diff --git a/customize.dist/index.html b/customize.dist/index.html
index 0f8f41659..cd284d80f 100644
--- a/customize.dist/index.html
+++ b/customize.dist/index.html
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 
         tbody { border-top: 2px solid black; }
 
-        tbody td, thead th {
+        tbody td {
             /* width: 20%; */ /* Optional */
             border-right: 1px solid black;
             /* white-space: nowrap; */
@@ -61,9 +61,19 @@
         tbody td:last-child, thead th:last-child {
             border-right: none;
         }
-        tbody tr:nth-child(even) {
+        tbody tr:nth-child(odd) {
             background-color: #ddd;
         }
+        tbody tr th {
+            box-sizing: border-box;
+            border: 1px solid black;
+        }
+        tbody tr th:last-child {
+            border-right: 0px;
+        }
+        tbody tr th:first-of-type {
+            border-left: 0px;
+        }
 
         .remove {
             cursor: pointer;
@@ -129,77 +139,73 @@
         <script>
             require([
                 '/customize/DecorateToolbar.js',
+                '/common/cryptpad-common.js',
                 '/bower_components/lil-uri/uri.min.js',
                 '/bower_components/jquery/dist/jquery.min.js'
-            ], function (Dt, LilUri) {
+            ], function (DecorateToolbar, Cryptpad, LilUri) {
                 var $ = window.$;
-                Dt.main($('#bottom-bar'));
-                var localStorageKey = 'CryptPad_RECENTPADS';
-                var recentPadsStr = localStorage[localStorageKey];
-                var recentPads;
-                if (recentPadsStr) { recentPads = JSON.parse(recentPadsStr); }
-                if (!recentPads) { return; }
-                recentPads.sort(function (a,b) { return b[1] - a[1]; });
+                DecorateToolbar.main($('#bottom-bar'));
+
                 var $table = $('table.scroll');
                 var $tbody = $table.find('tbody');
                 var $tryit = $('#tryit');
                 var now = new Date();
                 var hasRecent = false;
 
-                var memorySpan = 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 30; // thirty days
+                var memorySpan = Cryptpad.timeframe; // thirty days
 
-                var forgetPad = function (url) {
-                    if (recentPads) {
-                        recentPads = recentPads.filter(function (pad) {
-                            // remove the pad in question
-                            return pad[0] !== url;
-                        });
-                        localStorage[localStorageKey] = JSON.stringify(recentPads);
-                    }
-                };
+                var forgetPad = Cryptpad.forgetPad;
 
                 var padTypes = {
                     '/pad/': 'Pad',
                     '/code/': 'Code'
                 };
 
+                var recentPads = Cryptpad.getRecentPads();
+                recentPads.sort(Cryptpad.mostRecent);
+
                 var makeRecentPadsTable = function () {
                     recentPads.length && recentPads.some(function (pad, index) {
-                        if (!pad) return true;
+                        if (!pad) return;
+
+                        console.log(pad);
 
                         // don't link to old pads
-                        if (now.getTime() - pad[1] > memorySpan) return true;
+                        if (now.getTime() - new Date(pad.atime).getTime() > memorySpan) return true;
 
                         hasRecent = true;
 
                         // split up the uri
-                        var uri = LilUri(pad[0]);
+                        var uri = LilUri(pad.href);
 
                         // derive the name
                         var name = padTypes[uri.path()];
 
-                        var title = pad[2] || uri.parts.hash.slice(0,8);
+                        var title = pad.title || uri.parts.hash.slice(0,8);
+
+                        var date = new Date(pad.atime).toLocaleDateString();
+                        var created = new Date(pad.ctime).toLocaleDateString();
 
-                        var date = new Date(pad[1]).toLocaleDateString();
                         if (date === now.toLocaleDateString()) {
-                            date = new Date(pad[1]).toLocaleTimeString().replace(/ /g, '');
+                            date = new Date(pad.atime).toLocaleTimeString().replace(/ /g, '');
                         }
 
                         var id = 'pad-'+index;
                         $tbody.append('<tr id="'+id+'">' +
                            '<td>' + name + '</td>' +
                            '<td>' + title + '</td>' +
-                           '<td><a href="' + pad[0] + '">' + pad[0] + '</a></td>' +
+                           '<td><a href="' + pad.href + '">' + pad.href + '</a></td>' +
+                           '<td>' + created + '</td>' + // created
                            '<td>' + date + '</td>' +
                            '<td class="remove">✖</td>'+
                            '</tr>');
 
                         var $row = $('#'+id);
                         $row.find('.remove').click(function () {
-                            forgetPad(pad[0]);
+                            forgetPad(pad.href);
                             $row.fadeOut(750, function () {
                                 $row.remove();
-                                if (!$table.find('tr').length) {
+                                if (!$table.find('tr').find('td').length) {
                                     $table.remove();
                                     $tryit.text("Try it out!");
                                 }
@@ -209,10 +215,7 @@
                 };
 
                 if (recentPads.length) {
-                    recentPads.sort(function (a, b) {
-                        // b - a
-                        return new Date(b[1]).getTime() - new Date(a[1]).getTime();
-                    });
+                    recentPads.sort(Cryptpad.mostRecent);
                     makeRecentPadsTable();
                 }
                 if (hasRecent) {
@@ -225,6 +228,16 @@
 
         <table class="recent scroll" style="display:none">
             <tbody>
+
+            <tr>
+                <th>Type</th>
+                <th>Title</th>
+                <th>Link</th>
+                <th>Created</th>
+                <th>Last Accessed</th>
+                <th></th> <!-- remove column -->
+            </tr>
+
             </tbody>
         </table>
 
diff --git a/www/code/main.js b/www/code/main.js
index bc8987f2c..f8bec3387 100644
--- a/www/code/main.js
+++ b/www/code/main.js
@@ -220,7 +220,9 @@ define([
                         var title = window.prompt("How would you like this pad to be titled?",
                             Cryptpad.getPadTitle());
 
-                        if (title === null) {
+                        if (title === null) { return; }
+                        if (Cryptpad.causesNamingConflict(title)) {
+                            window.alert("Another pad already has that title");
                             return;
                         }
                         Cryptpad.setPadTitle(title);
diff --git a/www/common/cryptpad-common.js b/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
index 29a3ae80b..c91c51738 100644
--- a/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
+++ b/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
@@ -2,9 +2,17 @@ define([
     '/bower_components/chainpad-crypto/crypto.js',
     '/bower_components/jquery/dist/jquery.min.js',
 ], function (Crypto) {
+/*  This file exposes functionality which is specific to Cryptpad, but not to
+    any particular pad type. This includes functions for committing metadata
+    about pads to your local storage for future use and improved usability.
+
+    Additionally, there is some basic functionality for import/export.
+*/
     var $ = window.jQuery;
     var common = {};
 
+    var isArray = function (o) { return Object.prototype.toString.call(o) === '[object Array]'; };
+
     var getSecrets = common.getSecrets = function () {
         var secret = {};
         if (!/#/.test(window.location.href)) {
@@ -20,7 +28,42 @@ define([
     var storageKey = common.storageKey = 'CryptPad_RECENTPADS';
     var timeframe = common.timeframe = 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 30;
 
-    var getRecentPads = function () {
+    /*
+        the first time this gets called, your local storage will migrate to a
+        new format. No more indices for values, everything is named now.
+
+        * href
+        * atime (access time)
+        * title
+        * ??? // what else can we put in here?
+    */
+    var migrateRecentPads = common.migrateRecentPads = function (pads) {
+        return pads.map(function (pad) {
+            if (isArray(pad)) {
+                return {
+                    href: pad[0],
+                    atime: pad[1],
+                    title: pad[2],
+                };
+            } else if (typeof(pad) === 'object') {
+                if (!pad.ctime) { pad.ctime = pad.atime; }
+                /*
+                if (pad.date) {
+                    pad.atime = pad.date;
+                    delete pad.date;
+                    pad.date = undefined;
+                }*/
+                return pad;
+            } else {
+                console.error("[Cryptpad.migrateRecentPads] pad had unexpected value");
+                console.log(pad);
+                return {};
+            }
+        });
+    };
+
+    /* fetch and migrate your pad history from localStorage */
+    var getRecentPads = common.getRecentPads = function () {
         var recentPadsStr = localStorage[storageKey];
 
         var recentPads = [];
@@ -32,28 +75,60 @@ define([
                 // just overwrite it.
             }
         }
-        return recentPads;
+        return migrateRecentPads(recentPads);
     };
 
-    var setRecentPads = function (pads) {
-        localStorage[storageKey] = JSON.stringify(pads);
+    /* commit a list of pads to localStorage */
+    var setRecentPads = common.setRecentPads = function (pads) {
+        localStorage.setItem(storageKey, JSON.stringify(pads));
+    };
+
+    /* Sort pads according to how recently they were accessed */
+    var mostRecent = common.mostRecent = function (a, b) {
+        return new Date(b.atime).getTime() - new Date(a.atime).getTime();
+    };
+
+    var forgetPad = common.forgetPad = function (href) {
+        var recentPads = getRecentPads().filter(function (pad) {
+            return pad.href !== href;
+        });
+        setRecentPads(recentPads);
     };
 
     var rememberPad = common.rememberPad = window.rememberPad = function (title) {
         // bail out early
         if (!/#/.test(window.location.hash)) { return; }
 
-        var recentPads = getRecentPads();
+        var pads = getRecentPads();
 
         var now = new Date();
+        var href = window.location.href;
+
+        var isUpdate = false;
+
+        var out = pads.map(function (pad) {
+            if (pad && pad.href === href) {
+                isUpdate = true;
+                // bump the atime
+                pad.atime = now;
 
-        var out = recentPads.filter(function (pad) {
-            return (pad && pad[0] !== window.location.href &&
-                (now.getTime() - new Date(pad[1]).getTime()) < timeframe);
+                pad.title = title;
+            }
+            return pad;
+        }).filter(function (pad) {
+            // remove pads with an expired atime
+            return (now.getTime() - new Date(pad.atime).getTime()) < timeframe;
         });
 
-        // href, atime, name
-        out.push([window.location.href, now, title || '']);
+        if (!isUpdate) {
+            // href, atime, name
+            out.push({
+                href: href,
+                atime: now,
+                ctime: now,
+                title: title || window.location.hash.slice(1,9),
+            });
+        }
         setRecentPads(out);
     };
 
@@ -62,14 +137,13 @@ define([
         var recent = getRecentPads();
 
         var renamed = recent.map(function (pad) {
-            if (pad[0] === href) {
+            if (pad.href === href) {
                 // update the atime
-                pad[1] = new Date().toISOString();
+                pad.atime = new Date().toISOString();
 
                 // set the name
-                pad[2] = name;
+                pad.title = name;
             }
-            //console.log(pad);
             return pad;
         });
 
@@ -81,14 +155,22 @@ define([
         var hashSlice = window.location.hash.slice(1,9);
         var title = '';
         getRecentPads().some(function (pad) {
-            if (pad[0] === href) {
-                title = pad[2] || hashSlice;
+            if (pad.href === href) {
+                title = pad.title || hashSlice;
                 return true;
             }
         });
         return title;
     };
 
+    var causesNamingConflict = common.causesNamingConflict = function (title) {
+        var href = window.location.href;
+        return getRecentPads().some(function (pad) {
+            return pad.title === title &&
+                pad.href !== href;
+        });
+    };
+
     var importContent = common.importContent = function (type, f) {
         return function () {
             var $files = $('<input type="file">').click();
diff --git a/www/pad/main.js b/www/pad/main.js
index 81557247e..4da176d2b 100644
--- a/www/pad/main.js
+++ b/www/pad/main.js
@@ -381,6 +381,10 @@ define([
                         var title = window.prompt("How would you like to title this pad?", suggestion);
 
                         if (title === null) { return; }
+                        if (Cryptpad.causesNamingConflict(title)) {
+                            window.alert("Another pad already has that title");
+                            return;
+                        }
 
                         Cryptpad.setPadTitle(title);
                         document.title = title;