diff --git a/src/Forms/DateField.php b/src/Forms/DateField.php
index 9122aa0b9..5b2ea0474 100644
--- a/src/Forms/DateField.php
+++ b/src/Forms/DateField.php
@@ -220,6 +220,8 @@ class DateField extends TextField
             );
         }
 
+
+
         if ($this->getHTML5() && $this->locale) {
             throw new \LogicException(
                 'Please opt-out of HTML5 processing of ISO 8601 dates via setHTML5(false) if using setLocale()'
@@ -353,9 +355,12 @@ class DateField extends TextField
 
     public function performReadonlyTransformation()
     {
-        $field = $this->castedCopy(DateField_Disabled::class);
-        $field->setValue($this->dataValue());
-        $field->setReadonly(true);
+        $field = $this
+            ->castedCopy(DateField_Disabled::class)
+            ->setValue($this->dataValue())
+            ->setLocale($this->getLocale())
+            ->setReadonly(true);
+
         return $field;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Forms/DateField_Disabled.php b/src/Forms/DateField_Disabled.php
index e0656f99a..22cd201c3 100644
--- a/src/Forms/DateField_Disabled.php
+++ b/src/Forms/DateField_Disabled.php
@@ -14,27 +14,51 @@ class DateField_Disabled extends DateField
 
     protected $disabled = true;
 
-    public function Field($properties = array())
+    public function Field($properties = [])
     {
-        if ($this->valueObj) {
-            if ($this->valueObj->isToday()) {
-                $val = Convert::raw2xml($this->valueObj->toString($this->getConfig('dateformat'))
-                    . ' (' . _t('SilverStripe\\Forms\\DateField.TODAY', 'today') . ')');
+        // Default display value
+        $displayValue = '<i>(' . _t(DateField::class . '.NOTSET', 'not set') . ')</i>';
+
+        $value = $this->dataValue();
+
+        if ($value) {
+            $value = $this->tidyInternal($value);
+            $df = new DBDate($this->name);
+            $df->setValue($value);
+
+            if ($df->IsToday()) {
+                // e.g. 2018-06-01 (today)
+                $format = '%s (%s)';
+                $infoComplement = _t(DateField::class . '.TODAY', 'today');
             } else {
-                $df = new DBDate($this->name);
-                $df->setValue($this->dataValue());
-                $val = Convert::raw2xml($this->valueObj->toString($this->getConfig('dateformat'))
-                    . ', ' . $df->Ago());
+                // e.g. 2018-06-01, 5 days ago
+                $format = '%s, %s';
+                $infoComplement = $df->Ago();
             }
-        } else {
-            $val = '<i>(' . _t('SilverStripe\\Forms\\DateField.NOTSET', 'not set') . ')</i>';
+
+            // Render the display value with some complement of info
+            $displayValue = Convert::raw2xml(sprintf(
+                $format,
+                $this->Value(),
+                $infoComplement
+            ));
         }
 
-        return "<span class=\"readonly\" id=\"" . $this->ID() . "\">$val</span>";
+        return sprintf(
+            "<span class=\"readonly\" id=\"%s\">%s</span>",
+            $this->ID(),
+            $displayValue
+        );
     }
 
     public function Type()
     {
-        return "date_disabled readonly";
+        return "date_disabled readonly " . parent::Type();
+    }
+
+    public function getHTML5()
+    {
+        // Always disable HTML5 feature when using the readonly field.
+        return false;
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/php/Forms/DateField_DisabledTest.php b/tests/php/Forms/DateField_DisabledTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a8e5e3d1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/php/Forms/DateField_DisabledTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace SilverStripe\Forms\Tests;
+
+use IntlDateFormatter;
+use SilverStripe\Dev\SapphireTest;
+use SilverStripe\Forms\DateField_Disabled;
+use SilverStripe\Forms\RequiredFields;
+use SilverStripe\i18n\i18n;
+use SilverStripe\ORM\FieldType\DBDatetime;
+
+/**
+ * @skipUpgrade
+ */
+class DateField_DisabledTest extends SapphireTest
+{
+    protected function setUp()
+    {
+        parent::setUp();
+        i18n::set_locale('en_NZ');
+        DBDatetime::set_mock_now('2011-02-01 8:34:00');
+    }
+
+    public function testFieldToday()
+    {
+        // Today date with normal local
+        $actual = DateField_Disabled::create('Test')
+            ->setValue('2011-02-01')
+            ->Field();
+        $expected = '<span class="readonly" id="Test">1/02/2011 (today)</span>';
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, $actual);
+
+        // Test today's date with time
+        $actual = DateField_Disabled::create('Test')
+            ->setValue('2011-02-01 10:34:00')
+            ->Field();
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, $actual);
+    }
+
+    public function testFieldWithDifferentDay()
+    {
+        // Test past
+        $actual = DateField_Disabled::create('Test')
+            ->setValue('2011-01-27')
+            ->Field();
+        $expected = '<span class="readonly" id="Test">27/01/2011, 5 days ago</span>';
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, $actual);
+
+        // Test future
+        $actual = DateField_Disabled::create('Test')
+            ->setValue('2011-02-06')
+            ->Field();
+        $expected = '<span class="readonly" id="Test">6/02/2011, in 5 days</span>';
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, $actual);
+    }
+
+    public function testFieldWithDifferentLocal()
+    {
+        // Test different local
+        $actual = DateField_Disabled::create('Test')
+            ->setValue('2011-02-06')
+            ->setHTML5(false)
+            ->setLocale('de_DE')
+            ->Field();
+        $expected = '<span class="readonly" id="Test">06.02.2011, in 5 days</span>';
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, $actual);
+    }
+
+    public function testFieldWithNonValue()
+    {
+        // Test none value
+        $actual = DateField_Disabled::create('Test')->Field();
+        $expected = '<span class="readonly" id="Test"><i>(not set)</i></span>';
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, $actual);
+
+        $actual = DateField_Disabled::create('Test')->setValue('This is not a date')->Field();
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, $actual);
+    }
+}