diff --git a/submissions/migrations/0085_auto_20200720_0648.py b/submissions/migrations/0085_auto_20200720_0648.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..fd4fedfd1d639865bed4acb5ec247c7c9657ab54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/submissions/migrations/0085_auto_20200720_0648.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Generated by Django 2.2.11 on 2020-07-20 04:48
+
+import datetime
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('submissions', '0084_preprintserver'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name='submission',
+            name='submission_date',
+            field=models.DateTimeField(default=datetime.datetime.now, verbose_name='submission date'),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/submissions/models/report.py b/submissions/models/report.py
index 933736e5663fb697d21833d14f4e4a41472b2ba4..b6ee4635706750f4da0e20bb40cd89681a562cc0 100644
--- a/submissions/models/report.py
+++ b/submissions/models/report.py
@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ class Report(SubmissionRelatedObjectMixin, models.Model):
         field if this information becomes necessary in more general information representation.
         """
         return (self.author.reports.accepted().filter(
-            submission__preprint__identifier_wo_vn_nr=self.submission.preprint.identifier_wo_vn_nr,
-            submission__preprint__vn_nr__lt=self.submission.preprint.vn_nr).exists())
+            submission__thread_hash=self.submission.thread_hash,
+            submission__submission_date__lt=self.submission.submission_date).exists())
 
     @property
     def associated_published_doi(self):
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ class Report(SubmissionRelatedObjectMixin, models.Model):
         """
         try:
             publication = Publication.objects.get(
-                accepted_submission__preprint__identifier_wo_vn_nr=self.submission.preprint.identifier_wo_vn_nr)
+                accepted_submission__thread_hash=self.submission.thread_hash)
         except Publication.DoesNotExist:
             return None
 
diff --git a/submissions/models/submission.py b/submissions/models/submission.py
index b2f94f9df02ca257383b8665b07cbaafd0c5553d..9686aaddc2a82433c91c841bd11d579914b210c6 100644
--- a/submissions/models/submission.py
+++ b/submissions/models/submission.py
@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ class Submission(models.Model):
 
     # Metadata
     metadata = JSONField(default=dict, blank=True, null=True)
-    submission_date = models.DateField(verbose_name='submission date', default=datetime.date.today)
+    submission_date = models.DateTimeField(
+        verbose_name='submission date',
+        default=datetime.datetime.now)
     acceptance_date = models.DateField(verbose_name='acceptance date', null=True, blank=True)
     latest_activity = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)
     update_search_index = models.BooleanField(default=True)
@@ -155,7 +157,7 @@ class Submission(models.Model):
         if self.is_current:
             header += ' (current version)'
         else:
-            header += ' (deprecated version ' + str(self.preprint.vn_nr) + ')'
+            header += ' (deprecated version ' + str(self.thread_sequence_order) + ')'
         if hasattr(self, 'publication') and self.publication.is_published:
             header += ' (published as %s (%s))' % (
                 self.publication.doi_string, self.publication.publication_date.strftime('%Y'))
@@ -320,10 +322,15 @@ class Submission(models.Model):
         return Submission.objects.public().filter(thread_hash=self.thread_hash).order_by(
             '-submission_date', '-preprint__vn_nr')
 
+    @property
+    def thread_sequence_order(self):
+        """Return the ordering of this Submission within its thread."""
+        return self.thread.filter(submission_date__lt=self.submission_date).count() + 1
+
     @cached_property
     def other_versions(self):
         """Return other Submissions in the database in this thread."""
-        return self.get_other_versions().order_by('-preprint__vn_nr')
+        return self.get_other_versions().order_by('-submission_date', '-preprint__vn_nr')
 
     def get_other_versions(self):
         """Return queryset of other Submissions with this thread."""
diff --git a/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/pool/submission_info_table.html b/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/pool/submission_info_table.html
index 19b6a013a390c428cbb8aa5ae129ae0c27b6f660..0304dabe3eb1f6607463c833f9b28f141868a2fd 100644
--- a/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/pool/submission_info_table.html
+++ b/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/pool/submission_info_table.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <table class="w-100 mb-1">
   <tr>
     <td style="min-width: 40%;">Version</td>
-    <td>{{ submission.preprint.vn_nr }} ({% if submission.is_current %}current version{% else %}deprecated version {{ submission.preprint.vn_nr }}{% endif %})</td>
+    <td>{{ submission.thread_sequence_order }} ({% if submission.is_current %}current version{% else %}out of a sequence of {{ submission.thread|length }}{% endif %})</td>
   </tr>
   {% if submission.preprint.url %}
     <tr>
diff --git a/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/submission_card_content.html b/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/submission_card_content.html
index ff6bd995582c8bcfaa2de6cc83efbc5714f06f16..562ae68d8a1190aa7e46a0b6ce911a3096325aae 100644
--- a/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/submission_card_content.html
+++ b/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/submission_card_content.html
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 {% block card_footer %}
   <p class="meta">
-    Version {{ submission.preprint.vn_nr }} ({% if submission.is_current %}current version{% else %}deprecated version {{ submission.preprint.vn_nr }}{% endif %})
+    Version {{ submission.thread_sequence_order }} ({% if submission.is_current %}current version{% else %}out of a sequence of {{ submission.thread|length }}{% endif %})
     <br>
     {% if submission.publication and submission.publication.is_published %}
       Published as <a href="{{ submission.publication.get_absolute_url }}">
diff --git a/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/submission_version.html b/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/submission_version.html
index 83acdc4964b9ec1e98d8814affd5b5d204c7fd14..dec7ad6ba54e289bee0cb155ff90ce7ed4586406 100644
--- a/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/submission_version.html
+++ b/submissions/templates/partials/submissions/submission_version.html
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 <div class="py-1">
-  <a href="{{submission.get_absolute_url}}" class="pubtitleli">version {{submission.preprint.vn_nr}}</a>
+  <a href="{{ submission.get_absolute_url }}" class="pubtitleli">version {{ submission.thread_sequence_order }}</a>
   <span class="version-suffix">
     {% if submission.is_current %}
       (current version)
     {% else %}
-      (deprecated version {{submission.preprint.vn_nr}})
+      (out of a sequence of {{ submission.thread|length }})
     {% endif %}
   </span>
 </div>
diff --git a/submissions/templates/submissions/submission_form.html b/submissions/templates/submissions/submission_form.html
index 80f7e35942115f7992da5f235c28c8ec6bb7c763..d0f543464e4ac88d67d6527d933b2df7fab84851 100644
--- a/submissions/templates/submissions/submission_form.html
+++ b/submissions/templates/submissions/submission_form.html
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
   <div class="row">
     <div class="col-12">
       <h1 class="highlight">Submit a manuscript to SciPost
-        {% if form.identifier_w_vn_nr.value %} <span class="my-1 py-0 text-blue">{{form.identifier_w_vn_nr.value}}{% if form.submission_is_resubmission %} <small>(resubmission)</small>{% endif %}</span>{% endif %}
+        {% if form.identifier_w_vn_nr.value %} <span class="my-1 py-0 text-blue">{{ form.identifier_w_vn_nr.value }}{% if form.submission_is_resubmission %} <small>(resubmission)</small>{% endif %}</span>{% endif %}
       </h1>
     </div>
 
diff --git a/submissions/views.py b/submissions/views.py
index 10ff77c15a5d3e842c49953b7b9224d3817efa3f..e68796d01d1f848a4f575e8e09d66259cf5ed5d2 100644
--- a/submissions/views.py
+++ b/submissions/views.py
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class SubmissionAutocompleteView(autocomplete.Select2QuerySetView):
         if item.is_current:
             end_info = ' (current version)'
         else:
-            end_info = ' (deprecated version ' + str(item.preprint.vn_nr) + ')'
+            end_info = ' (deprecated version ' + str(item.thread_sequence_order) + ')'
         if hasattr(item, 'publication') and item.publication.is_published:
             end_info += ' (published as %s (%s))' % (
                 item.publication.doi_string, item.publication.publication_date.strftime('%Y'))