diff --git a/Changelog.md b/Changelog.md
index fd7f2826b..eece68961 100644
--- a/Changelog.md
+++ b/Changelog.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 ## Bug fixes
 * Fix mention autocomplete when pasting the username [#6510](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/pull/6510)
+* Use and update updated\_at for notifications [#6573](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/pull/6573)
 
 ## Features
 
diff --git a/app/models/notification.rb b/app/models/notification.rb
index 5fd5117f2..4cec79128 100644
--- a/app/models/notification.rb
+++ b/app/models/notification.rb
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ private
       begin
         n.actors = n.actors | [actor]
         n.unread = true
+        # Explicitly touch the notification to update updated_at whenever new actor is inserted in notification.
+        n.touch
         n.save!
       rescue ActiveRecord::RecordNotUnique
         nil
diff --git a/app/views/notifications/_notification.haml b/app/views/notifications/_notification.haml
index b4bf4e90f..651c2291b 100644
--- a/app/views/notifications/_notification.haml
+++ b/app/views/notifications/_notification.haml
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@
   .media-body
     = notification_message_for(note)
     %div
-      = timeago(note.created_at)
+      = timeago(note.updated_at)
diff --git a/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
index 7568f8e12..2e79d431d 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ describe NotificationsController, :type => :controller do
   describe '#index' do
     before do
       @post = FactoryGirl.create(:status_message)
-      FactoryGirl.create(:notification, :recipient => alice, :target => @post)
+      @notification = FactoryGirl.create(:notification, recipient: alice, target: @post)
     end
 
     it 'succeeds' do
@@ -56,8 +56,15 @@ describe NotificationsController, :type => :controller do
     end
 
     it 'succeeds for notification dropdown' do
+      Timecop.travel(6.seconds.ago) do
+        @notification.touch
+      end
       get :index, :format => :json
       expect(response).to be_success
+      note_html = JSON.parse(response.body)[0]["also_commented"]["note_html"]
+      note_html = Nokogiri::HTML(note_html)
+      timeago_content = note_html.css("time")[0]["data-time-ago"]
+      expect(timeago_content).to include(@notification.updated_at.iso8601)
       expect(response.body).to match(/note_html/)
     end
 
@@ -84,7 +91,6 @@ describe NotificationsController, :type => :controller do
       it "should not provide a contacts menu for standard notifications" do
         FactoryGirl.create(:notification, :recipient => alice, :target => @post)
         get :index, "per_page" => 5
-
         expect(Nokogiri(response.body).css('.aspect_membership')).to be_empty
       end
 
diff --git a/spec/models/notification_spec.rb b/spec/models/notification_spec.rb
index 1881aec22..b7bd65f71 100644
--- a/spec/models/notification_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/notification_spec.rb
@@ -97,8 +97,10 @@ describe Notification, :type => :model do
           p = FactoryGirl.build(:status_message, :author => @user.person)
           person2 = FactoryGirl.build(:person)
           notification = Notification.notify(@user, FactoryGirl.build(:like, :author => @person, :target => p), @person)
+          earlier_updated_at = notification.updated_at
           notification2 =  Notification.notify(@user, FactoryGirl.build(:like, :author => person2, :target => p), person2)
           expect(notification.id).to eq(notification2.id)
+          expect(earlier_updated_at).to_not eq(notification.reload.updated_at)
         end
       end
 
@@ -107,8 +109,10 @@ describe Notification, :type => :model do
           p = FactoryGirl.build(:status_message, :author => @user.person)
           person2 = FactoryGirl.build(:person)
           notification = Notification.notify(@user, FactoryGirl.build(:comment, :author => @person, :post => p), @person)
+          earlier_updated_at = notification.updated_at
           notification2 =  Notification.notify(@user, FactoryGirl.build(:comment, :author => person2, :post => p), person2)
           expect(notification.id).to eq(notification2.id)
+          expect(earlier_updated_at).to_not eq(notification.reload.updated_at)
         end
       end