diff --git a/wp-includes/post.php b/wp-includes/post.php
index 2043f932ed..dde54c510d 100644
--- a/wp-includes/post.php
+++ b/wp-includes/post.php
@@ -337,14 +337,15 @@ function create_initial_post_types() {
 	register_post_status(
 		'draft',
 		array(
-			'label'       => _x( 'Draft', 'post status' ),
-			'protected'   => true,
-			'_builtin'    => true, /* internal use only. */
+			'label'         => _x( 'Draft', 'post status' ),
+			'protected'     => true,
+			'_builtin'      => true, /* internal use only. */
 			/* translators: %s: Number of draft posts. */
-			'label_count' => _n_noop(
+			'label_count'   => _n_noop(
 				'Draft <span class="count">(%s)</span>',
 				'Drafts <span class="count">(%s)</span>'
 			),
+			'date_floating' => true,
 		)
 	);
 
@@ -394,9 +395,10 @@ function create_initial_post_types() {
 	register_post_status(
 		'auto-draft',
 		array(
-			'label'    => 'auto-draft',
-			'internal' => true,
-			'_builtin' => true, /* internal use only. */
+			'label'         => 'auto-draft',
+			'internal'      => true,
+			'_builtin'      => true, /* internal use only. */
+			'date_floating' => true,
 		)
 	);
 
@@ -1018,6 +1020,8 @@ function _wp_privacy_statuses() {
  *                                                  the top of the edit listings,
  *                                                  e.g. All (12) | Published (9) | My Custom Status (2)
  *                                                  Default is value of $internal.
+ *     @type bool        $date_floating             Whether the post has a floating creation date.
+ *                                                  Default to false.
  * }
  * @return object
  */
@@ -1041,6 +1045,7 @@ function register_post_status( $post_status, $args = array() ) {
 		'publicly_queryable'        => null,
 		'show_in_admin_status_list' => null,
 		'show_in_admin_all_list'    => null,
+		'date_floating'             => null,
 	);
 	$args     = wp_parse_args( $args, $defaults );
 	$args     = (object) $args;
@@ -1085,6 +1090,10 @@ function register_post_status( $post_status, $args = array() ) {
 		$args->show_in_admin_status_list = ! $args->internal;
 	}
 
+	if ( null === $args->date_floating ) {
+		$args->date_floating = false;
+	}
+
 	if ( false === $args->label ) {
 		$args->label = $post_status;
 	}
diff --git a/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-post-statuses-controller.php b/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-post-statuses-controller.php
index 155c8aaa96..c0cce245ba 100644
--- a/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-post-statuses-controller.php
+++ b/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-post-statuses-controller.php
@@ -234,6 +234,10 @@ class WP_REST_Post_Statuses_Controller extends WP_REST_Controller {
 			$data['slug'] = $status->name;
 		}
 
+		if ( in_array( 'date_floating', $fields, true ) ) {
+			$data['date_floating'] = $status->date_floating;
+		}
+
 		$context = ! empty( $request['context'] ) ? $request['context'] : 'view';
 		$data    = $this->add_additional_fields_to_object( $data, $request );
 		$data    = $this->filter_response_by_context( $data, $context );
@@ -277,48 +281,54 @@ class WP_REST_Post_Statuses_Controller extends WP_REST_Controller {
 			'title'      => 'status',
 			'type'       => 'object',
 			'properties' => array(
-				'name'         => array(
+				'name'          => array(
 					'description' => __( 'The title for the status.' ),
 					'type'        => 'string',
 					'context'     => array( 'embed', 'view', 'edit' ),
 					'readonly'    => true,
 				),
-				'private'      => array(
+				'private'       => array(
 					'description' => __( 'Whether posts with this status should be private.' ),
 					'type'        => 'boolean',
 					'context'     => array( 'edit' ),
 					'readonly'    => true,
 				),
-				'protected'    => array(
+				'protected'     => array(
 					'description' => __( 'Whether posts with this status should be protected.' ),
 					'type'        => 'boolean',
 					'context'     => array( 'edit' ),
 					'readonly'    => true,
 				),
-				'public'       => array(
+				'public'        => array(
 					'description' => __( 'Whether posts of this status should be shown in the front end of the site.' ),
 					'type'        => 'boolean',
 					'context'     => array( 'view', 'edit' ),
 					'readonly'    => true,
 				),
-				'queryable'    => array(
+				'queryable'     => array(
 					'description' => __( 'Whether posts with this status should be publicly-queryable.' ),
 					'type'        => 'boolean',
 					'context'     => array( 'view', 'edit' ),
 					'readonly'    => true,
 				),
-				'show_in_list' => array(
+				'show_in_list'  => array(
 					'description' => __( 'Whether to include posts in the edit listing for their post type.' ),
 					'type'        => 'boolean',
 					'context'     => array( 'edit' ),
 					'readonly'    => true,
 				),
-				'slug'         => array(
+				'slug'          => array(
 					'description' => __( 'An alphanumeric identifier for the status.' ),
 					'type'        => 'string',
 					'context'     => array( 'embed', 'view', 'edit' ),
 					'readonly'    => true,
 				),
+				'date_floating' => array(
+					'description' => __( 'Whether posts of this status may have floating published dates.' ),
+					'type'        => 'boolean',
+					'context'     => array( 'view', 'edit' ),
+					'readonly'    => true,
+				),
 			),
 		);
 
diff --git a/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php b/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php
index b1e2836af2..d355c3d076 100644
--- a/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php
+++ b/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php
@@ -1021,16 +1021,18 @@ class WP_REST_Posts_Controller extends WP_REST_Controller {
 
 		// Post date.
 		if ( ! empty( $schema['properties']['date'] ) && ! empty( $request['date'] ) ) {
-			$date_data = rest_get_date_with_gmt( $request['date'] );
+			$current_date = isset( $prepared_post->ID ) ? get_post( $prepared_post->ID )->post_date : false;
+			$date_data    = rest_get_date_with_gmt( $request['date'] );
 
-			if ( ! empty( $date_data ) ) {
+			if ( ! empty( $date_data ) && $current_date !== $date_data[0] ) {
 				list( $prepared_post->post_date, $prepared_post->post_date_gmt ) = $date_data;
 				$prepared_post->edit_date                                        = true;
 			}
 		} elseif ( ! empty( $schema['properties']['date_gmt'] ) && ! empty( $request['date_gmt'] ) ) {
-			$date_data = rest_get_date_with_gmt( $request['date_gmt'], true );
+			$current_date = isset( $prepared_post->ID ) ? get_post( $prepared_post->ID )->post_date_gmt : false;
+			$date_data    = rest_get_date_with_gmt( $request['date_gmt'], true );
 
-			if ( ! empty( $date_data ) ) {
+			if ( ! empty( $date_data ) && $current_date !== $date_data[1] ) {
 				list( $prepared_post->post_date, $prepared_post->post_date_gmt ) = $date_data;
 				$prepared_post->edit_date                                        = true;
 			}
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 0832472ffa..a5eb1b260a 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '5.3-alpha-46251';
+$wp_version = '5.3-alpha-46252';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.