diff --git a/pkg/codegen/modelgenerate/generate_testfile.go b/pkg/codegen/modelgenerate/generate_testfile.go
index f4d839e..a003aba 100644
--- a/pkg/codegen/modelgenerate/generate_testfile.go
+++ b/pkg/codegen/modelgenerate/generate_testfile.go
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ func GenerateModelTestAST(tbl schema.Table, gomodName string) *ast.File {
 	description1 := `"an item"`
 	description2 := `"a big item"`
 
+	hasCreatedAt, hasUpdatedAt := tbl.HasAutoTimestamps()
+
 	testCreateUpdateDelete := &ast.FuncDecl{
 		Name: ast.NewIdent("TestCreateUpdateDelete" + tbl.GoTypeName),
 		Type: &ast.FuncType{
@@ -124,119 +126,150 @@ func GenerateModelTestAST(tbl schema.Table, gomodName string) *ast.File {
 			},
 		},
 		Body: &ast.BlockStmt{
-			List: []ast.Stmt{
-				// item := Item{Description: "an item"}
-				&ast.AssignStmt{
-					Lhs: []ast.Expr{testObj},
-					Tok: token.DEFINE,
-					Rhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.CompositeLit{
-						Type: ast.NewIdent(tbl.GoTypeName),
-						Elts: []ast.Expr{
-							&ast.KeyValueExpr{
-								Key:   fieldName,
-								Value: &ast.BasicLit{Kind: token.STRING, Value: description1},
+			List: func() []ast.Stmt {
+				assertNotZero := func(obj *ast.Ident, field string) *ast.ExprStmt {
+					return &ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
+						Fun:  ast.NewIdent("assert.NotZero"),
+						Args: []ast.Expr{ast.NewIdent("t"), &ast.SelectorExpr{X: obj, Sel: ast.NewIdent(field)}},
+					}}
+				}
+
+				stmts := []ast.Stmt{
+					// item := Item{Description: "an item"}
+					&ast.AssignStmt{
+						Lhs: []ast.Expr{testObj},
+						Tok: token.DEFINE,
+						Rhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.CompositeLit{
+							Type: ast.NewIdent(tbl.GoTypeName),
+							Elts: []ast.Expr{
+								&ast.KeyValueExpr{
+									Key:   fieldName,
+									Value: &ast.BasicLit{Kind: token.STRING, Value: description1},
+								},
 							},
+						}},
+					},
+
+					// TestDB.SaveItem(&item)
+					&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
+						Fun:  ast.NewIdent("TestDB.Save" + tbl.GoTypeName),
+						Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.UnaryExpr{Op: token.AND, X: testObj}},
+					}},
+
+					// require.NotZero(t, item.ID)
+					&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
+						Fun:  ast.NewIdent("require.NotZero"),
+						Args: []ast.Expr{ast.NewIdent("t"), &ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj, Sel: ast.NewIdent("ID")}},
+					}},
+				}
+
+				// After create: assert timestamps are set
+				if hasCreatedAt {
+					stmts = append(stmts, assertNotZero(testObj, "CreatedAt"))
+				}
+				if hasUpdatedAt {
+					stmts = append(stmts, assertNotZero(testObj, "UpdatedAt"))
+				}
+
+				stmts = append(stmts,
+					// item2 := Must(TestDB.GetItemByID(item.ID))
+					&ast.AssignStmt{
+						Lhs: []ast.Expr{testObj2},
+						Tok: token.DEFINE,
+						Rhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.CallExpr{
+							Fun: ast.NewIdent("Must"),
+							Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.CallExpr{
+								Fun:  ast.NewIdent("TestDB.Get" + tbl.GoTypeName + "ByID"),
+								Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj, Sel: ast.NewIdent("ID")}},
+							}},
+						}},
+					},
+
+					// assert.Equal(t, "an item", item2.Description)
+					&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
+						Fun: ast.NewIdent("assert.Equal"),
+						Args: []ast.Expr{
+							ast.NewIdent("t"),
+							&ast.BasicLit{Kind: token.STRING, Value: description1},
+							&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj2, Sel: fieldName},
 						},
 					}},
-				},
 
-				// TestDB.SaveItem(&item)
-				&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
-					Fun:  ast.NewIdent("TestDB.Save" + tbl.GoTypeName),
-					Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.UnaryExpr{Op: token.AND, X: testObj}},
-				}},
+					// item.Description = "a big item"
+					&ast.AssignStmt{
+						Lhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj, Sel: fieldName}},
+						Tok: token.ASSIGN,
+						Rhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.BasicLit{Kind: token.STRING, Value: description2}},
+					},
 
-				// require.NotZero(t, item.ID)
-				&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
-					Fun:  ast.NewIdent("require.NotZero"),
-					Args: []ast.Expr{ast.NewIdent("t"), &ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj, Sel: ast.NewIdent("ID")}},
-				}},
+					// TestDB.SaveItem(&item)
+					&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
+						Fun:  ast.NewIdent("TestDB.Save" + tbl.GoTypeName),
+						Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.UnaryExpr{Op: token.AND, X: testObj}},
+					}},
+				)
 
-				// item2 := Must(TestDB.GetItemByID(item.ID))
-				&ast.AssignStmt{
-					Lhs: []ast.Expr{testObj2},
-					Tok: token.DEFINE,
-					Rhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.CallExpr{
-						Fun: ast.NewIdent("Must"),
-						Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.CallExpr{
+				// After update: assert timestamps are still set
+				if hasCreatedAt {
+					stmts = append(stmts, assertNotZero(testObj, "CreatedAt"))
+				}
+				if hasUpdatedAt {
+					stmts = append(stmts, assertNotZero(testObj, "UpdatedAt"))
+				}
+
+				stmts = append(stmts,
+					// item2 = Must(TestDB.GetItemByID(item.ID))
+					&ast.AssignStmt{
+						Lhs: []ast.Expr{testObj2},
+						Tok: token.ASSIGN,
+						Rhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.CallExpr{
+							Fun: ast.NewIdent("Must"),
+							Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.CallExpr{
+								Fun:  ast.NewIdent("TestDB.Get" + tbl.GoTypeName + "ByID"),
+								Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj, Sel: ast.NewIdent("ID")}},
+							}},
+						}},
+					},
+
+					// assert.Equal(t, item.Description, item2.Description)
+					&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
+						Fun: ast.NewIdent("assert.Equal"),
+						Args: []ast.Expr{
+							ast.NewIdent("t"),
+							&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj, Sel: fieldName},
+							&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj2, Sel: fieldName},
+						},
+					}},
+
+					// TestDB.DeleteItem(item)
+					&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
+						Fun:  ast.NewIdent("TestDB.Delete" + tbl.GoTypeName),
+						Args: []ast.Expr{testObj},
+					}},
+
+					// _, err := TestDB.GetItemByID(item.ID)
+					&ast.AssignStmt{
+						Lhs: []ast.Expr{ast.NewIdent("_"), ast.NewIdent("err")},
+						Tok: token.DEFINE,
+						Rhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.CallExpr{
 							Fun:  ast.NewIdent("TestDB.Get" + tbl.GoTypeName + "ByID"),
 							Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj, Sel: ast.NewIdent("ID")}},
 						}},
-					}},
-				},
-
-				// assert.Equal(t, "an item", item2.Description)
-				&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
-					Fun: ast.NewIdent("assert.Equal"),
-					Args: []ast.Expr{
-						ast.NewIdent("t"),
-						&ast.BasicLit{Kind: token.STRING, Value: description1},
-						&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj2, Sel: fieldName},
 					},
-				}},
 
-				// item.Description = "a big item"
-				&ast.AssignStmt{
-					Lhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj, Sel: fieldName}},
-					Tok: token.ASSIGN,
-					Rhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.BasicLit{Kind: token.STRING, Value: description2}},
-				},
-
-				// TestDB.SaveItem(&item)
-				&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
-					Fun:  ast.NewIdent("TestDB.Save" + tbl.GoTypeName),
-					Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.UnaryExpr{Op: token.AND, X: testObj}},
-				}},
-
-				// item2 = Must(TestDB.GetItemByID(item.ID))
-				&ast.AssignStmt{
-					Lhs: []ast.Expr{testObj2},
-					Tok: token.ASSIGN,
-					Rhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.CallExpr{
-						Fun: ast.NewIdent("Must"),
-						Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.CallExpr{
-							Fun:  ast.NewIdent("TestDB.Get" + tbl.GoTypeName + "ByID"),
-							Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj, Sel: ast.NewIdent("ID")}},
-						}},
+					// assert.ErrorIs(t, err, db.ErrNotInDB)
+					&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
+						Fun: ast.NewIdent("assert.ErrorIs"),
+						Args: []ast.Expr{
+							ast.NewIdent("t"),
+							ast.NewIdent("err"),
+							ast.NewIdent("ErrNotInDB"),
+						},
 					}},
-				},
+				)
 
-				// assert.Equal(t, item.Description, item2.Description)
-				&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
-					Fun: ast.NewIdent("assert.Equal"),
-					Args: []ast.Expr{
-						ast.NewIdent("t"),
-						&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj, Sel: fieldName},
-						&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj2, Sel: fieldName},
-					},
-				}},
-
-				// TestDB.DeleteItem(item)
-				&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
-					Fun:  ast.NewIdent("TestDB.Delete" + tbl.GoTypeName),
-					Args: []ast.Expr{testObj},
-				}},
-
-				// _, err := TestDB.GetItemByID(item.ID)
-				&ast.AssignStmt{
-					Lhs: []ast.Expr{ast.NewIdent("_"), ast.NewIdent("err")},
-					Tok: token.DEFINE,
-					Rhs: []ast.Expr{&ast.CallExpr{
-						Fun:  ast.NewIdent("TestDB.Get" + tbl.GoTypeName + "ByID"),
-						Args: []ast.Expr{&ast.SelectorExpr{X: testObj, Sel: ast.NewIdent("ID")}},
-					}},
-				},
-
-				// assert.ErrorIs(t, err, db.ErrNotInDB)
-				&ast.ExprStmt{X: &ast.CallExpr{
-					Fun: ast.NewIdent("assert.ErrorIs"),
-					Args: []ast.Expr{
-						ast.NewIdent("t"),
-						ast.NewIdent("err"),
-						ast.NewIdent("ErrNotInDB"),
-					},
-				}},
-			},
+				return stmts
+			}(),
 		},
 	}