diff --git a/app/models/topic_tracking_state.rb b/app/models/topic_tracking_state.rb
index 4ca9a3a2095..b2ef7441428 100644
--- a/app/models/topic_tracking_state.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic_tracking_state.rb
@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ class TopicTrackingState
           topic_id: topic_id,
           min_new_topic_date: Time.at(SiteSetting.min_new_topics_time).to_datetime,
           max_topics: TopicTrackingState::MAX_TOPICS,
+          user_first_unread_at: user.user_stat.first_unread_at,
         }.merge(treat_as_new_topic_params),
       )
 
@@ -382,7 +383,7 @@ class TopicTrackingState
 
     filter_old_unread_sql =
       if filter_old_unread
-        " topics.updated_at >= us.first_unread_at AND "
+        " topics.updated_at >= :user_first_unread_at AND "
       else
         ""
       end
@@ -413,7 +414,6 @@ class TopicTrackingState
            c.id as category_id,
            #{category_topic_id_column_select}
            tu.notification_level,
-           us.first_unread_at,
            GREATEST(
               CASE
               WHEN COALESCE(uo.new_topic_duration_minutes, :default_duration) = :always THEN u.created_at
@@ -475,7 +475,6 @@ class TopicTrackingState
       SELECT #{select_sql}
       FROM topics
       JOIN users u on u.id = :user_id
-      JOIN user_stats AS us ON us.user_id = u.id
       JOIN user_options AS uo ON uo.user_id = u.id
       JOIN categories c ON c.id = topics.category_id
       LEFT JOIN topic_users tu ON tu.topic_id = topics.id AND tu.user_id = u.id