diff --git a/app/models/topic_tracking_state.rb b/app/models/topic_tracking_state.rb
index c6a9e4b35b3..0701bbe554c 100644
--- a/app/models/topic_tracking_state.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic_tracking_state.rb
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ class TopicTrackingState
 
   def self.treat_as_new_topic_clause
     User.where("CASE
-                  WHEN COALESCE(u.new_topic_duration_minutes, :default_duration) = :always THEN u.created_at
-                  WHEN COALESCE(u.new_topic_duration_minutes, :default_duration) = :last_visit THEN COALESCE(u.previous_visit_at,u.created_at)
+                  WHEN COALESCE(u.new_topic_duration_minutes, :default_duration) = :always THEN us.new_since
+                  WHEN COALESCE(u.new_topic_duration_minutes, :default_duration) = :last_visit THEN COALESCE(u.previous_visit_at,us.new_since)
                   ELSE (:now::timestamp - INTERVAL '1 MINUTE' * COALESCE(u.new_topic_duration_minutes, :default_duration))
                END",
                 now: DateTime.now,
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ class TopicTrackingState
            c.name AS category_name,
            tu.notification_level
     FROM users u
+    INNER JOIN user_stats AS us ON us.user_id = u.id
     FULL OUTER JOIN topics ON 1=1
     LEFT JOIN topic_users tu ON tu.topic_id = topics.id AND tu.user_id = u.id
     LEFT JOIN categories c ON c.id = topics.category_id
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index d82be171581..a68173e52bf 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -466,9 +466,9 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
     duration = new_topic_duration_minutes || SiteSetting.new_topic_duration_minutes
     case duration
       when User::NewTopicDuration::ALWAYS
-        created_at
+        user_stat.new_since
       when User::NewTopicDuration::LAST_VISIT
-        previous_visit_at || created_at
+        previous_visit_at || user_stat.new_since
       else
         duration.minutes.ago
     end
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def create_user_stat
-    stat = UserStat.new
+    stat = UserStat.new(new_since: Time.now)
     stat.user_id = id
     stat.save!
   end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20140303185354_add_new_since_to_user_stats.rb b/db/migrate/20140303185354_add_new_since_to_user_stats.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f0e1a071cdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20140303185354_add_new_since_to_user_stats.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+class AddNewSinceToUserStats < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def change
+    add_column :user_stats, :new_since, :datetime
+    execute "UPDATE user_stats AS us
+               SET new_since = u.created_at
+             FROM users AS u
+              WHERE u.id = us.user_id"
+    change_column :user_stats, :new_since, :datetime, null: false
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/models/user_stat_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_stat_spec.rb
index 4e65a7a1312..a0fdf465d95 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_stat_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_stat_spec.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ describe UserStat do
   it "is created automatically when a user is created" do
     user = Fabricate(:evil_trout)
     user.user_stat.should be_present
+
+    # It populates the `new_since` field by default
+    user.user_stat.new_since.should be_present
   end
 
   context '#update_view_counts' do