diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index eaa5575f3e..6e193635c1 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ phpMyAdmin - ChangeLog
 - issue #12988 Do not show language selector without choices
 - issue #12993 Fixed external links to php documentation
 - issue #12990 Fixed error when loading favorite tables to console
+- issue #12981 Improved rendering of new version information
 
 4.6.6 (2017-01-23)
 - issue #12759 Fix Notice regarding 'Undefined index: old_usergroup'
diff --git a/js/functions.js b/js/functions.js
index 912ea18993..9c662c7620 100644
--- a/js/functions.js
+++ b/js/functions.js
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ function PMA_current_version(data)
         version_information_message_link.className = 'disableAjax';
         version_information_message_link_text = document.createTextNode(data.version);
         version_information_message_link.appendChild(version_information_message_link_text);
-        var prefix_message = document.createTextNode(PMA_messages.strLatestAvailable);
+        var prefix_message = document.createTextNode(PMA_messages.strLatestAvailable + ' ');
         version_information_message.appendChild(prefix_message);
         version_information_message.appendChild(version_information_message_link);
         if (latest > current) {
@@ -557,6 +557,9 @@ function PMA_current_version(data)
         if (latest === current) {
             version_information_message = document.createTextNode(' (' + PMA_messages.strUpToDate + ')');
         }
+        /* Remove extra whitespace */
+        var version_info = $('#li_pma_version').contents().get(2);
+        version_info.textContent = $.trim(version_info.textContent);
         var $liPmaVersion = $('#li_pma_version');
         $liPmaVersion.find('span.latest').remove();
         $liPmaVersion.append($(version_information_message));