diff --git a/changelog/24549.txt b/changelog/24549.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6838b024c782
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/24549.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+api: sys/leader ActiveTime field no longer gets reset when we do an internal state change that doesn't change our active status.
+```
diff --git a/vault/core.go b/vault/core.go
index 9d3bf06cbfdf..a04f52de7917 100644
--- a/vault/core.go
+++ b/vault/core.go
@@ -2390,7 +2390,6 @@ func (s standardUnsealStrategy) unseal(ctx context.Context, logger log.Logger, c
 
 	// Mark the active time. We do this first so it can be correlated to the logs
 	// for the active startup.
-	c.activeTime = time.Now().UTC()
 
 	if err := postUnsealPhysical(c); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -2766,7 +2765,6 @@ func (c *Core) preSeal() error {
 	}
 	// Clear any pending funcs
 	c.postUnsealFuncs = nil
-	c.activeTime = time.Time{}
 
 	// Clear any rekey progress
 	c.barrierRekeyConfig = nil
diff --git a/vault/ha.go b/vault/ha.go
index ba2b490457e3..e81787e7e91d 100644
--- a/vault/ha.go
+++ b/vault/ha.go
@@ -663,6 +663,7 @@ func (c *Core) waitForLeadership(newLeaderCh chan func(), manualStepDownCh, stop
 		err = c.postUnseal(activeCtx, activeCtxCancel, standardUnsealStrategy{})
 		if err == nil {
 			c.standby = false
+			c.activeTime = time.Now()
 			c.leaderUUID = uuid
 			c.metricSink.SetGaugeWithLabels([]string{"core", "active"}, 1, nil)
 		}
@@ -715,6 +716,7 @@ func (c *Core) waitForLeadership(newLeaderCh chan func(), manualStepDownCh, stop
 
 			// Mark as standby
 			c.standby = true
+			c.activeTime = time.Time{}
 			c.leaderUUID = ""
 			c.metricSink.SetGaugeWithLabels([]string{"core", "active"}, 0, nil)