diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/views/inbox/test_inbox_update.py b/bookwyrm/tests/views/inbox/test_inbox_update.py
index 2345495d..0efeac0c 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/views/inbox/test_inbox_update.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/views/inbox/test_inbox_update.py
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ class InboxUpdate(TestCase):
         datafile = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.joinpath("../../data/ap_note.json")
         status_data = json.loads(datafile.read_bytes())
         status_data["id"] = status.remote_id
+        status_data["updated"] = "2021-12-13T05:09:29Z"
 
         activity = self.update_json
         activity["object"] = status_data
@@ -189,4 +190,6 @@ class InboxUpdate(TestCase):
 
         status.refresh_from_db()
         self.assertEqual(status.content, "test content in note")
-        self.assertTrue(status.edited)
+        self.assertEqual(status.edited_date.year, 2021)
+        self.assertEqual(status.edited_date.month, 12)
+        self.assertEqual(status.edited_date.day, 13)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_status.py b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_status.py
index 6764da93..2da28ac6 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_status.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_status.py
@@ -381,6 +381,7 @@ http://www.fish.com/"""
     def test_create_status_edit_success(self, mock, *_):
         """update an existing status"""
         status = models.Status.objects.create(content="status", user=self.local_user)
+        self.assertIsNone(status.edited_date)
         view = views.CreateStatus.as_view()
         form = forms.CommentForm(
             {
@@ -400,7 +401,7 @@ http://www.fish.com/"""
 
         status.refresh_from_db()
         self.assertEqual(status.content, "<p>hi</p>")
-        self.assertTrue(status.edited)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(status.edited_date)
 
     def test_create_status_edit_permission_denied(self, *_):
         """update an existing status"""
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/status.py b/bookwyrm/views/status.py
index d2e85279..42806448 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/status.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/status.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.http import HttpResponse, HttpResponseBadRequest, Http404
 from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404, redirect
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
+from django.utils import timezone
 from django.utils.decorators import method_decorator
 from django.views import View
 from django.views.decorators.http import require_POST
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ class CreateStatus(View):
                 models.Status.objects.select_subclasses(), id=existing_status_id
             )
             existing_status.raise_not_editable(request.user)
-            existing_status.edited = True
+            existing_status.edited_date = timezone.now()
 
         status_type = status_type[0].upper() + status_type[1:]