diff --git a/services/auth/auth.go b/services/auth/auth.go
index 97f29cdbf4e..fb7d0fa9a19 100644
--- a/services/auth/auth.go
+++ b/services/auth/auth.go
@@ -38,8 +38,9 @@ func Init() {
 	webauthn.Init()
 }
 
-// handleSignIn clears existing session variables and stores new ones for the specified user object
-func handleSignIn(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, sess SessionStore, user *user_model.User) {
+// handleSignInNonInteractive clears existing session variables and stores new ones for the specified user object
+// it is mainly for middleware sign-in which doesn't need user's interaction.
+func handleSignInNonInteractive(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, sess SessionStore, user *user_model.User) {
 	// We need to regenerate the session...
 	newSess, err := session.RegenerateSession(resp, req)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -54,17 +55,14 @@ func handleSignIn(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, sess SessionStore
 		log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error setting session: %v", err))
 	}
 
+	opts := &user_service.UpdateOptions{SetLastLogin: true}
 	// Language setting of the user overwrites the one previously set
 	// If the user does not have a locale set, we save the current one.
 	if len(user.Language) == 0 {
-		lc := middleware.Locale(resp, req)
-		opts := &user_service.UpdateOptions{
-			Language: optional.Some(lc.Language()),
-		}
-		if err := user_service.UpdateUser(req.Context(), user, opts); err != nil {
-			log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error updating user language [user: %d, locale: %s]", user.ID, user.Language))
-			return
-		}
+		opts.Language = optional.Some(middleware.Locale(resp, req).Language())
+	}
+	if err := user_service.UpdateUser(req.Context(), user, opts); err != nil {
+		log.Error("Error updating user on sign-in [user: %d]: %v", user.ID, err)
 	}
 
 	middleware.SetLocaleCookie(resp, user.Language, 0)
diff --git a/services/auth/reverseproxy.go b/services/auth/reverseproxy.go
index ff95329c9e6..b7d8d013c33 100644
--- a/services/auth/reverseproxy.go
+++ b/services/auth/reverseproxy.go
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ func (r *ReverseProxy) Verify(req *http.Request, w http.ResponseWriter, store Da
 	if r.CreateSession && sess != nil {
 		sessionUID, ok := sess.Get(session.KeyUID).(int64)
 		if !ok || sessionUID != user.ID {
-			handleSignIn(w, req, sess, user)
+			handleSignInNonInteractive(w, req, sess, user)
 		}
 	}
 	store.GetData()["IsReverseProxy"] = true
diff --git a/services/auth/reverseproxy_test.go b/services/auth/reverseproxy_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0602d295b37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/auth/reverseproxy_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package auth
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"gitea.dev/models/unittest"
+	user_model "gitea.dev/models/user"
+	"gitea.dev/modules/session"
+	"gitea.dev/modules/setting"
+	"gitea.dev/modules/test"
+	"gitea.dev/services/contexttest"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestReverseProxyLastLogin(t *testing.T) {
+	require.NoError(t, unittest.PrepareTestDatabase())
+	defer test.MockVariableValue(&setting.ReverseProxyAuthUser, "X-WEBAUTH-USER")()
+
+	user := unittest.AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &user_model.User{ID: 2})
+	require.Zero(t, user.LastLoginUnix)
+
+	ctx, resp := contexttest.MockContext(t, "/", contexttest.MockContextOption{SessionStore: session.NewMockMemStore("reverse-proxy-last-login")})
+	ctx.Req.Header.Set(setting.ReverseProxyAuthUser, user.Name)
+	rp := &ReverseProxy{CreateSession: true}
+
+	_, err := rp.Verify(ctx.Req, resp, ctx, ctx.Session)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.NotZero(t, unittest.AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &user_model.User{ID: user.ID}).LastLoginUnix)
+
+	user.LastLoginUnix = 1
+	require.NoError(t, user_model.UpdateUserCols(t.Context(), user, "last_login_unix"))
+
+	_, err = rp.Verify(ctx.Req, resp, ctx, ctx.Session)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.EqualValues(t, 1, unittest.AssertExistsAndLoadBean(t, &user_model.User{ID: user.ID}).LastLoginUnix) // no write without a new session
+}
diff --git a/services/auth/sspi.go b/services/auth/sspi.go
index 185c37edda1..d3cca5d1391 100644
--- a/services/auth/sspi.go
+++ b/services/auth/sspi.go
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ func (s *SSPI) Verify(req *http.Request, w http.ResponseWriter, store DataStore,
 	}
 
 	if s.CreateSession {
-		handleSignIn(w, req, sess, user)
+		handleSignInNonInteractive(w, req, sess, user)
 	}
 
 	log.Trace("SSPI Authorization: Logged in user %-v", user)