diff --git a/backend/main.py b/backend/main.py
index a434e29..d40f0cf 100644
--- a/backend/main.py
+++ b/backend/main.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from datetime import UTC, datetime
+
 from fastapi import FastAPI, HTTPException, Query, Request, Response
 from fastapi.middleware.cors import CORSMiddleware
 from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse
@@ -234,6 +236,9 @@ def create_ticket(t: Ticket):
 @app.put("/tickets/{id}")
 def update_ticket(id: str, t: Ticket):
     data = clean_empty_strings(model_data(t), "customer_id", "device_id", "assigned_user_id")
+    # schema.sql has no trigger for tickets.updated_at, so the column only ever
+    # held the creation time. Stamp it here on every edit.
+    data["updated_at"] = datetime.now(UTC).isoformat()
     old = db_get("tickets", f"id=eq.{escape_filter_value(id)}&select=status")
     result = db_patch("tickets", id, data)
     if old and old[0]["status"] != data["status"]:
diff --git a/backend/test_main.py b/backend/test_main.py
index ebd5e80..b53c74d 100644
--- a/backend/test_main.py
+++ b/backend/test_main.py
@@ -559,3 +559,30 @@ def test_ai_suggest_maps_errors_to_http_responses(client, error, expected_status
     res = test_client.post("/ai/suggest", json={"ticket_id": "t1"})
 
     assert res.status_code == expected_status
+
+
+def test_update_ticket_sets_updated_at(client, monkeypatch):
+    from datetime import datetime
+
+    test_client, main = client
+    patches = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main, "db_get", lambda table, params="": [{"status": "Open"}])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        main, "db_patch", lambda table, row_id, data: patches.append(data) or [data]
+    )
+
+    res = test_client.put("/tickets/t1", json={"title": "Printer down", "status": "Open"})
+
+    assert res.status_code == 200
+    stamp = datetime.fromisoformat(patches[0]["updated_at"])
+    assert stamp.tzinfo is not None
+
+
+def test_create_ticket_does_not_send_updated_at(client, monkeypatch):
+    test_client, main = client
+    calls = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main, "db_post", lambda table, data: calls.append(data) or data)
+
+    test_client.post("/tickets", json={"title": "Printer down"})
+
+    assert "updated_at" not in calls[0]