diff --git a/app/code/core/Mage/Adminhtml/Block/Customer/Edit/Tab/View.php b/app/code/core/Mage/Adminhtml/Block/Customer/Edit/Tab/View.php
index be686dc4eda..0f48d398283 100644
--- a/app/code/core/Mage/Adminhtml/Block/Customer/Edit/Tab/View.php
+++ b/app/code/core/Mage/Adminhtml/Block/Customer/Edit/Tab/View.php
@@ -78,11 +78,9 @@ public function getCustomerLog()
      */
     public function getCreateDate()
     {
-        if ( ! $this->getCustomer()->getCreatedAt()) {
-            return null;
-        }
-        return $this->_getCoreHelper()->formatDate($this->getCustomer()->getCreatedAt(),
-            Mage_Core_Model_Locale::FORMAT_TYPE_MEDIUM, true);
+        return ($date = $this->getCustomer()->getCreatedAt())
+            ? $this->formatDate($date, Mage_Core_Model_Locale::FORMAT_TYPE_MEDIUM, true, false)
+            : null;
     }
 
     public function getStoreCreateDate()
@@ -111,11 +109,9 @@ public function getStoreCreateDateTimezone()
      */
     public function getLastLoginDate()
     {
-        $date = $this->getCustomerLog()->getLoginAtTimestamp();
-        if ($date) {
-            return Mage::helper('core')->formatDate($date, Mage_Core_Model_Locale::FORMAT_TYPE_MEDIUM, true);
-        }
-        return Mage::helper('customer')->__('Never');
+        return ($date = $this->getCustomerLog()->getLoginAtTimestamp())
+            ? $this->formatDate($date, Mage_Core_Model_Locale::FORMAT_TYPE_MEDIUM, true, false)
+            : Mage::helper('customer')->__('Never');
     }
 
     public function getStoreLastLoginDate()
@@ -218,6 +214,7 @@ public function isHidden()
     }
 
     /**
+     * @deprecated
      * Return instance of core helper
      *
      * @return Mage_Core_Helper_Data
diff --git a/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Block/Abstract.php b/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Block/Abstract.php
index 606497a9b80..35798564a26 100644
--- a/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Block/Abstract.php
+++ b/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Block/Abstract.php
@@ -1128,11 +1128,12 @@ public function helper($name)
      * @param   string $date
      * @param   string $format
      * @param   bool $showTime
+     * @param   bool $useTimezone
      * @return  string
      */
-    public function formatDate($date = null, $format = Mage_Core_Model_Locale::FORMAT_TYPE_SHORT, $showTime = false)
+    public function formatDate($date = null, $format = Mage_Core_Model_Locale::FORMAT_TYPE_SHORT, $showTime = false, $useTimezone = true)
     {
-        return $this->helper('core')->formatDate($date, $format, $showTime);
+        return $this->helper('core')->formatDate($date, $format, $showTime, $useTimezone);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Helper/Data.php b/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Helper/Data.php
index 538287948b3..e3d62ad4e8a 100644
--- a/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Helper/Data.php
+++ b/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Helper/Data.php
@@ -155,30 +155,32 @@ public function formatPrice($price, $includeContainer = true)
     /**
      * Format date using current locale options and time zone.
      *
-     * @param   string|Zend_Date|null $date
+     * @param   string|Zend_Date|null $date If empty, return current datetime.
      * @param   string              $format   See Mage_Core_Model_Locale::FORMAT_TYPE_* constants
      * @param   bool                $showTime Whether to include time
+     * @param   bool                $useTimezone Convert to local datetime?
      * @return  string
      */
-    public function formatDate($date = null, $format = Mage_Core_Model_Locale::FORMAT_TYPE_SHORT, $showTime = false)
+    public function formatDate($date = null, $format = Mage_Core_Model_Locale::FORMAT_TYPE_SHORT, $showTime = false, $useTimezone = true)
     {
         if (!in_array($format, $this->_allowedFormats, true)) {
             return $date;
         }
-        if (!($date instanceof Zend_Date) && $date && !strtotime($date)) {
-            return '';
-        }
-        if (is_null($date)) {
-            $date = Mage::app()->getLocale()->date(Mage::getSingleton('core/date')->gmtTimestamp(), null, null);
+        if (empty($date)) {
+            $date = Mage::app()->getLocale()->date(Mage::getSingleton('core/date')->gmtTimestamp(), null, null, $useTimezone);
+        } elseif (is_int($date)) {
+            $date = Mage::app()->getLocale()->date($date, null, null, $useTimezone);
         } elseif (!$date instanceof Zend_Date) {
-            $date = Mage::app()->getLocale()->date(strtotime($date), null, null);
+            if ($time = strtotime($date)) {
+                $date = Mage::app()->getLocale()->date($time, null, null, $useTimezone);
+            } else {
+                return '';
+            }
         }
 
-        if ($showTime) {
-            $format = Mage::app()->getLocale()->getDateTimeFormat($format);
-        } else {
-            $format = Mage::app()->getLocale()->getDateFormat($format);
-        }
+        $format = $showTime
+            ? Mage::app()->getLocale()->getDateTimeFormat($format)
+            : Mage::app()->getLocale()->getDateFormat($format);
 
         return $date->toString($format);
     }