diff --git a/cmd/podman/machine/list.go b/cmd/podman/machine/list.go
index a6d5013c93..beac82edce 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/machine/list.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/machine/list.go
@@ -206,6 +206,8 @@ func toHumanFormat(vms []*machine.ListResponse) ([]*entities.ListReporter, error
 		case vm.Running:
 			response.LastUp = "Currently running"
 			response.Running = true
+		case vm.LastUp.IsZero():
+			response.LastUp = "Never"
 		default:
 			response.LastUp = units.HumanDuration(time.Since(vm.LastUp)) + " ago"
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/machine/applehv/machine.go b/pkg/machine/applehv/machine.go
index f41aa948eb..9777060c9d 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/applehv/machine.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/applehv/machine.go
@@ -787,16 +787,7 @@ func getVMInfos() ([]*machine.ListResponse, error) {
 				return err
 			}
 			listEntry.Running = vmState == machine.Running
-
-			if !vm.LastUp.IsZero() { // this means we have already written a time to the config
-				listEntry.LastUp = vm.LastUp
-			} else { // else we just created the machine AKA last up = created time
-				listEntry.LastUp = vm.Created
-				vm.LastUp = listEntry.LastUp
-				if err := vm.writeConfig(); err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
-			}
+			listEntry.LastUp = vm.LastUp
 
 			listed = append(listed, listEntry)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/machine/e2e/list_test.go b/pkg/machine/e2e/list_test.go
index 272ddf692c..2c94a8582c 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/e2e/list_test.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/e2e/list_test.go
@@ -84,10 +84,16 @@ var _ = Describe("podman machine list", func() {
 		session, err := mb.setCmd(i.withImagePath(mb.imagePath)).run()
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 		Expect(session).To(Exit(0))
+
+		l := new(listMachine)
+		listSession, err := mb.setCmd(l.withFormat("{{.LastUp}}")).run()
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(listSession).To(Exit(0))
+		Expect(listSession.outputToString()).To(Equal("Never"))
+
 		s := new(startMachine)
 		startSession, err := mb.setCmd(s).runWithoutWait()
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
-		l := new(listMachine)
 		for i := 0; i < 30; i++ {
 			listSession, err := mb.setCmd(l).run()
 			Expect(listSession).To(Exit(0))
@@ -100,7 +106,7 @@ var _ = Describe("podman machine list", func() {
 			time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
 		}
 		Expect(startSession).To(Exit(0))
-		listSession, err := mb.setCmd(l).run()
+		listSession, err = mb.setCmd(l).run()
 		Expect(listSession).To(Exit(0))
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 		Expect(listSession.outputToString()).To(ContainSubstring("Currently running"))
diff --git a/pkg/machine/qemu/config.go b/pkg/machine/qemu/config.go
index 632848bd07..b1a84964f0 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/qemu/config.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/qemu/config.go
@@ -204,16 +204,7 @@ func getVMInfos() ([]*machine.ListResponse, error) {
 				return err
 			}
 			listEntry.Running = state == machine.Running
-
-			if !vm.LastUp.IsZero() { // this means we have already written a time to the config
-				listEntry.LastUp = vm.LastUp
-			} else { // else we just created the machine AKA last up = created time
-				listEntry.LastUp = vm.Created
-				vm.LastUp = listEntry.LastUp
-				if err := vm.writeConfig(); err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
-			}
+			listEntry.LastUp = vm.LastUp
 
 			listed = append(listed, listEntry)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/machine/wsl/config.go b/pkg/machine/wsl/config.go
index 8d3b95d1d2..5e158a2fe2 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/wsl/config.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/wsl/config.go
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ func (p *WSLVirtualization) NewMachine(opts machine.InitOptions) (machine.VM, er
 	}
 
 	vm.Created = time.Now()
-	vm.LastUp = vm.Created
 
 	// Default is false
 	if opts.UserModeNetworking != nil {