diff --git a/jupyterhub/apihandlers/base.py b/jupyterhub/apihandlers/base.py
index 9193da24..2a91d04e 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/apihandlers/base.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/apihandlers/base.py
@@ -119,16 +119,16 @@ class APIHandler(BaseHandler):
         if '' in user.spawners:
             spawner = user.spawners['']
             model['pending'] = spawner.pending or None
-            if spawner.active and spawner.started:
-                model['started'] = isoformat(spawner.started)
+            if spawner.active and spawner.orm_spawner.started:
+                model['started'] = isoformat(spawner.orm_spawner.started)
 
         if self.allow_named_servers:
             servers = model['servers'] = {}
             for name, spawner in user.spawners.items():
-                last_activity = spawner.orm_spawner.last_activity
-                if last_activity:
-                    last_activity = isoformat(last_activity)
                 if spawner.ready:
+                    last_activity = spawner.orm_spawner.last_activity
+                    if last_activity:
+                        last_activity = isoformat(last_activity)
                     servers[name] = s = {
                         'name': name,
                         'last_activity': last_activity,
diff --git a/jupyterhub/user.py b/jupyterhub/user.py
index c8c4ae5f..809b8b56 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/user.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/user.py
@@ -380,7 +380,10 @@ class User:
             await maybe_future(authenticator.pre_spawn_start(self, spawner))
 
         spawner._start_pending = True
-        spawner.started = datetime.utcnow()
+        # update spawner start time, and activity for both spawner and user
+        self.last_activity = \
+            spawner.orm_spawner.started = \
+            spawner.orm_spawner.last_activity = datetime.utcnow()
         db.commit()
         # wait for spawner.start to return
         try:
@@ -529,7 +532,7 @@ class User:
                     self.db.delete(orm_token)
             self.db.commit()
         finally:
-            spawner.started = None
+            spawner.orm_spawner.started = None
             self.db.commit()
             # trigger post-spawner hook on authenticator
             auth = spawner.authenticator