diff --git a/app/helpers/merge_requests_helper.rb b/app/helpers/merge_requests_helper.rb
index 75a41054acebfbb7990541b081ec89fa0d3c2949..f620299bf44dbbc978fa0c2ec5ad90e130031b11 100644
--- a/app/helpers/merge_requests_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/merge_requests_helper.rb
@@ -277,13 +277,26 @@ def merge_request_source_branch(merge_request)
   def merge_request_header(project, merge_request)
     link_to_author = link_to_member(project, merge_request.author, size: 24, extra_class: 'gl-font-weight-bold gl-mr-2', avatar: false)
     copy_action_description = _('Copy branch name')
+    request_action = _('requested to merge')
+    branch_into = _('into')
     copy_action_shortcut = 'b'
     copy_button_title = "#{copy_action_description} <kbd class='flat ml-1'>#{copy_action_shortcut}</kbd>"
+    action_dot = "<span aria-label='#{request_action}'>•</span>".html_safe
+    into_arrow = "<span aria-label='#{branch_into}'>➔</span>".html_safe
     copy_button = clipboard_button(text: merge_request.source_branch, title: copy_button_title, aria_keyshortcuts: copy_action_shortcut, aria_label: copy_action_description, class: 'gl-display-none! gl-md-display-inline-block! js-source-branch-copy')
 
     target_branch = link_to merge_request.target_branch, project_tree_path(merge_request.target_project, merge_request.target_branch), title: merge_request.target_branch, class: 'ref-container gl-display-inline-block gl-text-truncate gl-max-w-26 gl-mx-2'
 
-    _('%{author} requested to merge %{source_branch} %{copy_button} into %{target_branch} %{created_at}').html_safe % { author: link_to_author.html_safe, source_branch: merge_request_source_branch(merge_request).html_safe, copy_button: copy_button.html_safe, target_branch: target_branch.html_safe, created_at: time_ago_with_tooltip(merge_request.created_at, html_class: 'gl-display-inline-block').html_safe }
+    safe_format(
+      '%{author} %{action_dot} %{source_branch} %{copy_button} %{into_arrow} %{target_branch} %{created_at}',
+      author: link_to_author,
+      source_branch: merge_request_source_branch(merge_request),
+      copy_button: copy_button,
+      target_branch: target_branch,
+      created_at: time_ago_with_tooltip(merge_request.created_at, html_class: 'gl-display-inline-block'),
+      action_dot: action_dot,
+      into_arrow: into_arrow
+    )
   end
 
   def sticky_header_data
diff --git a/locale/gitlab.pot b/locale/gitlab.pot
index 4becc3dc9f4802ded503aeade6a116328442c516..c01e5aa490885b859f9988b78fb01b59613213a1 100644
--- a/locale/gitlab.pot
+++ b/locale/gitlab.pot
@@ -540,9 +540,6 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "%{author} has added you as an approver."
 msgstr ""
 
-msgid "%{author} requested to merge %{source_branch} %{copy_button} into %{target_branch} %{created_at}"
-msgstr ""
-
 msgid "%{board_target} not found"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -58461,6 +58458,9 @@ msgstr[1] ""
 msgid "internal note"
 msgstr ""
 
+msgid "into"
+msgstr ""
+
 msgid "invalid milestone state `%{state}`"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -59427,6 +59427,9 @@ msgstr[1] ""
 msgid "repository:"
 msgstr ""
 
+msgid "requested to merge"
+msgstr ""
+
 msgid "rule"
 msgid_plural "rules"
 msgstr[0] ""
diff --git a/spec/features/merge_request/user_creates_merge_request_spec.rb b/spec/features/merge_request/user_creates_merge_request_spec.rb
index eab5cee976e69f74cfab23f9dc94d264b875072c..fdc996ef39b9a0592357226779503b3f12887990 100644
--- a/spec/features/merge_request/user_creates_merge_request_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/merge_request/user_creates_merge_request_spec.rb
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
 
         click_button('Create merge request')
 
-        expect(page).to have_content(title).and have_content("requested to merge #{forked_project.full_path}:fix into master")
+        expect(page).to have_content(title).and have_content("• #{forked_project.full_path}:fix ➔ master")
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/features/merge_request/user_edits_merge_request_spec.rb b/spec/features/merge_request/user_edits_merge_request_spec.rb
index 584a17ae33d6adb5c23fa8bd76d62bfa4f5b3214..31b382be6112f677d3593cf1a581de96519c5430 100644
--- a/spec/features/merge_request/user_edits_merge_request_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/merge_request/user_edits_merge_request_spec.rb
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
 
       click_button('Save changes')
 
-      expect(page).to have_content("requested to merge #{merge_request.source_branch} into merge-test")
+      expect(page).to have_content("• #{merge_request.source_branch} ➔ merge-test")
       expect(page).to have_content("changed target branch from #{merge_request.target_branch} to merge-test")
     end