diff --git a/steward/audit/routes.py b/steward/audit/routes.py
index e363345..3400aa5 100644
--- a/steward/audit/routes.py
+++ b/steward/audit/routes.py
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 import json
-from quart import Blueprint, render_template, request, current_app
+from quart import Blueprint, render_template, request, current_app, session
 from sqlalchemy import select
 from steward.ansible.inventory_gen import scope_labels
-from steward.audit.service import AREAS, action_text, detail_facts, entity_labels
+from steward.audit.service import AREAS, action_text, detail_facts, entity_labels, mark_day_groups
 from steward.auth.middleware import require_role
+from steward.core import formatting as fmt
 from steward.core.paging import keyset, next_page
 from steward.models.audit import AuditEvent
 from steward.models.users import UserRole
@@ -46,7 +47,9 @@ async def list_events():
         item["action"] = action_text(e.action)
         item["facts"] = detail_facts(item["detail"], scopes)
 
-    ctx = {"events": parsed, "after": after, "action_filter": action_filter, "areas": AREAS}
+    last_group = mark_day_groups(parsed, fmt.zone(session.get("tz")), request.args.get("group", ""))
+    ctx = {"events": parsed, "after": after, "action_filter": action_filter, "areas": AREAS,
+           "last_group": last_group}
     if request.args.get("before"):
         return await render_template("audit/_rows.html", **ctx)
     return await render_template("audit/list.html", **ctx)
diff --git a/steward/audit/service.py b/steward/audit/service.py
index f647f4c..adde7b5 100644
--- a/steward/audit/service.py
+++ b/steward/audit/service.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from sqlalchemy import select
 
 from steward.ansible.inventory_gen import run_title, scope_labels
+from steward.core.formatting import day_group
 from steward.models.alerts import AlertRule, MaintenanceWindow
 from steward.models.ansible import AnsibleRun
 from steward.models.ansible_inventory import AnsibleGroup, AnsibleTarget
@@ -207,3 +208,15 @@ def detail_facts(detail: dict, scopes: dict[str, str]) -> list[dict]:
             text = _plain(value)
         facts.append({"label": label, "text": text, "url": url})
     return facts
+
+
+def mark_day_groups(items: list[dict], tz, group: str = "", now=None) -> str:
+    """Give each newest-first entry its recency group (formatting.day_group,
+    in the reader's zone) and whether it opens one, so the page draws a
+    divider there. `group` is the one the previous page ended in: a group
+    split across pages is opened once. Returns the group this page ends in."""
+    for item in items:
+        item["group"] = day_group(item["event"].timestamp, tz, now)
+        item["opens_group"] = item["group"] != group
+        group = item["group"]
+    return group
diff --git a/steward/core/formatting.py b/steward/core/formatting.py
index aefa87b..7194b03 100644
--- a/steward/core/formatting.py
+++ b/steward/core/formatting.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ here. A moment is written in the reader's own zone, on a 24-hour clock
 """
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone, tzinfo
+from datetime import datetime, timezone, tzinfo
 from functools import lru_cache
 from typing import Any
 from zoneinfo import ZoneInfo, ZoneInfoNotFoundError, available_timezones
@@ -120,29 +120,40 @@ def ago(when: datetime | None, now: datetime | None = None, tz: tzinfo | None =
 
 
 def when(moment: datetime | None, tz: tzinfo | None = None, now: datetime | None = None) -> Markup:
-    """The exact moment in the reader's zone on a 24-hour clock, as short as
-    it can be read: 'Today 06:58', 'Yesterday 23:41', 'Tomorrow 02:00',
-    'Tue 6 Oct 14:12' this year, '6 Oct 2025 14:12' before it."""
+    """The exact moment in the reader's zone on a 24-hour clock, always with
+    its date: 'Thu 8 Oct 06:58' this year, '6 Oct 2025 14:12' before it. A
+    list that groups by recency says Today or Yesterday in a divider
+    (day_group), never in place of the date (#5214)."""
     if moment is None:
         return Markup(NONE)
     tz = tz or timezone.utc
     moment = _utc(moment)
     local = moment.astimezone(tz)
-    today = (now or datetime.now(timezone.utc)).astimezone(tz).date()
+    this_year = (now or datetime.now(timezone.utc)).astimezone(tz).year
     day, hm = local.date(), f"{local:%H:%M}"
-    if day == today:
-        text = f"Today {hm}"
-    elif day == today - timedelta(days=1):
-        text = f"Yesterday {hm}"
-    elif day == today + timedelta(days=1):
-        text = f"Tomorrow {hm}"
-    elif day.year == today.year:
+    if day.year == this_year:
         text = f"{local:%a} {day.day} {local:%b} {hm}"
     else:
         text = f"{day.day} {local:%b} {day.year} {hm}"
     return _time(moment, local, text)
 
 
+DAY_GROUPS = ("Today", "Yesterday", "Last 7 days", "Older")
+
+
+def day_group(moment: datetime, tz: tzinfo | None = None, now: datetime | None = None) -> str:
+    """Which of DAY_GROUPS a past moment falls in, by calendar day in the
+    reader's zone: the dividers of a newest-first log."""
+    tz = tz or timezone.utc
+    day = _utc(moment).astimezone(tz).date()
+    back = ((now or datetime.now(timezone.utc)).astimezone(tz).date() - day).days
+    if back <= 0:
+        return DAY_GROUPS[0]
+    if back == 1:
+        return DAY_GROUPS[1]
+    return DAY_GROUPS[2] if back < 7 else DAY_GROUPS[3]
+
+
 def status_class(value: Any, kind: str, thresholds: dict) -> str:
     """Grade a reading against Settings → Thresholds (to_thresholds_cfg):
     'ok', 'warn' or 'crit', or 'unknown' when there is no reading.
diff --git a/steward/static/steward.css b/steward/static/steward.css
index c6cbc49..22fe2dd 100644
--- a/steward/static/steward.css
+++ b/steward/static/steward.css
@@ -227,6 +227,9 @@ strong, b, th { font-weight: 500; }
 .table td.nowrap { white-space: nowrap; }
 /* An audit entry's details, one fact a line (milestone 490). */
 .audit-facts { font-size: 0.8rem; color: var(--text-muted); }
+/* A divider row naming the group the rows under it fall in (Today, Older). */
+.table tr.table-divider th { padding: 1rem 1rem 0.4rem; background: var(--bg-card); border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border-mid); }
+.table tbody tr.table-divider:hover th { background: var(--bg-card); }
 .cell-note { font-size: 0.78rem; color: var(--text-muted); margin-top: 0.2rem; }
 /* An alert episode's own transitions, folded under it (#5316). */
 .episode-steps { margin-top: 0.3rem; font-size: 0.8rem; }
diff --git a/steward/templates/audit/_rows.html b/steward/templates/audit/_rows.html
index 5ab9e07..12ea06a 100644
--- a/steward/templates/audit/_rows.html
+++ b/steward/templates/audit/_rows.html
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 {# audit/_rows.html — one page of the audit log's rows, then the sentinel that
-   loads the next page as the reader nears it (core.paging, pref 172). #}
+   loads the next page as the reader nears it (core.paging, pref 172). A
+   divider row opens each recency group: Today, Yesterday, Last 7 days, Older. #}
 {% from "_macros.html" import scroll_more, scroll_end %}
       {% for item in events %}
       {% set e = item.event %}
+      {% if item.opens_group %}<tr class="table-divider"><th colspan="5" scope="rowgroup">{{ item.group }}</th></tr>{% endif %}
       <tr>
         <td class="nowrap">{{ e.timestamp|when }}</td>
         <td class="nowrap">{{ e.username }}</td>
@@ -22,7 +24,8 @@
       </tr>
       {% endfor %}
 {% if after %}
-{{ scroll_more("/audit/?before=" ~ (after|urlencode) ~ (("&action=" ~ (action_filter|urlencode)) if action_filter else ""), cols=5) }}
+{{ scroll_more("/audit/?before=" ~ (after|urlencode) ~ (("&action=" ~ (action_filter|urlencode)) if action_filter else "")
+               ~ "&group=" ~ (last_group|urlencode), cols=5) }}
 {% else %}
 {{ scroll_end(cols=5) }}
 {% endif %}
diff --git a/tests/core/test_audit_page.py b/tests/core/test_audit_page.py
index 1a99109..b5ef73f 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_audit_page.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_audit_page.py
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@ async def test_the_page_names_and_links_the_entity(app):
 async def test_the_log_continues_itself_instead_of_a_load_more_link(app):
     events = [{"event": _ev("host", "h1", "host.renamed"), "detail": {}, "entity": None}]
     async with app.test_request_context("/audit/"):
-        more = await render_template("audit/list.html", events=events,
+        more = await render_template("audit/list.html", events=events, last_group="Today",
                                      after="2026-10-07T03:00:00+00:00|0190abc", action_filter="host.")
         last = await render_template("audit/_rows.html", events=events, after=None, action_filter="")
     assert ('data-scroll-more hx-get="/audit/?before=2026-10-07T03%3A00%3A00%2B00%3A00%7C0190abc'
-            '&amp;action=host."') in more
+            '&amp;action=host.&amp;group=Today"') in more
     assert "Load more" not in more
     assert "data-scroll-more" not in last and "End of the list." in last
 
@@ -107,3 +107,30 @@ async def test_each_entry_shows_its_exact_moment_in_the_readers_zone(app):
     assert '<div><span class="tone-dim">was</span> web-0</div>' in page
     table = page[page.index('<table class="table">'):]
     assert "style=" not in table
+
+
+def test_dividers_open_each_day_group_once_even_across_pages():
+    """#5214: the operator wants Today, Yesterday, the last week and older as
+    dividers, with every row's own date beside it."""
+    from steward.audit.service import mark_day_groups
+    now = datetime(2026, 10, 8, 18, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+    at = lambda d, h=12: NS(timestamp=datetime(2026, 10, d, h, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc))
+    page1 = [{"event": at(8)}, {"event": at(8, 9)}, {"event": at(7)}, {"event": at(5)}]
+    assert mark_day_groups(page1, timezone.utc, "", now) == "Last 7 days"
+    assert [(i["group"], i["opens_group"]) for i in page1] == [
+        ("Today", True), ("Today", False), ("Yesterday", True), ("Last 7 days", True)]
+    # The next page carries the group the last ended in, so it doesn't reopen it.
+    page2 = [{"event": at(3)}, {"event": at(1)}]
+    assert mark_day_groups(page2, timezone.utc, "Last 7 days", now) == "Older"
+    assert [(i["group"], i["opens_group"]) for i in page2] == [("Last 7 days", False), ("Older", True)]
+
+
+async def test_a_divider_row_heads_each_group(app):
+    events = [{"event": _ev("host", "h1", "host.renamed"), "detail": {}, "entity": None, "facts": [],
+               "group": "Today", "opens_group": True},
+              {"event": _ev("host", "h1", "host.renamed"), "detail": {}, "entity": None, "facts": [],
+               "group": "Today", "opens_group": False}]
+    async with app.test_request_context("/audit/"):
+        page = await render_template("audit/_rows.html", events=events, after=None, action_filter="")
+    assert page.count('<tr class="table-divider"><th colspan="5" scope="rowgroup">Today</th></tr>') == 1
+    assert "Today 1" not in page and ">Tue 6 Oct " in page            # the row keeps its date
diff --git a/tests/core/test_formatting.py b/tests/core/test_formatting.py
index 295719a..f560de6 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_formatting.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_formatting.py
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ def test_ago_of_nothing_and_of_another_zone():
     assert 'title="Tue 6 Oct 2026 18:00:00 UTC"' in str(f.ago(NOW.astimezone(est), now=NOW))
 
 
-# Milestone 490: a moment in the reader's own zone, on a 24-hour clock.
+# Milestone 490: a moment in the reader's own zone, on a 24-hour clock, always
+# with its date: "Today" and "Yesterday" are dividers, never the time (#5214).
 NY = f.zone("America/New_York")
 
 
@@ -67,14 +68,14 @@ def test_ago_hovers_the_moment_in_the_readers_zone():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("moment, text, title", [
-    (NOW - timedelta(hours=1), "Today 13:00", "Tue 6 Oct 2026 13:00:00 EDT"),
+    (NOW - timedelta(hours=1), "Tue 6 Oct 13:00", "Tue 6 Oct 2026 13:00:00 EDT"),
     # 03:30 UTC on the 6th is 23:30 on the 5th in New York: the zone moves the day.
-    (datetime(2026, 10, 6, 3, 30, tzinfo=timezone.utc), "Yesterday 23:30", "Mon 5 Oct 2026 23:30:00 EDT"),
-    (datetime(2026, 10, 7, 6, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc), "Tomorrow 02:00", "Wed 7 Oct 2026 02:00:00 EDT"),
+    (datetime(2026, 10, 6, 3, 30, tzinfo=timezone.utc), "Mon 5 Oct 23:30", "Mon 5 Oct 2026 23:30:00 EDT"),
+    (datetime(2026, 10, 7, 6, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc), "Wed 7 Oct 02:00", "Wed 7 Oct 2026 02:00:00 EDT"),
     (datetime(2026, 9, 30, 12, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc), "Wed 30 Sep 08:00", "Wed 30 Sep 2026 08:00:00 EDT"),
     # Before this year the year shows; in winter the zone is EST, an hour further back.
     (datetime(2025, 12, 25, 12, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc), "25 Dec 2025 07:00", "Thu 25 Dec 2025 07:00:00 EST"),
-    (datetime(2026, 10, 6, 21, 5), "Today 17:05", "Tue 6 Oct 2026 17:05:00 EDT"),  # naive is UTC
+    (datetime(2026, 10, 6, 21, 5), "Tue 6 Oct 17:05", "Tue 6 Oct 2026 17:05:00 EDT"),  # naive is UTC
 ])
 def test_when_writes_the_exact_moment_in_the_readers_zone(moment, text, title):
     stamp = moment.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc) if moment.tzinfo is None else moment
@@ -83,11 +84,24 @@ def test_when_writes_the_exact_moment_in_the_readers_zone(moment, text, title):
 
 
 def test_when_is_a_24_hour_clock_and_utc_without_a_zone():
-    assert ">Today 18:00<" in str(f.when(NOW, now=NOW))
-    assert ">Today 23:59<" in str(f.when(NOW.replace(hour=23, minute=59), now=NOW))
+    assert ">Tue 6 Oct 18:00<" in str(f.when(NOW, now=NOW))
+    assert ">Tue 6 Oct 23:59<" in str(f.when(NOW.replace(hour=23, minute=59), now=NOW))
     assert str(f.when(None)) == "—"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("moment, group", [
+    (NOW - timedelta(hours=1), "Today"),
+    (datetime(2026, 10, 6, 3, 30, tzinfo=timezone.utc), "Yesterday"),   # 23:30 on the 5th in New York
+    (datetime(2026, 10, 5, 3, 30, tzinfo=timezone.utc), "Last 7 days"),
+    (datetime(2026, 9, 30, 12, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc), "Last 7 days"),  # six days back
+    (datetime(2026, 9, 29, 12, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc), "Older"),        # seven
+    (datetime(2025, 12, 25, 12, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc), "Older"),
+])
+def test_day_group_counts_calendar_days_in_the_readers_zone(moment, group):
+    assert f.day_group(moment, NY, now=NOW) == group
+    assert group in f.DAY_GROUPS
+
+
 def test_zone_falls_back_to_utc_and_names_itself():
     assert f.zone(None) is timezone.utc and f.zone("") is timezone.utc
     assert f.zone("Not/AZone") is timezone.utc and f.zone("../etc/passwd") is timezone.utc