diff --git a/ts/receiver/closedGroups.ts b/ts/receiver/closedGroups.ts
index 4f5d12dd9..1bebd4e7d 100644
--- a/ts/receiver/closedGroups.ts
+++ b/ts/receiver/closedGroups.ts
@@ -196,16 +196,19 @@ async function handleNewClosedGroup(
     'incoming'
   );
 
-  convo.set('name', name);
-  convo.set('members', members);
-  // mark a closed group as a medium group.
-  // this field is used to poll for this groupPubKey on the swarm nodes, among other things
-  convo.set('is_medium_group', true);
-  convo.set('active_at', Date.now());
-  convo.set('lastJoinedTimestamp', Date.now());
-
   // We only set group admins on group creation
-  convo.set('groupAdmins', admins);
+  const groupDetails = {
+    id: groupId,
+    name: name,
+    members: members,
+    admins,
+    active: true,
+  };
+
+  // be sure to call this before sending the message.
+  // the sending pipeline needs to know from GroupUtils when a message is for a medium group
+  await ClosedGroup.updateOrCreateClosedGroup(groupDetails);
+
   await convo.commit();
   // sanity checks validate this
   // tslint:disable: no-non-null-assertion
@@ -732,8 +735,6 @@ export async function createClosedGroup(
   // be sure to call this before sending the message.
   // the sending pipeline needs to know from GroupUtils when a message is for a medium group
   await ClosedGroup.updateOrCreateClosedGroup(groupDetails);
-  convo.set('lastJoinedTimestamp', Date.now());
-  convo.set('active_at', Date.now());
   await convo.commit();
   convo.updateLastMessage();
 
diff --git a/ts/session/group/index.ts b/ts/session/group/index.ts
index 088fb4a24..b2c2b058b 100644
--- a/ts/session/group/index.ts
+++ b/ts/session/group/index.ts
@@ -258,8 +258,11 @@ export async function updateOrCreateClosedGroup(details: GroupInfo) {
     //   activeAt is null, then this group has been purposefully hidden.
     if (activeAt !== null) {
       updates.active_at = activeAt || Date.now();
+      updates.timestamp = updates.active_at;
     }
     updates.left = false;
+    updates.lastJoinedTimestamp = updates.active_at;
+
   } else {
     updates.left = true;
   }