diff --git a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
index 583d7ebeedb..72d3808620d 100644
--- a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
@@ -463,6 +463,15 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
     options.merge!(category_id: params[:category_id]) if !params[:category_id].blank?
     options.merge!(duration: params[:duration].to_i) if params[:duration].present?
 
+    # Be sure to close/open the topic when setting an auto-open/auto-close timer
+    if status_type == TopicTimer.types[:open]
+      topic.update_status('closed', true, current_user) if !topic.closed
+    end
+
+    if status_type == TopicTimer.types[:close]
+      topic.update_status('closed', false, current_user) if topic.closed
+    end
+
     topic_status_update = topic.set_or_create_timer(
       status_type,
       params[:time],
diff --git a/app/models/topic_timer.rb b/app/models/topic_timer.rb
index 20e3bb67f97..0577e065deb 100644
--- a/app/models/topic_timer.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic_timer.rb
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ class TopicTimer < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   def schedule_auto_open_job(time)
     return unless topic
-    topic.update_status('closed', true, user) if !topic.closed
 
     Jobs.enqueue_at(time, :toggle_topic_closed,
       topic_timer_id: id,
@@ -137,7 +136,6 @@ class TopicTimer < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   def schedule_auto_close_job(time)
     return unless topic
-    topic.update_status('closed', false, user) if topic.closed
 
     Jobs.enqueue_at(time, :toggle_topic_closed,
       topic_timer_id: id,
diff --git a/spec/models/topic_timer_spec.rb b/spec/models/topic_timer_spec.rb
index 6c19bd6ca79..e38c1ccf5c1 100644
--- a/spec/models/topic_timer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/topic_timer_spec.rb
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ RSpec.describe TopicTimer, type: :model do
       end
     end
 
-    describe 'when a open topic status update is created for an open topic' do
+    describe 'when a topic has been deleted' do
       fab!(:topic) { Fabricate(:topic, closed: false) }
       fab!(:topic_timer) do
         Fabricate(:topic_timer,
@@ -151,46 +151,11 @@ RSpec.describe TopicTimer, type: :model do
         Jobs.run_immediately!
       end
 
-      it 'should close the topic' do
+      it 'should not queue the job' do
+        topic.trash!
         topic_timer
-        expect(topic.reload.closed).to eq(true)
-      end
 
-      describe 'when topic has been deleted' do
-        it 'should not queue the job' do
-          topic.trash!
-          topic_timer
-
-          expect(Jobs::ToggleTopicClosed.jobs).to eq([])
-        end
-      end
-    end
-
-    describe 'when a close topic status update is created for a closed topic' do
-      fab!(:topic) { Fabricate(:topic, closed: true) }
-      fab!(:topic_timer) do
-        Fabricate(:topic_timer,
-          status_type: described_class.types[:close],
-          topic: topic
-        )
-      end
-
-      before do
-        Jobs.run_immediately!
-      end
-
-      it 'should open the topic' do
-        topic_timer
-        expect(topic.reload.closed).to eq(false)
-      end
-
-      describe 'when topic has been deleted' do
-        it 'should not queue the job' do
-          topic.trash!
-          topic_timer
-
-          expect(Jobs::ToggleTopicClosed.jobs).to eq([])
-        end
+        expect(Jobs::ToggleTopicClosed.jobs).to eq([])
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/requests/topics_controller_spec.rb b/spec/requests/topics_controller_spec.rb
index 17a896bac93..7fbcf8bbf9a 100644
--- a/spec/requests/topics_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/topics_controller_spec.rb
@@ -2925,6 +2925,29 @@ RSpec.describe TopicsController do
           expect(response.body).to include('status_type')
         end
       end
+
+      it 'should close the topic when setting an auto-open timer' do
+        post "/t/#{topic.id}/timer.json", params: {
+          time: 24,
+          status_type: "open"
+        }
+        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+        topic_status_update = TopicTimer.last
+        topic = topic_status_update.topic
+        expect(topic.closed).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it 'should open the topic when setting an auto-close timer' do
+        topic = Fabricate(:topic, user: user, closed: true)
+        post "/t/#{topic.id}/timer.json", params: {
+          time: 24,
+          status_type: "close"
+        }
+        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+        topic_status_update = TopicTimer.last
+        topic = topic_status_update.topic
+        expect(topic.closed).to eq(false)
+      end
     end
   end