diff --git a/internal/actors/counter/actor.go b/internal/actors/counter/actor.go
index 5c4e832..dca7914 100644
--- a/internal/actors/counter/actor.go
+++ b/internal/actors/counter/actor.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -193,7 +194,7 @@ func Register(args plugins.RegistrationArguments) (err error) {
 			mod = val[0]
 		}
 
-		if err := updateCounter(db, name, mod, false); err != nil {
+		if err := updateCounter(db, name, mod, false, time.Now()); err != nil {
 			return 0, errors.Wrap(err, "updating counter")
 		}
 
@@ -230,7 +231,7 @@ func (actorCounter) Execute(_ *irc.Client, m *irc.Message, r *plugins.Rule, even
 		}
 
 		return false, errors.Wrap(
-			updateCounter(db, counterName, counterValue, true),
+			updateCounter(db, counterName, counterValue, true, time.Now()),
 			"set counter",
 		)
 	}
@@ -249,7 +250,7 @@ func (actorCounter) Execute(_ *irc.Client, m *irc.Message, r *plugins.Rule, even
 	}
 
 	return false, errors.Wrap(
-		updateCounter(db, counterName, counterStep, false),
+		updateCounter(db, counterName, counterStep, false, time.Now()),
 		"update counter",
 	)
 }
@@ -298,7 +299,7 @@ func routeActorCounterSetValue(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if err = updateCounter(db, mux.Vars(r)["name"], value, absolute); err != nil {
+	if err = updateCounter(db, mux.Vars(r)["name"], value, absolute, time.Now()); err != nil {
 		http.Error(w, errors.Wrap(err, "updating value").Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/internal/actors/counter/database.go b/internal/actors/counter/database.go
index b6e71c5..9a37494 100644
--- a/internal/actors/counter/database.go
+++ b/internal/actors/counter/database.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package counter
 
 import (
+	"time"
+
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
 	"gorm.io/gorm/clause"
@@ -11,8 +13,10 @@ import (
 
 type (
 	counter struct {
-		Name  string `gorm:"primaryKey"`
-		Value int64
+		Name         string `gorm:"primaryKey"`
+		Value        int64
+		FirstSeen    time.Time
+		LastModified time.Time
 	}
 )
 
@@ -32,7 +36,7 @@ func getCounterValue(db database.Connector, counterName string) (int64, error) {
 }
 
 //revive:disable-next-line:flag-parameter
-func updateCounter(db database.Connector, counterName string, value int64, absolute bool) error {
+func updateCounter(db database.Connector, counterName string, value int64, absolute bool, atTime time.Time) error {
 	if !absolute {
 		cv, err := getCounterValue(db, counterName)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -46,8 +50,8 @@ func updateCounter(db database.Connector, counterName string, value int64, absol
 		helpers.RetryTransaction(db.DB(), func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
 			return tx.Clauses(clause.OnConflict{
 				Columns:   []clause.Column{{Name: "name"}},
-				DoUpdates: clause.AssignmentColumns([]string{"value"}),
-			}).Create(counter{Name: counterName, Value: value}).Error
+				DoUpdates: clause.AssignmentColumns([]string{"last_modified", "value"}),
+			}).Create(counter{Name: counterName, Value: value, FirstSeen: atTime.UTC(), LastModified: atTime.UTC()}).Error
 		}),
 		"storing counter value",
 	)
diff --git a/internal/actors/counter/database_test.go b/internal/actors/counter/database_test.go
index 496d381..f4c75e5 100644
--- a/internal/actors/counter/database_test.go
+++ b/internal/actors/counter/database_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package counter
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -20,12 +21,19 @@ func TestCounterStoreLoop(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "reading non-existent counter")
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(0), v, "expecting 0 counter value on non-existent counter")
 
-	err = updateCounter(dbc, counterName, 5, true)
+	err = updateCounter(dbc, counterName, 5, true, time.Now())
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "inserting counter")
 
-	err = updateCounter(dbc, counterName, 1, false)
+	var rawCounter counter
+	assert.NoError(t, dbc.DB().First(&rawCounter, "name = ?", counterName).Error)
+	assert.Equal(t, rawCounter.FirstSeen, rawCounter.LastModified)
+
+	err = updateCounter(dbc, counterName, 1, false, time.Now())
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "updating counter")
 
+	assert.NoError(t, dbc.DB().First(&rawCounter, "name = ?", counterName).Error)
+	assert.NotEqual(t, rawCounter.FirstSeen, rawCounter.LastModified)
+
 	v, err = getCounterValue(dbc, counterName)
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "reading existent counter")
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(6), v, "expecting counter value on existing counter")
@@ -35,11 +43,13 @@ func TestCounterTopListAndRank(t *testing.T) {
 	dbc := database.GetTestDatabase(t)
 	require.NoError(t, dbc.DB().AutoMigrate(&counter{}))
 
+	testTime := time.Now().UTC()
+
 	counterTemplate := `#example:test:%v`
 	for i := 0; i < 6; i++ {
 		require.NoError(
 			t,
-			updateCounter(dbc, fmt.Sprintf(counterTemplate, i), int64(i), true),
+			updateCounter(dbc, fmt.Sprintf(counterTemplate, i), int64(i), true, testTime),
 			"inserting counter %d", i,
 		)
 	}
@@ -49,9 +59,9 @@ func TestCounterTopListAndRank(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Len(t, cc, 3)
 
 	assert.Equal(t, []counter{
-		{Name: "#example:test:5", Value: 5},
-		{Name: "#example:test:4", Value: 4},
-		{Name: "#example:test:3", Value: 3},
+		{Name: "#example:test:5", Value: 5, FirstSeen: testTime, LastModified: testTime},
+		{Name: "#example:test:4", Value: 4, FirstSeen: testTime, LastModified: testTime},
+		{Name: "#example:test:3", Value: 3, FirstSeen: testTime, LastModified: testTime},
 	}, cc)
 
 	rank, count, err := getCounterRank(dbc,