diff --git a/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb b/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb
index 2a7ce3227..72ffdf18e 100644
--- a/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb
+++ b/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb
@@ -902,8 +902,8 @@ class PostQueryBuilder
     def fast_count(timeout: 1_000, estimate_count: true, skip_cache: false)
       count = nil
       count = estimated_count if estimate_count
-      count = cached_count if count.nil? && !skip_cache
-      count = exact_count(timeout) if count.nil?
+      count = cached_count(timeout) if count.nil? && !skip_cache
+      count = exact_count(timeout) if count.nil? && skip_cache
       count
     end
 
@@ -936,22 +936,16 @@ class PostQueryBuilder
       ExplainParser.new(build).row_count
     end
 
-    def cached_count
-      Cache.get(count_cache_key)
+    def cached_count(timeout, duration: 5.minutes)
+      Cache.get(count_cache_key, duration) do
+        exact_count(timeout)
+      end
     end
 
     def exact_count(timeout)
-      count = Post.with_timeout(timeout, nil) do
+      Post.with_timeout(timeout) do
         build.count
       end
-
-      set_cached_count(count) if count.present?
-      count
-    end
-
-    def set_cached_count(count)
-      expiry = count.seconds.clamp(3.minutes, 20.hours).to_i
-      Cache.put(count_cache_key, count, expiry)
     end
 
     def count_cache_key
diff --git a/test/unit/post_query_builder_test.rb b/test/unit/post_query_builder_test.rb
index f1355e67b..01a6afc87 100644
--- a/test/unit/post_query_builder_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/post_query_builder_test.rb
@@ -1199,7 +1199,7 @@ class PostQueryBuilderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     context "for a single metatag" do
       should "return the correct cached count" do
         build(:tag, name: "score:42", post_count: -100).save(validate: false)
-        PostQueryBuilder.new("score:42").set_cached_count(100)
+        Cache.put("pfc:score:42", 100)
         assert_fast_count(100, "score:42")
       end
 
@@ -1207,7 +1207,7 @@ class PostQueryBuilderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
         pool = create(:pool, post_ids: [1, 2, 3])
 
         build(:tag, name: "pool:#{pool.id}", post_count: -100).save(validate: false)
-        PostQueryBuilder.new("pool:1234").set_cached_count(100)
+        Cache.put("pfc:pool:1234", 100)
 
         assert_fast_count(3, "pool:#{pool.id}")
         assert_fast_count(3, "pool:#{pool.name}")
@@ -1237,7 +1237,7 @@ class PostQueryBuilderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     context "for a multi-tag search" do
       should "return the cached count, if it exists" do
-        PostQueryBuilder.new("score:42 aaa").set_cached_count(100)
+        Cache.put("pfc:score:42 aaa", 100)
         assert_fast_count(100, "aaa score:42")
       end
 
@@ -1245,11 +1245,6 @@ class PostQueryBuilderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
         assert_fast_count(1, "aaa score:42")
       end
 
-      should "set the expiration time" do
-        Cache.expects(:put).with(PostQueryBuilder.new("score:42 aaa").count_cache_key, 1, 180)
-        assert_fast_count(1, "aaa score:42")
-      end
-
       should "work with the hide_deleted_posts option turned on" do
         create(:post, tag_string: "aaa", score: 42, is_deleted: true)
         assert_fast_count(1, "aaa score:42", { hide_deleted_posts: true })