diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/alerts_client.test.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/alerts_client.test.ts
index 95fbe4ceb4c57..fa5d866584fbe 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/alerts_client.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/alerts_client.test.ts
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ describe('create()', () => {
           "interval": "10s",
         },
         "scheduledTaskId": "task-123",
-        "updatedAt": null,
+        "updatedAt": 2019-02-12T21:01:22.479Z,
       }
     `);
     expect(savedObjectsClient.create).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ describe('create()', () => {
           "interval": "10s",
         },
         "scheduledTaskId": "task-123",
-        "updatedAt": null,
+        "updatedAt": 2019-02-12T21:01:22.479Z,
       }
     `);
     expect(savedObjectsClient.bulkGet).toHaveBeenCalledWith([
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ describe('create()', () => {
         "schedule": Object {
           "interval": 10000,
         },
-        "updatedAt": null,
+        "updatedAt": 2019-02-12T21:01:22.479Z,
       }
     `);
     expect(savedObjectsClient.create).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
@@ -1267,7 +1267,7 @@ describe('get()', () => {
         "schedule": Object {
           "interval": "10s",
         },
-        "updatedAt": null,
+        "updatedAt": 2019-02-12T21:01:22.479Z,
       }
     `);
     expect(savedObjectsClient.get).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
@@ -1368,7 +1368,7 @@ describe('find()', () => {
             "schedule": Object {
               "interval": "10s",
             },
-            "updatedAt": null,
+            "updatedAt": 2019-02-12T21:01:22.479Z,
           },
         ],
         "page": 1,
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/alerts_client.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/alerts_client.ts
index 87b5cfb277f44..a9420db289248 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/alerts_client.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/alerts_client.ts
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ export class AlertsClient {
       updateResult.scheduledTaskId &&
       !isEqual(alert.attributes.schedule, updateResult.schedule)
     ) {
-      this.taskManager.runNow(updateResult.scheduledTaskId).catch(err => {
+      this.taskManager.runNow(updateResult.scheduledTaskId).catch((err: Error) => {
         this.logger.error(
           `Alert update failed to run its underlying task. TaskManager runNow failed with Error: ${err.message}`
         );
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ export class AlertsClient {
       // we currently only support the Interval Schedule type
       // Once we support additional types, this type signature will likely change
       schedule: rawAlert.schedule as IntervalSchedule,
-      updatedAt: updatedAt ? new Date(updatedAt) : null,
+      updatedAt: updatedAt ? new Date(updatedAt) : new Date(rawAlert.createdAt!),
       createdAt: new Date(rawAlert.createdAt!),
       actions: rawAlert.actions
         ? this.injectReferencesIntoActions(rawAlert.actions, references || [])
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/routes/create.test.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/routes/create.test.ts
index 6fe26763d179c..d37d07ad2d1b4 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/routes/create.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/routes/create.test.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ test('creates an alert with proper parameters', async () => {
   };
 
   const createdAt = new Date();
-  const updatedAt = null;
+  const updatedAt = new Date();
   alertsClient.create.mockResolvedValueOnce({
     ...mockedAlert,
     ...mockedAlertComputerFields,
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/routes/get.test.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/routes/get.test.ts
index ae1854f924479..0609e56ce0691 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/routes/get.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/routes/get.test.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ const mockedAlert = {
     bar: true,
   },
   createdAt: new Date(),
-  updatedAt: null,
+  updatedAt: new Date(),
   actions: [
     {
       group: 'default',
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/types.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/types.ts
index 5efce1f129935..62dcf07abb7bd 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/types.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/types.ts
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export interface Alert {
   createdBy: string | null;
   updatedBy: string | null;
   createdAt: Date;
-  updatedAt: Date | null;
+  updatedAt: Date;
   apiKey: string | null;
   apiKeyOwner: string | null;
   throttle: string | null;
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/create.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/create.ts
index 2bf370d1f9df6..efc6506e009e7 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/create.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/create.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@ export default function createAlertTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
                 mutedInstanceIds: [],
               });
               expect(typeof response.body.scheduledTaskId).to.be('string');
+              expect(Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+              expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+              expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(
+                Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)
+              );
               const { _source: taskRecord } = await getScheduledTask(response.body.scheduledTaskId);
               expect(taskRecord.type).to.eql('task');
               expect(taskRecord.task.taskType).to.eql('alerting:test.noop');
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/find.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/find.ts
index d99ab794cd28f..4d47e0c936d00 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/find.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/find.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ export default function createFindTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
               });
               expect(Date.parse(match.createdAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
               expect(Date.parse(match.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+              expect(Date.parse(match.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(Date.parse(match.createdAt));
               break;
             default:
               throw new Error(`Scenario untested: ${JSON.stringify(scenario)}`);
@@ -166,6 +167,7 @@ export default function createFindTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
               });
               expect(Date.parse(match.createdAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
               expect(Date.parse(match.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+              expect(Date.parse(match.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(Date.parse(match.createdAt));
               break;
             default:
               throw new Error(`Scenario untested: ${JSON.stringify(scenario)}`);
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/get.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/get.ts
index 20eed4013d7dd..ad1890ad6beec 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/get.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/get.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ export default function createGetTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
               });
               expect(Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
               expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+              expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(
+                Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)
+              );
               break;
             default:
               throw new Error(`Scenario untested: ${JSON.stringify(scenario)}`);
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/update.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/update.ts
index eed0d57d98d05..e89b54b1caa55 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/update.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/tests/alerting/update.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ export default function createUpdateTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
               });
               expect(Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
               expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+              expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(
+                Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)
+              );
               // Ensure AAD isn't broken
               await checkAAD({
                 supertest,
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/create.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/create.ts
index 755007f06d369..a34cf0b8beb72 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/create.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/create.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ export default function createAlertTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
       });
       expect(Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
       expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+      expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(
+        Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)
+      );
+
       expect(typeof response.body.scheduledTaskId).to.be('string');
       const { _source: taskRecord } = await getScheduledTask(response.body.scheduledTaskId);
       expect(taskRecord.type).to.eql('task');
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/find.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/find.ts
index 70935a462d03e..1e285acf09637 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/find.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/find.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ export default function createFindTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
       });
       expect(Date.parse(match.createdAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
       expect(Date.parse(match.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+      expect(Date.parse(match.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(Date.parse(match.createdAt));
     });
 
     it(`shouldn't find alert from another space`, async () => {
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/get.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/get.ts
index 30b5e43aee585..a34e82ee888c1 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/get.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/get.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ export default function createGetTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
       });
       expect(Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
       expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+      expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(
+        Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)
+      );
     });
 
     it(`shouldn't find alert from another space`, async () => {
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/update.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/update.ts
index 3dd831cafa59c..5a35d4bf83865 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/update.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/update.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ export default function createUpdateTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
       });
       expect(Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
       expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+      expect(Date.parse(response.body.updatedAt)).to.be.greaterThan(
+        Date.parse(response.body.createdAt)
+      );
 
       // Ensure AAD isn't broken
       await checkAAD({