diff --git a/src/js/_enqueues/admin/inline-edit-post.js b/src/js/_enqueues/admin/inline-edit-post.js
index 5fff8c3f28825..1f572353ff00c 100644
--- a/src/js/_enqueues/admin/inline-edit-post.js
+++ b/src/js/_enqueues/admin/inline-edit-post.js
@@ -491,13 +491,6 @@ window.wp = window.wp || {};
 		};
 
 		fields = $('#edit-'+id).find(':input').serialize();
-
-		var status = $(':input[name="_status"]').val();
-
-		if ( [ 'draft', 'pending', 'auto-draft' ].includes( status ) ) {
-			params.edit_date = 'false';
-		}
-
 		params = fields + '&' + $.param(params);
 
 		// Make Ajax request.
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/post.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/post.php
index cac831cbd9468..3b1603a38cdcc 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/post.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/post.php
@@ -171,10 +171,6 @@ function _wp_translate_postdata( $update = false, $post_data = null ) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if ( isset( $post_data['edit_date'] ) && 'false' === $post_data['edit_date'] ) {
-		$post_data['edit_date'] = false;
-	}
-
 	if ( ! empty( $post_data['edit_date'] ) ) {
 		$aa = $post_data['aa'];
 		$mm = $post_data['mm'];
@@ -197,7 +193,19 @@ function _wp_translate_postdata( $update = false, $post_data = null ) {
 			return new WP_Error( 'invalid_date', __( 'Invalid date.' ) );
 		}
 
-		$post_data['post_date_gmt'] = get_gmt_from_date( $post_data['post_date'] );
+		/*
+		 * Only assign a post date if the user has explicitly set a new value.
+		 * See #59125 and #19907.
+		 */
+		$previous_date = $post_id ? get_post_field( 'post_date', $post_id ) : false;
+		if ( $previous_date && $previous_date !== $post_data['post_date'] ) {
+			$post_data['edit_date']     = true;
+			$post_data['post_date_gmt'] = get_gmt_from_date( $post_data['post_date'] );
+		} else {
+			$post_data['edit_date'] = false;
+			unset( $post_data['post_date'] );
+			unset( $post_data['post_date_gmt'] );
+		}
 	}
 
 	if ( isset( $post_data['post_category'] ) ) {
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/ajax/wpAjaxInlineSave.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/ajax/wpAjaxInlineSave.php
index 3537def1dcce2..2edd630de8c64 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/ajax/wpAjaxInlineSave.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/ajax/wpAjaxInlineSave.php
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public function test_dont_process_terms_if_taxonomy_does_not_allow_show_on_quick
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * When updating a draft in quick edit mode, it should not set the publish date of the post when this one will be published.
+	 * When updating a draft in quick edit mode, it should not set the publish date of the post if the date passed is unchanged.
 	 *
 	 * @ticket 19907
 	 *
@@ -124,6 +124,63 @@ public function test_quick_edit_draft_should_not_set_publish_date() {
 		$_POST['screen']       = 'edit-post';
 		$_POST['post_view']    = 'list';
 		$_POST['edit_date']    = 'false';
+		$_POST['mm']           = get_the_date( 'm', $post );
+		$_POST['jj']           = get_the_date( 'd', $post );
+		$_POST['aa']           = get_the_date( 'Y', $post );
+		$_POST['hh']           = get_the_date( 'H', $post );
+		$_POST['mn']           = get_the_date( 'i', $post );
+		$_POST['ss']           = get_the_date( 's', $post );
+
+		// Make the request.
+		try {
+			$this->_handleAjax( 'inline-save' );
+		} catch ( WPAjaxDieContinueException $e ) {
+			unset( $e );
+		}
+
+		$post = get_post( $post->ID );
+
+		$post_date = sprintf( '%04d-%02d-%02d %02d:%02d:%02d', $_POST['aa'], $_POST['mm'], $_POST['jj'], $_POST['hh'], $_POST['mn'], $_POST['ss'] );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( '0000-00-00 00:00:00', $post->post_date_gmt );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * When updating a draft in quick edit mode, it should set the publish date of the post if there is a new date set.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 59125
+	 *
+	 * @covers ::edit_post
+	 */
+	public function test_quick_edit_draft_should_set_publish_date() {
+		// Become an administrator.
+		$this->_setRole( 'administrator' );
+
+		$user = get_current_user_id();
+
+		$post = self::factory()->post->create_and_get(
+			array(
+				'post_status' => 'draft',
+				'post_author' => $user,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$this->assertSame( 'draft', $post->post_status );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( '0000-00-00 00:00:00', $post->post_date_gmt );
+
+		// Set up a request.
+		$_POST['_inline_edit'] = wp_create_nonce( 'inlineeditnonce' );
+		$_POST['post_ID']      = $post->ID;
+		$_POST['post_type']    = 'post';
+		$_POST['content']      = 'content test';
+		$_POST['excerpt']      = 'excerpt test';
+		$_POST['_status']      = $post->post_status;
+		$_POST['post_status']  = $post->post_status;
+		$_POST['post_author']  = $user;
+		$_POST['screen']       = 'edit-post';
+		$_POST['post_view']    = 'list';
+		$_POST['edit_date']    = 'true';
 		$_POST['mm']           = '09';
 		$_POST['jj']           = 11;
 		$_POST['aa']           = 2020;
@@ -140,6 +197,6 @@ public function test_quick_edit_draft_should_not_set_publish_date() {
 
 		$post = get_post( $post->ID );
 
-		$this->assertEquals( '0000-00-00 00:00:00', $post->post_date_gmt );
+		$this->assertEquals( '2020-09-11 19:20:11', $post->post_date_gmt );
 	}
 }