diff --git a/app/models/alchemy/page.rb b/app/models/alchemy/page.rb
index f16f253248..d7bfd7f67f 100644
--- a/app/models/alchemy/page.rb
+++ b/app/models/alchemy/page.rb
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class Page < BaseRecord
     has_many :nodes, class_name: "Alchemy::Node", inverse_of: :page
     has_many :versions, class_name: "Alchemy::PageVersion", inverse_of: :page, dependent: :destroy
     has_one :draft_version, -> { drafts }, class_name: "Alchemy::PageVersion"
-    has_one :public_version, -> { published }, class_name: "Alchemy::PageVersion"
+    has_one :public_version, -> { published }, class_name: "Alchemy::PageVersion", autosave: -> { persisted? }
 
     before_validation :set_language,
       if: -> { language.nil? }
diff --git a/spec/models/alchemy/page_spec.rb b/spec/models/alchemy/page_spec.rb
index a9af4cc3a1..2b0159120c 100644
--- a/spec/models/alchemy/page_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/alchemy/page_spec.rb
@@ -1397,7 +1397,7 @@ def copy_children_to(new_parent)
     end
 
     describe "#public_on=" do
-      let(:time) { Time.now }
+      let(:time) { 1.hour.ago }
 
       subject { page.public_on = time }
 
@@ -1409,6 +1409,15 @@ def copy_children_to(new_parent)
           expect(page.public_version.public_on).to be_within(1.second).of(time)
         end
 
+        context "when the page is persisted" do
+          let(:page) { create(:alchemy_page, :public) }
+
+          it "sets public_on on the public version" do
+            page.update(public_on: time)
+            expect(page.reload.public_version.public_on).to be_within(1.second).of(time)
+          end
+        end
+
         context "and the time is nil" do
           let(:page) { build(:alchemy_page, :public) }
           let(:time) { nil }