diff --git a/backend/src/api/common.ts b/backend/src/api/common.ts
index 9560bc0bf..ad4eccabe 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/common.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/common.ts
@@ -237,7 +237,10 @@ export class Common {
     ].join('x');
   }
 
-  static utcDateToMysql(date?: number): string {
+  static utcDateToMysql(date?: number | null): string | null {
+    if (date === null) {
+      return null;
+    }
     const d = new Date((date || 0) * 1000);
     return d.toISOString().split('T')[0] + ' ' + d.toTimeString().split(' ')[0];
   }
diff --git a/backend/src/api/database-migration.ts b/backend/src/api/database-migration.ts
index 13cffd755..f4801deb6 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/database-migration.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/database-migration.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import cpfpRepository from '../repositories/CpfpRepository';
 import { RowDataPacket } from 'mysql2';
 
 class DatabaseMigration {
-  private static currentVersion = 56;
+  private static currentVersion = 57;
   private queryTimeout = 3600_000;
   private statisticsAddedIndexed = false;
   private uniqueLogs: string[] = [];
@@ -500,6 +500,11 @@ class DatabaseMigration {
       this.uniqueLog(logger.notice, '`pools` table has been truncated`');
       await this.updateToSchemaVersion(56);
     }
+
+    if (databaseSchemaVersion < 57) {
+      await this.$executeQuery(`ALTER TABLE nodes MODIFY updated_at datetime NULL`);
+      await this.updateToSchemaVersion(57);
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/backend/src/api/explorer/channels.api.ts b/backend/src/api/explorer/channels.api.ts
index 8314b3345..00d146770 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/explorer/channels.api.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/explorer/channels.api.ts
@@ -559,6 +559,17 @@ class ChannelsApi {
     const policy1: Partial<ILightningApi.RoutingPolicy> = channel.node1_policy || {};
     const policy2: Partial<ILightningApi.RoutingPolicy> = channel.node2_policy || {};
 
+    // https://github.com/mempool/mempool/issues/3006
+    if ((channel.last_update ?? 0) < 1514736061) { // January 1st 2018
+      channel.last_update = null;
+    }
+    if ((policy1.last_update ?? 0) < 1514736061) { // January 1st 2018
+      policy1.last_update = null;
+    }
+    if ((policy2.last_update ?? 0) < 1514736061) { // January 1st 2018
+      policy2.last_update = null;
+    }
+
     const query = `INSERT INTO channels
       (
         id,
diff --git a/backend/src/api/explorer/nodes.api.ts b/backend/src/api/explorer/nodes.api.ts
index b3f83faa6..9e57e7802 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/explorer/nodes.api.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/explorer/nodes.api.ts
@@ -630,6 +630,11 @@ class NodesApi {
    */
   public async $saveNode(node: ILightningApi.Node): Promise<void> {
     try {
+      // https://github.com/mempool/mempool/issues/3006
+      if ((node.last_update ?? 0) < 1514736061) { // January 1st 2018
+        node.last_update = null;
+      }
+  
       const sockets = (node.addresses?.map(a => a.addr).join(',')) ?? '';
       const query = `INSERT INTO nodes(
           public_key,
diff --git a/backend/src/api/lightning/lightning-api.interface.ts b/backend/src/api/lightning/lightning-api.interface.ts
index 453e2fffc..cd5cb973d 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/lightning/lightning-api.interface.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/lightning/lightning-api.interface.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export namespace ILightningApi {
   export interface Channel {
     channel_id: string;
     chan_point: string;
-    last_update: number;
+    last_update: number | null;
     node1_pub: string;
     node2_pub: string;
     capacity: string;
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@ export namespace ILightningApi {
     fee_rate_milli_msat: string;
     disabled: boolean;
     max_htlc_msat: string;
-    last_update: number;
+    last_update: number | null;
   }
 
   export interface Node {
-    last_update: number;
+    last_update: number | null;
     pub_key: string;
     alias: string;
     addresses: {
diff --git a/backend/src/tasks/lightning/network-sync.service.ts b/backend/src/tasks/lightning/network-sync.service.ts
index fdef7ecae..3e5ae1366 100644
--- a/backend/src/tasks/lightning/network-sync.service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/tasks/lightning/network-sync.service.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class NetworkSyncService {
     const graphNodesPubkeys: string[] = [];
     for (const node of nodes) {
       const latestUpdated = await channelsApi.$getLatestChannelUpdateForNode(node.pub_key);
-      node.last_update = Math.max(node.last_update, latestUpdated);
+      node.last_update = Math.max(node.last_update ?? 0, latestUpdated);
 
       await nodesApi.$saveNode(node);
       graphNodesPubkeys.push(node.pub_key);