content['user_id'])
+    roles = dict(('name', role.name.lower()) for role in user.roles.filter(course_id=content['course_id']))
     content_info = {
         'displayed_title': content.get('highlighted_title') or content.get('title', ''),
         'displayed_body': content.get('highlighted_body') or content.get('body', ''),
         'raw_tags': ','.join(content.get('tags', [])),
         'permalink': permalink(content),
+        'roles': roles,
+        'updated': content['created_at']!=content['updated_at'],
     }
     return merge_dict(content, content_info)
 
diff --git a/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee b/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee
index 73c3688c2a..9f95c201f4 100644
--- a/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee
+++ b/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/content.coffee
@@ -374,6 +374,9 @@ if Backbone?
       MathJax.Hub.Queue ["Typeset", MathJax.Hub, $contentBody.attr("id")]
 
     initTimeago: ->
+      @$("span.timeago").each (index, element) ->
+        elem = $(element)
+        elem.html("posted on #{$.timeago.parse(elem.html()).toLocaleString()}")
       @$("span.timeago").timeago()
 
     renderPartial: ->
diff --git a/lms/static/sass/_discussion.scss b/lms/static/sass/_discussion.scss
index b00dc069f1..6d44ebdb68 100644
--- a/lms/static/sass/_discussion.scss
+++ b/lms/static/sass/_discussion.scss
@@ -390,6 +390,14 @@ $tag-text-color: #5b614f;
           color: #dea03e;
         }
       }
+
+      .author-moderator:after{
+        content: " (moderator)"
+      }
+
+      .author-administrator:after{
+        content: " (instructor)"
+      }
     }
 
     .discussion-content {
@@ -415,6 +423,13 @@ $tag-text-color: #5b614f;
       }
     }
 
+    // Role based styles
+    .role-moderator{
+      background-color: #eafcfc;
+    }
+    .role-administrator{
+      background-color: #eafcea;
+    }
     //COMMENT STYLES
     .comments {
       overflow: hidden;
diff --git a/lms/templates/discussion/mustache/_content.mustache b/lms/templates/discussion/mustache/_content.mustache
index 88f53a23ac..8f2ebca2a9 100644
--- a/lms/templates/discussion/mustache/_content.mustache
+++ b/lms/templates/discussion/mustache/_content.mustache
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<div class="discussion-content local">
+<div class="discussion-content local{{#content.roles}} role-{{name}}{{/content.roles}}">
   <div class="discussion-content-wrapper">
     <div class="discussion-votes">
       <a class="discussion-vote discussion-vote-up" href="javascript:void(0)" value="up">&#9650;</a>
@@ -34,12 +34,15 @@
         </div>
         <div class="info">
           <div class="comment-time">
-            <span class="timeago" title="{{content.updated_at}}">sometime</span> by
+            {{#content.updated}}
+              updated
+            {{/content.updated}}
+            <span class="timeago" title="{{content.updated_at}}">{{content.created_at}}</span> by
             {{#content.anonymous}}
               anonymous
             {{/content.anonymous}}
             {{^content.anonymous}}
-              <a href="{{##url_for_user}}{{content.user_id}}{{/url_for_user}}">{{content.username}}</a>
+              <a href="{{##url_for_user}}{{content.user_id}}{{/url_for_user}}" class="{{#content.roles}}author-{{name}} {{/content.roles}}">{{content.username}}</a>
             {{/content.anonymous}}
           </div>
           <div class="show-comments-wrapper">