diff --git a/app/controllers/answers_controller.rb b/app/controllers/answers_controller.rb
index 7f1a0d0..541bde0 100644
--- a/app/controllers/answers_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/answers_controller.rb
@@ -2,68 +2,50 @@
   after_action :verify_authorized
   respond_to :html
 
-  ##
 	# PUT/PATCH /[:locale]/answer/[:id]
 	def update
-    # create a new answer based off the passed params
-    ans_params = params[:answer]
-    plan_id = ans_params[:plan_id]
-    phase_id = ans_params[:phase_id]
-    user_id = ans_params[:user_id]
-    lock_version = ans_params[:lock_version]
-    question_id = ans_params[:question_id]
+    question_id = params[:answer][:question_id]
+    plan_id = params[:answer][:plan_id]
     @question = Question.find(question_id);
     # If an answer id is present load that answer otherwise load by plan/question
     @answer = Answer.find_by(plan_id: plan_id, question_id: question_id)
 
-    @old_answer, race_on_creation = nil, false
+    @old_answer = nil
+    @timestamp = nil
 
-    # This is the first answer for the question
-    if @answer.nil?
+    if @answer.nil? # If there is no answer for plan/question
       @answer = Answer.new(permitted_params)
       @answer.text = params["answer-text-#{@answer.question_id}".to_sym]
       
       authorize @answer
 
-      @answer.save
-
+      if @answer.save
+        @timestamp = Time.now.iso8601
+      end
       @lock_version = @answer.lock_version
+    elsif params[:answer][:id].blank? # Someone else already added an answer while the user was working
+      @old_answer = Marshal::load(Marshal.dump(@answer))
+      @answer.text = params["answer-text-#{@answer.question_id}".to_sym]
     
-    # Someone else already added an answer while the user was working
-    elsif ans_params[:id].blank?
-      @old_answer = Marshal::load(Marshal.dump(@answer))
-      @answer.text = params["answer-text-#{@answer.question_id}".to_sym]
       authorize @answer
       
       @lock_version = @answer.lock_version
-      
-    # We're updating an answer (let ActiveRecord check for a race condition)
-    else
-      # if you do the obvious clone here it will overwrite the old_answer text
-      # in the next line
-      #@old_answer = @answer.clone
+    else  # We're about updating an answer (let ActiveRecord check for a race condition)
       @old_answer = Marshal::load(Marshal.dump(@answer))
       @answer.text = params["answer-text-#{@answer.question_id}".to_sym]
+      
       authorize @answer
       
-      @answer.update(permitted_params)
-      
-      # The save was successful so get the lock version and nil the 
-      # old answer
+      if @answer.update(permitted_params)
+        @answer.touch # Saves the record with the updated_at set to the current time. Needed if only answer.question_options is updated
+        @timestamp = @answer.updated_at.iso8601
+      end
       @lock_version = @answer.lock_version
       @old_answer = nil
     end
 
     @section_id = @answer.question.section.id
-
-    # these are used for updating the status line
     @username = @answer.user.name
-    @timestamp = ""
-
-    if @answer.text.present?
-      @timestamp = @answer.updated_at.iso8601
-    end
-
 
     @nquestions = 0
     @nanswers = 0
@@ -71,6 +53,7 @@
     @n_section_answers = 0
 
     plan = Plan.find(plan_id)
+    # Problem of N+1 queries below
     plan.template.phases.each do |phase|
       phase.sections.each do |section|
         section.questions.each do |question|
@@ -94,18 +77,20 @@
     end
 
     rescue ActiveRecord::StaleObjectError
-        @username = @old_answer.user.name
-        @lock_version = @old_answer.lock_version
-        respond_to do |format|
-          format.js {}
-        end
-    end
+      @username = @old_answer.user.name
+      @lock_version = @old_answer.lock_version
+      respond_to do |format|
+        format.js {}
+      end
 
+  end # End update
+
+  private
     def permitted_params
       permitted = params.require(:answer).permit(:id, :plan_id, :user_id, :question_id, :lock_version, :question_option_ids => [])
       if !permitted[:question_option_ids].present?  #If question_option_ids has been filtered out because it was a scalar value (e.g. radiobutton answer)
         permitted[:question_option_ids] = [params[:answer][:question_option_ids]] # then convert to an Array
       end
       return permitted
-    end
+    end # End permitted_params
 end
diff --git a/app/views/answers/update.js.erb b/app/views/answers/update.js.erb
index 40907ae..8086893 100644
--- a/app/views/answers/update.js.erb
+++ b/app/views/answers/update.js.erb
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 // update the answer status
 
 var q_status = $("#<%=@question.id%>-status");
-var timestamp = "<%=@timestamp%>";
+var timestamp = "<%= @timestamp.nil? ? "": @timestamp %>";
 
 if( timestamp != "") {
   q_status.text("");