diff --git a/src/topics/recent.js b/src/topics/recent.js
index b331ed4535..8cc84c54c7 100644
--- a/src/topics/recent.js
+++ b/src/topics/recent.js
@@ -76,14 +76,14 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 		// Topics in /world are excluded from /recent
 		const cid = await Topics.getTopicField(tid, 'cid');
 		if (cid === -1) {
-			return;
+			return await db.sortedSetRemove('topics:recent', data.tid);
 		}
 
 		if (plugins.hooks.hasListeners('filter:topics.updateRecent')) {
 			data = await plugins.hooks.fire('filter:topics.updateRecent', data);
 		}
 		if (data && data.tid && data.timestamp) {
-			await db.sortedSetAdd(`topics:recent`, data.timestamp, data.tid);
+			await db.sortedSetAdd('topics:recent', data.timestamp, data.tid);
 		}
 	};
 };
diff --git a/src/topics/tools.js b/src/topics/tools.js
index cadeb95563..e403383295 100644
--- a/src/topics/tools.js
+++ b/src/topics/tools.js
@@ -285,6 +285,12 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 			Topics.updateCategoryTagsCount([oldCid, cid], tags),
 			Topics.events.log(tid, { type: 'move', uid: data.uid, fromCid: oldCid }),
 		]);
+
+		// Update entry in recent topics zset — must come after hash update
+		if (oldCid === -1 || cid === -1) {
+			Topics.updateRecent(tid, topicData.lastposttime); // no await req'd
+		}
+
 		const hookData = _.clone(data);
 		hookData.fromCid = oldCid;
 		hookData.toCid = cid;