diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestamp.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestamp.java
index f9f69456e..c77c98fc8 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestamp.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestamp.java
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ import org.joda.time.DateTime;
  */
 public class UpdateAutoTimestamp extends ImmutableObject {
 
+  // When set to true, database converters/translators should do tha auto update.  When set to
+  // false, auto update should be suspended (this exists to allow us to preserve the original value
+  // during a replay).
+  static ThreadLocal<Boolean> autoUpdateEnabled = ThreadLocal.withInitial(() -> true);
+
   DateTime timestamp;
 
   /** Returns the timestamp, or {@code START_OF_TIME} if it's null. */
@@ -40,4 +45,30 @@ public class UpdateAutoTimestamp extends ImmutableObject {
     instance.timestamp = timestamp;
     return instance;
   }
+
+  // TODO(b/175610935): Remove the auto-update disabling code below after migration.
+
+  /** Class to allow us to safely disable auto-update in a try-with-resources block. */
+  public static class DisableAutoUpdateResource implements AutoCloseable {
+    DisableAutoUpdateResource() {
+      autoUpdateEnabled.set(false);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void close() {
+      autoUpdateEnabled.set(true);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Resturns a resource that disables auto-updates on all {@link UpdateAutoTimestamp}s in the
+   * current thread, suitable for use with in a try-with-resources block.
+   */
+  public static DisableAutoUpdateResource disableAutoUpdate() {
+    return new DisableAutoUpdateResource();
+  }
+
+  public static boolean autoUpdateEnabled() {
+    return autoUpdateEnabled.get();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/translators/UpdateAutoTimestampTranslatorFactory.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/translators/UpdateAutoTimestampTranslatorFactory.java
index fd3518351..21b461339 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/translators/UpdateAutoTimestampTranslatorFactory.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/translators/UpdateAutoTimestampTranslatorFactory.java
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ public class UpdateAutoTimestampTranslatorFactory
       /** Save a timestamp, setting it to the current time. */
       @Override
       public Date saveValue(UpdateAutoTimestamp pojoValue) {
-        return tm().getTransactionTime().toDate();
-      }};
+        return UpdateAutoTimestamp.autoUpdateEnabled()
+            ? tm().getTransactionTime().toDate()
+            : pojoValue.getTimestamp().toDate();
+      }
+    };
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/persistence/converter/UpdateAutoTimestampConverter.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/persistence/converter/UpdateAutoTimestampConverter.java
index 5e6964176..ebd709693 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/persistence/converter/UpdateAutoTimestampConverter.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/persistence/converter/UpdateAutoTimestampConverter.java
@@ -31,7 +31,14 @@ public class UpdateAutoTimestampConverter
 
   @Override
   public Timestamp convertToDatabaseColumn(UpdateAutoTimestamp entity) {
-    return Timestamp.from(DateTimeUtils.toZonedDateTime(jpaTm().getTransactionTime()).toInstant());
+    return Timestamp.from(
+        DateTimeUtils.toZonedDateTime(
+                UpdateAutoTimestamp.autoUpdateEnabled()
+                        || entity == null
+                        || entity.getTimestamp() == null
+                    ? jpaTm().getTransactionTime()
+                    : entity.getTimestamp())
+            .toInstant());
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestampTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestampTest.java
index cfd49a987..6f6edc4db 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestampTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestampTest.java
@@ -15,64 +15,106 @@
 package google.registry.model;
 
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
-import static google.registry.model.ofy.ObjectifyService.ofy;
 import static google.registry.persistence.transaction.TransactionManagerFactory.tm;
 import static org.joda.time.DateTimeZone.UTC;
 
+import com.googlecode.objectify.Key;
 import com.googlecode.objectify.annotation.Entity;
+import com.googlecode.objectify.annotation.Ignore;
 import google.registry.model.common.CrossTldSingleton;
+import google.registry.persistence.VKey;
 import google.registry.schema.replay.EntityTest.EntityForTesting;
 import google.registry.testing.AppEngineExtension;
+import google.registry.testing.DualDatabaseTest;
+import google.registry.testing.FakeClock;
+import google.registry.testing.TestOfyAndSql;
 import org.joda.time.DateTime;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.RegisterExtension;
 
 /** Unit tests for {@link UpdateAutoTimestamp}. */
+@DualDatabaseTest
 public class UpdateAutoTimestampTest {
 
+  FakeClock clock = new FakeClock();
+
   @RegisterExtension
   public final AppEngineExtension appEngine =
       AppEngineExtension.builder()
           .withDatastoreAndCloudSql()
+          .withJpaUnitTestEntities(UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject.class)
           .withOfyTestEntities(UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject.class)
+          .withClock(clock)
           .build();
 
   /** Timestamped class. */
   @Entity(name = "UatTestEntity")
+  @javax.persistence.Entity
   @EntityForTesting
   public static class UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject extends CrossTldSingleton {
+    @Ignore @javax.persistence.Id long id = SINGLETON_ID;
     UpdateAutoTimestamp updateTime = UpdateAutoTimestamp.create(null);
   }
 
   private UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject reload() {
-    return ofy().load().entity(new UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject()).now();
+    return tm().transact(
+            () ->
+                tm().load(
+                        VKey.create(
+                            UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject.class,
+                            1L,
+                            Key.create(new UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject()))));
   }
 
-  @Test
+  @TestOfyAndSql
   void testSaveSetsTime() {
     DateTime transactionTime =
         tm().transact(
                 () -> {
                   UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject object = new UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject();
                   assertThat(object.updateTime.timestamp).isNull();
-                  ofy().save().entity(object);
+                  tm().insert(object);
                   return tm().getTransactionTime();
                 });
-    ofy().clearSessionCache();
+    tm().clearSessionCache();
     assertThat(reload().updateTime.timestamp).isEqualTo(transactionTime);
   }
 
-  @Test
+  @TestOfyAndSql
+  void testDisabledUpdates() throws Exception {
+    DateTime initialTime =
+        tm().transact(
+                () -> {
+                  tm().insert(new UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject());
+                  return tm().getTransactionTime();
+                });
+
+    UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject object = reload();
+    clock.advanceOneMilli();
+
+    try (UpdateAutoTimestamp.DisableAutoUpdateResource disabler =
+        new UpdateAutoTimestamp.DisableAutoUpdateResource()) {
+      DateTime secondTransactionTime =
+          tm().transact(
+                  () -> {
+                    tm().put(object);
+                    return tm().getTransactionTime();
+                  });
+      assertThat(secondTransactionTime).isGreaterThan(initialTime);
+    }
+    assertThat(reload().updateTime.timestamp).isEqualTo(initialTime);
+  }
+
+  @TestOfyAndSql
   void testResavingOverwritesOriginalTime() {
     DateTime transactionTime =
         tm().transact(
                 () -> {
                   UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject object = new UpdateAutoTimestampTestObject();
                   object.updateTime = UpdateAutoTimestamp.create(DateTime.now(UTC).minusDays(1));
-                  ofy().save().entity(object);
+                  tm().insert(object);
                   return tm().getTransactionTime();
                 });
-    ofy().clearSessionCache();
+    tm().clearSessionCache();
     assertThat(reload().updateTime.timestamp).isEqualTo(transactionTime);
   }
 }