diff --git a/lib/post_creator.rb b/lib/post_creator.rb
index c494ba660a3..68f23ea59e1 100644
--- a/lib/post_creator.rb
+++ b/lib/post_creator.rb
@@ -419,16 +419,18 @@ class PostCreator
   end
 
   def update_topic_stats
+    attrs = { updated_at: Time.now }
+
     if @post.post_type != Post.types[:whisper]
-      attrs = {}
       attrs[:last_posted_at] = @post.created_at
       attrs[:last_post_user_id] = @post.user_id
       attrs[:word_count] = (@topic.word_count || 0) + @post.word_count
       attrs[:excerpt] = @post.excerpt_for_topic if new_topic?
       attrs[:bumped_at] = @post.created_at unless @post.no_bump
-      attrs[:updated_at] = Time.now
       @topic.update_columns(attrs)
     end
+
+    @topic.update_columns(attrs)
   end
 
   def update_topic_auto_close
diff --git a/lib/post_destroyer.rb b/lib/post_destroyer.rb
index 16e91f4c586..04512fcbc8e 100644
--- a/lib/post_destroyer.rb
+++ b/lib/post_destroyer.rb
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ class PostDestroyer
   def staff_recovered
     @post.recover!
 
+    mark_topic_changed
+
     if @post.topic && !@post.topic.private_message?
       if author = @post.user
         if @post.is_first_post?
@@ -121,6 +123,7 @@ class PostDestroyer
       @post.trash!(@user)
       if @post.topic
         make_previous_post_the_last_one
+        mark_topic_changed
         clear_user_posted_flag
         Topic.reset_highest(@post.topic_id)
       end
@@ -184,13 +187,33 @@ class PostDestroyer
 
   private
 
+  # we need topics to change if ever a post in them is deleted or created
+  # this ensures users relying on this information can keep unread tracking
+  # working as desired
+  def mark_topic_changed
+    # make this as fast as possible, can bypass everything
+    DB.exec(<<~SQL, updated_at: Time.now, id: @post.topic_id)
+      UPDATE topics
+      SET updated_at = :updated_at
+      WHERE id = :id
+    SQL
+  end
+
   def make_previous_post_the_last_one
-    last_post = Post.where("topic_id = ? and id <> ?", @post.topic_id, @post.id).order('created_at desc').limit(1).first
+    last_post = Post
+      .select(:created_at, :user_id, :post_number)
+      .where("topic_id = ? and id <> ?", @post.topic_id, @post.id)
+      .order('created_at desc')
+      .limit(1)
+      .first
+
     if last_post.present? && @post.topic.present?
       topic = @post.topic
       topic.last_posted_at = last_post.created_at
       topic.last_post_user_id = last_post.user_id
       topic.highest_post_number = last_post.post_number
+
+      # we go via save here cause we need to run hooks
       topic.save!(validate: false)
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb b/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb
index 5d188b66e3c..7f73209161d 100644
--- a/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ describe Auth::DefaultCurrentUserProvider do
       provider2 = provider("/", "HTTP_COOKIE" => "_t=#{unhashed_token}")
       u = provider2.current_user
       u.reload
-      expect(u.last_seen_at).to eq(Time.now)
+      expect(u.last_seen_at).to eq_time(Time.now)
 
       freeze_time 20.minutes.from_now
 
diff --git a/spec/components/concern/second_factor_manager_spec.rb b/spec/components/concern/second_factor_manager_spec.rb
index 0080f2ff675..4e6dcd2e7ac 100644
--- a/spec/components/concern/second_factor_manager_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/concern/second_factor_manager_spec.rb
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ RSpec.describe SecondFactorManager do
         token = user.totp.now
 
         expect(user.authenticate_totp(token)).to eq(true)
-        expect(user.user_second_factors.totp.last_used).to eq(DateTime.now)
+        expect(user.user_second_factors.totp.last_used).to eq_time(DateTime.now)
         expect(user.authenticate_totp(token)).to eq(false)
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/components/post_creator_spec.rb b/spec/components/post_creator_spec.rb
index ffdf2cc1e7b..7deb2c2f7a7 100644
--- a/spec/components/post_creator_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/post_creator_spec.rb
@@ -374,8 +374,8 @@ describe PostCreator do
 
             topic_timer.reload
 
-            expect(topic_timer.execute_at).to eq(Time.zone.now + 12.hours)
-            expect(topic_timer.created_at).to eq(Time.zone.now)
+            expect(topic_timer.execute_at).to eq_time(Time.zone.now + 12.hours)
+            expect(topic_timer.created_at).to eq_time(Time.zone.now)
           end
 
           describe "when auto_close_topics_post_count has been reached" do
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ describe PostCreator do
               ))
 
               expect(topic.closed).to eq(true)
-              expect(topic_timer.reload.deleted_at).to eq(Time.zone.now)
+              expect(topic_timer.reload.deleted_at).to eq_time(Time.zone.now)
             end
           end
         end
diff --git a/spec/integration/user_api_keys_spec.rb b/spec/integration/user_api_keys_spec.rb
index d0f0648266f..1e43f53c065 100644
--- a/spec/integration/user_api_keys_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/user_api_keys_spec.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,6 @@ describe 'user api keys integration' do
     get '/session/current.json', headers: {
       HTTP_USER_API_KEY: user_api_key.key,
     }
-    expect(user_api_key.reload.last_used_at).to eq(Time.zone.now)
+    expect(user_api_key.reload.last_used_at).to eq_time(Time.zone.now)
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/jobs/toggle_topic_closed_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/toggle_topic_closed_spec.rb
index 24b9d3c307b..22873f13b70 100644
--- a/spec/jobs/toggle_topic_closed_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jobs/toggle_topic_closed_spec.rb
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ describe Jobs::ToggleTopicClosed do
           topic_timer = topic.public_topic_timer
 
           expect(topic_timer.status_type).to eq(TopicTimer.types[:close])
-          expect(topic_timer.execute_at).to eq(5.hours.from_now)
+          expect(topic_timer.execute_at).to eq_time(5.hours.from_now)
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/lib/backup_restore/shared_examples_for_backup_store.rb b/spec/lib/backup_restore/shared_examples_for_backup_store.rb
index 07ed5d481eb..cd5f5430db6 100644
--- a/spec/lib/backup_restore/shared_examples_for_backup_store.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/backup_restore/shared_examples_for_backup_store.rb
@@ -215,7 +215,9 @@ shared_examples "remote backup store" do
 
     describe "#upload_file" do
       def upload_file
-        freeze_time
+        # time has fidelity issues freeze a time that is not going to be prone
+        # to that
+        freeze_time(Time.now.to_s)
 
         backup = BackupFile.new(
           filename: "foo.tar.gz",
diff --git a/spec/models/post_action_spec.rb b/spec/models/post_action_spec.rb
index 923ec3fd740..1b16944a8b0 100644
--- a/spec/models/post_action_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/post_action_spec.rb
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@ describe PostAction do
         expect(topic.reload.closed).to eq(true)
 
         timer = TopicTimer.last
-        expect(timer.execute_at).to eq(1.hour.from_now)
+        expect(timer.execute_at).to eq_time(1.hour.from_now)
 
         freeze_time timer.execute_at
         Jobs.expects(:enqueue_in).with(
diff --git a/spec/models/post_spec.rb b/spec/models/post_spec.rb
index 2f18227d199..ae4d32bcd01 100644
--- a/spec/models/post_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/post_spec.rb
@@ -1311,4 +1311,40 @@ describe Post do
     end
   end
 
+  context 'topic updated_at' do
+    let :topic do
+      create_post.topic
+    end
+
+    def updates_topic_updated_at
+
+      freeze_time 1.day.from_now
+      time = Time.now
+
+      result = yield
+
+      topic.reload
+      expect(topic.updated_at).to eq_time(time)
+
+      result
+    end
+
+    it "will update topic updated_at for all topic related events" do
+      SiteSetting.enable_whispers = true
+
+      post = updates_topic_updated_at do
+        create_post(topic_id: topic.id, post_type: Post.types[:whisper])
+      end
+
+      updates_topic_updated_at do
+        PostDestroyer.new(Discourse.system_user, post).destroy
+      end
+
+      updates_topic_updated_at do
+        PostDestroyer.new(Discourse.system_user, post).recover
+      end
+
+    end
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/topic_spec.rb b/spec/models/topic_spec.rb
index 65a9be83bbe..2fb6a681fd7 100644
--- a/spec/models/topic_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/topic_spec.rb
@@ -1582,7 +1582,7 @@ describe Topic do
       closing_topic.set_or_create_timer(TopicTimer.types[:open], nil)
       topic_timer = closing_topic.public_topic_timer
 
-      expect(topic_timer.execute_at).to eq(5.hours.from_now)
+      expect(topic_timer.execute_at).to eq_time(5.hours.from_now)
       expect(topic_timer.status_type).to eq(TopicTimer.types[:close])
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/rails_helper.rb b/spec/rails_helper.rb
index 6eaa2a2934a..7cca874f3c2 100644
--- a/spec/rails_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/rails_helper.rb
@@ -278,8 +278,17 @@ def set_cdn_url(cdn_url)
 end
 
 def freeze_time(now = Time.now)
-  datetime = DateTime.parse(now.to_s)
-  time = Time.parse(now.to_s)
+  time = now
+  datetime = now
+
+  if Time === now
+    datetime = now.to_datetime
+  elsif DateTime === now
+    time = now.to_time
+  else
+    datetime = DateTime.parse(now.to_s)
+    time = Time.parse(now.to_s)
+  end
 
   if block_given?
     raise "nested freeze time not supported" if TrackTimeStub.stubbed
diff --git a/spec/support/time_matcher.rb b/spec/support/time_matcher.rb
index eb7ec2d80a2..02a6fd859bc 100644
--- a/spec/support/time_matcher.rb
+++ b/spec/support/time_matcher.rb
@@ -6,3 +6,12 @@ RSpec::Matchers.define :be_within_one_second_of do |expected_time|
     "#{actual_time} is not within 1 second of #{expected_time}"
   end
 end
+
+RSpec::Matchers.define :eq_time do |expected_time|
+  match do |actual_time|
+    (actual_time - expected_time).abs < 0.001
+  end
+  failure_message do |actual_time|
+    "#{actual_time} is not within 1 millisecond of #{expected_time}"
+  end
+end