diff --git a/integration/testdata/built_in_actions/main.test.ts b/integration/testdata/built_in_actions/main.test.ts
index f50d4b389..06a235cdc 100644
--- a/integration/testdata/built_in_actions/main.test.ts
+++ b/integration/testdata/built_in_actions/main.test.ts
@@ -247,6 +247,26 @@ test("update action", async () => {
   expect(updatedPost.subTitle).toEqual("opm");
 });
 
+test("update action - updatedAt set", async () => {
+  const post = await models.post.create({
+    title: "watermelon",
+    subTitle: "opm",
+  });
+
+  expect(post.updatedAt).not.toBeNull();
+  expect(post.updatedAt).toEqual(post.createdAt);
+
+  await delay(100);
+
+  const updatedPost = await actions.updatePost({
+    where: { id: post.id },
+    values: { title: "big watermelon" },
+  });
+
+  expect(updatedPost.updatedAt.valueOf()).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(post.createdAt.valueOf() + 100);
+  expect(updatedPost.updatedAt.valueOf()).toBeLessThan(post.createdAt.valueOf() + 1000);
+});
+
 test("update action - explicit set / args", async () => {
   const post = await models.post.create({
     title: "watermelon",
@@ -260,3 +280,7 @@ test("update action - explicit set / args", async () => {
 
   expect(updatedPost.title).toEqual("a really cool title");
 });
+
+function delay(ms: number) {
+  return new Promise( resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms) );
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/integration/testdata/with_custom_function_hooks/main.test.ts b/integration/testdata/with_custom_function_hooks/main.test.ts
index 0188296ab..33782ba6f 100644
--- a/integration/testdata/with_custom_function_hooks/main.test.ts
+++ b/integration/testdata/with_custom_function_hooks/main.test.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,47 @@ describe("write hooks", () => {
       })
     ).toHaveAuthorizationError();
   });
+
+
+  test("update action - updatedAt set", async () => {
+    const identity = await models.identity.create({
+      email: "adam@keel.xyz",
+    });
+    const name = "Alice";
+
+    const person = await models.person.create({
+      sex: Sex.Female,
+      title: name,
+    });
+
+    expect(person.updatedAt).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(person.updatedAt).toEqual(person.createdAt);
+
+    await delay(100);
+
+     const record = await actions
+      .withIdentity(identity)
+      .updatePersonWithBeforeWrite({
+        where: { id: person.id },
+        values: {
+          title: "Alice",
+          sex: Sex.Female,
+        },
+      });
+      console.log(person);
+      console.log(record);
+
+      const person2 = await models.person.findOne({id: person.id});
+  console.log(person2);
+
+
+    expect(record.updatedAt.valueOf()).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(person.createdAt.valueOf() + 100);
+    expect(record.updatedAt.valueOf()).toBeLessThan(person.createdAt.valueOf() + 1000);
+  });
+
+  function delay(ms: number) {
+    return new Promise( resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms) );
+  }
 });
 
 describe("query hooks", () => {
diff --git a/migrations/migrations.go b/migrations/migrations.go
index 1b5098081..64299a751 100644
--- a/migrations/migrations.go
+++ b/migrations/migrations.go
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ var (
 
 	//go:embed set_trace_id.sql
 	setTraceId string
+
+	//go:embed set_updated_at.sql
+	setUpdatedAt string
 )
 
 type DatabaseChange struct {
@@ -95,6 +98,8 @@ func (m *Migrations) Apply(ctx context.Context) error {
 	sql.WriteString("\n")
 	sql.WriteString(setTraceId)
 	sql.WriteString("\n")
+	sql.WriteString(setUpdatedAt)
+	sql.WriteString("\n")
 
 	sql.WriteString("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS keel_schema ( schema TEXT NOT NULL );\n")
 	sql.WriteString("DELETE FROM keel_schema;\n")
@@ -223,6 +228,12 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, schema *proto.Schema, database db.Database) (*Migr
 				return nil, err
 			}
 			statements = append(statements, stmt)
+
+			stmt, err = createUpdatedAtTriggerStmts(triggers, schema, model)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			statements = append(statements, stmt)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/migrations/set_updated_at.sql b/migrations/set_updated_at.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e49e2e294
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/set_updated_at.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION set_updated_at() RETURNS TRIGGER AS $$
+BEGIN
+    NEW.updated_at = NOW(); 
+    RETURN NEW;
+END
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/migrations/sql.go b/migrations/sql.go
index 3a07fc4b5..871088a3b 100644
--- a/migrations/sql.go
+++ b/migrations/sql.go
@@ -338,3 +338,18 @@ func createAuditTriggerStmts(triggers []*TriggerRow, schema *proto.Schema, model
 
 	return strings.Join(statements, "\n"), nil
 }
+
+// createUpdatedAtTriggerStmts generates the CREATE TRIGGER statements for automatically updating each model's updatedAt column.
+// Only creates a trigger if the trigger does not already exist in the database.
+func createUpdatedAtTriggerStmts(triggers []*TriggerRow, schema *proto.Schema, model *proto.Model) (string, error) {
+	modelLower := casing.ToSnake(model.Name)
+	statements := []string{}
+
+	updatedAt := fmt.Sprintf("%s_updated_at", modelLower)
+	if _, found := lo.Find(triggers, func(t *TriggerRow) bool { return t.TriggerName == updatedAt && t.TableName == modelLower }); !found {
+		statements = append(statements, fmt.Sprintf(
+			`CREATE TRIGGER %s BEFORE UPDATE ON %s FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE set_updated_at();`, updatedAt, Identifier(model.Name)))
+	}
+
+	return strings.Join(statements, "\n"), nil
+}
diff --git a/migrations/testdata/composite_unique_initial.txt b/migrations/testdata/composite_unique_initial.txt
index eaa557596..571a387da 100644
--- a/migrations/testdata/composite_unique_initial.txt
+++ b/migrations/testdata/composite_unique_initial.txt
@@ -50,9 +50,11 @@ ALTER TABLE "person" ADD CONSTRAINT person_thing_a_thing_b_thing_c_udx UNIQUE ("
 CREATE TRIGGER person_create AFTER INSERT ON "person" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER person_update AFTER UPDATE ON "person" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER person_delete AFTER DELETE ON "person" REFERENCING OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
+CREATE TRIGGER person_updated_at BEFORE UPDATE ON "person" FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE set_updated_at();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_create AFTER INSERT ON "identity" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_update AFTER UPDATE ON "identity" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_delete AFTER DELETE ON "identity" REFERENCING OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
+CREATE TRIGGER identity_updated_at BEFORE UPDATE ON "identity" FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE set_updated_at();
 
 === 
 
diff --git a/migrations/testdata/default_value_initial.txt b/migrations/testdata/default_value_initial.txt
index 96afdefc8..782c28cbb 100644
--- a/migrations/testdata/default_value_initial.txt
+++ b/migrations/testdata/default_value_initial.txt
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ model Person {
 ===
 
 CREATE TABLE "identity" (
-"email" TEXT,
+"email" TEXT,pauthen
 "email_verified" BOOL NOT NULL DEFAULT false,
 "password" TEXT,
 "external_id" TEXT,
@@ -60,9 +60,11 @@ ALTER TABLE "person" ADD CONSTRAINT person_id_pkey PRIMARY KEY ("id");
 CREATE TRIGGER person_create AFTER INSERT ON "person" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER person_update AFTER UPDATE ON "person" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER person_delete AFTER DELETE ON "person" REFERENCING OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
+CREATE TRIGGER person_updated_at BEFORE UPDATE ON "person" FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE set_updated_at();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_create AFTER INSERT ON "identity" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_update AFTER UPDATE ON "identity" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_delete AFTER DELETE ON "identity" REFERENCING OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
+CREATE TRIGGER identity_updated_at BEFORE UPDATE ON "identity" FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE set_updated_at();
 
 === 
 
diff --git a/migrations/testdata/initial.txt b/migrations/testdata/initial.txt
index 3aca031da..888a0193d 100644
--- a/migrations/testdata/initial.txt
+++ b/migrations/testdata/initial.txt
@@ -41,9 +41,11 @@ ALTER TABLE "person" ADD CONSTRAINT person_id_pkey PRIMARY KEY ("id");
 CREATE TRIGGER person_create AFTER INSERT ON "person" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER person_update AFTER UPDATE ON "person" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER person_delete AFTER DELETE ON "person" REFERENCING OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
+CREATE TRIGGER person_updated_at BEFORE UPDATE ON "person" FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE set_updated_at();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_create AFTER INSERT ON "identity" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_update AFTER UPDATE ON "identity" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_delete AFTER DELETE ON "identity" REFERENCING OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
+CREATE TRIGGER identity_updated_at BEFORE UPDATE ON "identity" FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE set_updated_at();
 
 ===
 
diff --git a/migrations/testdata/model_added.txt b/migrations/testdata/model_added.txt
index d83d72921..28236d2f5 100644
--- a/migrations/testdata/model_added.txt
+++ b/migrations/testdata/model_added.txt
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ ALTER TABLE "animal" ADD FOREIGN KEY ("human_friend_id") REFERENCES "person"("id
 CREATE TRIGGER animal_create AFTER INSERT ON "animal" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER animal_update AFTER UPDATE ON "animal" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER animal_delete AFTER DELETE ON "animal" REFERENCING OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
+CREATE TRIGGER animal_updated_at BEFORE UPDATE ON "animal" FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE set_updated_at();
 
 === 
 
diff --git a/migrations/testdata/simple_field_types.txt b/migrations/testdata/simple_field_types.txt
index 58f70aa42..ef1eade0b 100644
--- a/migrations/testdata/simple_field_types.txt
+++ b/migrations/testdata/simple_field_types.txt
@@ -55,9 +55,11 @@ ALTER TABLE "person" ADD CONSTRAINT person_id_pkey PRIMARY KEY ("id");
 CREATE TRIGGER person_create AFTER INSERT ON "person" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER person_update AFTER UPDATE ON "person" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER person_delete AFTER DELETE ON "person" REFERENCING OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
+CREATE TRIGGER person_updated_at BEFORE UPDATE ON "person" FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE set_updated_at();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_create AFTER INSERT ON "identity" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_update AFTER UPDATE ON "identity" REFERENCING NEW TABLE AS new_table OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
 CREATE TRIGGER identity_delete AFTER DELETE ON "identity" REFERENCING OLD TABLE AS old_table FOR EACH STATEMENT EXECUTE PROCEDURE process_audit();
+CREATE TRIGGER identity_updated_at BEFORE UPDATE ON "identity" FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE set_updated_at();
 
 ===
 
diff --git a/packages/testing-runtime/src/Executor.mjs b/packages/testing-runtime/src/Executor.mjs
index 4569875b0..2f2895255 100644
--- a/packages/testing-runtime/src/Executor.mjs
+++ b/packages/testing-runtime/src/Executor.mjs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export class Executor {
       method: "POST",
       body: JSON.stringify(params),
       headers,
-    }).then((r) => {
+    }).then(async (r) => {
       if (r.status !== 200) {
         // For non-200 first read the response as text
         return r.text().then((t) => {
@@ -101,9 +101,20 @@ export class Executor {
         });
       }
 
-      if (this._parseJsonResult) {
-        return r.json();
-      }
+      return r.text().then((t) => {
+        if (this._parseJsonResult) {
+          return JSON.parse(t, reviver);
+        }
+      });
     });
   }
 }
+
+const dateFormat = /^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}T\d{2}:\d{2}:(\d{2}(?:\.\d*))Z$/;
+
+function reviver(key, value) {
+  if (typeof value === "string" && dateFormat.test(value)) {
+    return new Date(value);
+  }
+  return value;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/runtime/actions/query.go b/runtime/actions/query.go
index 1ad701e7a..a36b3ecc5 100644
--- a/runtime/actions/query.go
+++ b/runtime/actions/query.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/samber/lo"
 	"github.com/teamkeel/keel/casing"
@@ -811,6 +812,9 @@ func orderGraphNodes(graph *Row) []*Row {
 
 // Generates an executable UPDATE statement with the list of arguments.
 func (query *QueryBuilder) UpdateStatement() *Statement {
+	// Implicitly update the updatedAt column for any update to the model
+	query.AddWriteValue(Field(parser.ImplicitFieldNameUpdatedAt), Value(time.Now().UTC()))
+
 	queryFilters := query.filters
 
 	joins := ""