diff --git a/app/routers/contacts.py b/app/routers/contacts.py
index e84c877..124c698 100644
--- a/app/routers/contacts.py
+++ b/app/routers/contacts.py
@@ -286,7 +286,10 @@ async def create_contact(
     if request.try_historical:
         await start_historical_dm_decryption(background_tasks, lower_key, request.name)
 
-    return Contact(**contact_upsert.model_dump())
+    stored = await ContactRepository.get_by_key(lower_key)
+    if stored is None:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail="Contact was created but could not be reloaded")
+    return stored
 
 
 @router.get("/{public_key}/detail", response_model=ContactDetail)
diff --git a/tests/test_contacts_router.py b/tests/test_contacts_router.py
index 9af9242..5e8b5b1 100644
--- a/tests/test_contacts_router.py
+++ b/tests/test_contacts_router.py
@@ -117,11 +117,13 @@ class TestCreateContact:
         data = response.json()
         assert data["public_key"] == KEY_A
         assert data["name"] == "NewContact"
+        assert data["last_seen"] is not None
 
         # Verify in DB
         contact = await ContactRepository.get_by_key(KEY_A)
         assert contact is not None
         assert contact.name == "NewContact"
+        assert data["last_seen"] == contact.last_seen
 
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_create_invalid_hex(self, test_db, client):