diff --git a/bin/addons/base/res/res_log.py b/bin/addons/base/res/res_log.py
index 8165d05acac..39fa8ec8969 100644
--- a/bin/addons/base/res/res_log.py
+++ b/bin/addons/base/res/res_log.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from osv import fields, osv
 import tools
 import time
 
-class res_log(osv.osv_memory):
+class res_log(osv.osv):
     _name = 'res.log'
     _columns = {
         'name': fields.char('Message', size=128, help='The logging message.', required=True),
@@ -33,20 +33,34 @@ class res_log(osv.osv_memory):
         'res_id': fields.integer('Object ID'),
         'secondary': fields.boolean('Secondary Log', help='Do not display this log if it belongs to the same object the user is working on'),
         'create_date': fields.datetime('Created Date', readonly=True),
+        'read': fields.boolean('Read', help="If this log item has been read, get() should not send it to the client")
     }
     _defaults = {
         'user_id': lambda self,cr,uid,ctx: uid,
-        'create_date': time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'),
-        'context': lambda *args: "{}"
+        'context': "{}",
+        'read': False
     }
     _order='create_date desc'
 
+    _index_name = 'res_log_uid_read'
+    def _auto_init(self, cr, context={}):
+        super(res_log, self)._auto_init(cr, context)
+        cr.execute('SELECT 1 FROM pg_indexes WHERE indexname=%s',
+                   (self._index_name,))
+        if not cr.fetchone():
+            cr.execute('CREATE INDEX %s ON res_log (user_id, read)' %
+                       self._index_name)
+
     # TODO: do not return secondary log if same object than in the model (but unlink it)
-    def get(self, cr, uid, context={}):
-        ids = self.search(cr, uid, [('user_id','=',uid)], context=context)
-        result = self.read(cr, uid, ids, ['name','res_model','res_id'], context=context)
-        self.unlink(cr, uid, ids, context=context)
-        return result
+    def get(self, cr, uid, context=None):
+        unread_log_ids = self.search(cr, uid, [('user_id','=',uid),
+                                               ('read', '=', False)],
+                                     context=context)
+        unread_logs = self.read(cr, uid, unread_log_ids,
+                                ['name','res_model','res_id'],
+                                context=context)
+        self.write(cr, uid, unread_log_ids, {'read': True}, context=context)
+        return unread_logs
 
     def search(self, cr, uid, args, offset=0, limit=None, order=None, context=None, count=False):
         res = []
@@ -58,6 +72,4 @@ class res_log(osv.osv_memory):
             logs.update({log.res_model: res_dict})
         res = map(lambda x: x.values(), logs.values())
         return tools.flatten(res)
-
 res_log()
-
diff --git a/bin/addons/base/res/res_log_view.xml b/bin/addons/base/res/res_log_view.xml
index 6dac6c044c6..aa85272cfac 100644
--- a/bin/addons/base/res/res_log_view.xml
+++ b/bin/addons/base/res/res_log_view.xml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
                     <field name="user_id"/>
                     <field name="res_model"/>
                     <field name="create_date"/>
+                    <field name="read"/>
                 </search>
             </field>
         </record>
@@ -22,9 +23,10 @@
             <field name="type">tree</field>
             <field name="arch" type="xml">
                 <tree string="Logs">
-                    <field name="create_date"/>
                     <field name="name"/>
+                    <field name="create_date"/>
                     <field name="user_id"/>
+                    <field name="read"/>
                 </tree>
             </field>
         </record>
@@ -34,8 +36,11 @@
             <field name="type">form</field>
             <field name="arch" type="xml">
                 <form string="Logs">
+                  <group colspan="4" col="6">
                     <field name="name"/>
                     <field name="create_date"/>
+                    <field name="read" readonly="1"/>
+                  </group>
                     <group colspan="4" col="6">
                         <field name="user_id" />
                         <field name="res_model"/>
diff --git a/bin/osv/fields.py b/bin/osv/fields.py
index 64432ba15d7..f4442761bb8 100644
--- a/bin/osv/fields.py
+++ b/bin/osv/fields.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #   size
 #
 from collections import defaultdict
+import datetime as DT
 import string
 import netsvc
 import sys
@@ -189,14 +190,42 @@ class float(_column):
 
 class date(_column):
     _type = 'date'
+    @staticmethod
+    def today(*args):
+        """ Returns the current date in a format fit for being a
+        default value to a ``date`` field.
 
+        This method should be provided as is to the _defaults dict, it
+        should not be called.
+        """
+        return DT.date.today().strftime(
+            tools.DEFAULT_SERVER_DATE_FORMAT)
 
 class datetime(_column):
     _type = 'datetime'
+    @staticmethod
+    def now(*args):
+        """ Returns the current datetime in a format fit for being a
+        default value to a ``datetime`` field.
 
+        This method should be provided as is to the _defaults dict, it
+        should not be called.
+        """
+        return DT.datetime.now().strftime(
+            tools.DEFAULT_SERVER_DATETIME_FORMAT)
 
 class time(_column):
     _type = 'time'
+    @staticmethod
+    def now( *args):
+        """ Returns the current time in a format fit for being a
+        default value to a ``time`` field.
+
+        This method should be proivided as is to the _defaults dict,
+        it should not be called.
+        """
+        return DT.datetime.now().strftime(
+            tools.DEFAULT_SERVER_TIME_FORMAT)
 
 class binary(_column):
     _type = 'binary'
diff --git a/bin/tools/misc.py b/bin/tools/misc.py
index b3b3d7d9baa..81707156244 100644
--- a/bin/tools/misc.py
+++ b/bin/tools/misc.py
@@ -1323,7 +1323,10 @@ def get_server_timezone():
 
 
 DEFAULT_SERVER_DATE_FORMAT = "%Y-%m-%d"
-DEFAULT_SERVER_DATETIME_FORMAT = DEFAULT_SERVER_DATE_FORMAT + " %H:%M:%S"
+DEFAULT_SERVER_TIME_FORMAT = "%H:%M:%S"
+DEFAULT_SERVER_DATETIME_FORMAT = "%s %s" % (
+    DEFAULT_SERVER_DATE_FORMAT,
+    DEFAULT_SERVER_TIME_FORMAT)
 
 def server_to_local_timestamp(src_tstamp_str, src_format, dst_format, dst_tz_name,
         tz_offset=True, ignore_unparsable_time=True):