diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 8e73356212e..b5d4d63ab54 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -727,13 +727,26 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
     end
   end
 
-  def update_last_seen!(now = Time.zone.now)
+  def last_seen_redis_key(now)
     now_date = now.to_date
-    # Only update last seen once every minute
-    redis_key = "user:#{id}:#{now_date}"
-    return unless Discourse.redis.setnx(redis_key, "1")
+    "user:#{id}:#{now_date}"
+  end
+
+  def clear_last_seen_cache!(now = Time.zone.now)
+    Discourse.redis.del(last_seen_redis_key(now))
+  end
+
+  def update_last_seen!(now = Time.zone.now)
+    redis_key = last_seen_redis_key(now)
+
+    if SiteSetting.active_user_rate_limit_secs > 0
+      return if !Discourse.redis.set(
+        redis_key, "1",
+        nx: true,
+        ex: SiteSetting.active_user_rate_limit_secs
+      )
+    end
 
-    Discourse.redis.expire(redis_key, SiteSetting.active_user_rate_limit_secs)
     update_previous_visit(now)
     # using update_column to avoid the AR transaction
     update_column(:last_seen_at, now)
diff --git a/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb b/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb
index bd1ce30fb04..a6aacf219bc 100644
--- a/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/auth/default_current_user_provider_spec.rb
@@ -244,13 +244,16 @@ describe Auth::DefaultCurrentUserProvider do
       cookies["_t"][:value]
     end
 
+    before do
+      @orig = freeze_time
+      user.clear_last_seen_cache!(@orig)
+    end
+
     after do
-      Discourse.redis.flushdb
+      user.clear_last_seen_cache!(@orig)
     end
 
     it "should not update last seen for suspended users" do
-      freeze_time
-
       provider2 = provider("/", "HTTP_COOKIE" => "_t=#{unhashed_token}")
       u = provider2.current_user
       u.reload
@@ -262,7 +265,8 @@ describe Auth::DefaultCurrentUserProvider do
       u.suspended_till = 1.year.from_now
       u.save!
 
-      Discourse.redis.del("user:#{user.id}:#{Time.now.to_date}")
+      u.clear_last_seen_cache!
+
       provider2 = provider("/", "HTTP_COOKIE" => "_t=#{unhashed_token}")
       expect(provider2.current_user).to eq(nil)