diff --git a/playground/app.vue b/playground/app.vue
index a8bd3fc..4c8ae9f 100644
--- a/playground/app.vue
+++ b/playground/app.vue
@@ -5,13 +5,25 @@ import { z } from "zod"
 const schema = z.object({ planet: z.string() })
 
 // Create your form with a unique key
-const { getFieldState, register, key } = useForm({
+const { getFieldState, register, key, setValue } = useForm({
   schema,
   key: "planet-form-key",
 })
 
 // Get the state of the 'planet' field
 const planetState = getFieldState("planet")
+const hideInput = ref(false)
+
+// random operation to demonstrate updating the planet field programmatically
+function updateVal(testUpdate: boolean) {
+  setValue("planet", (v) => {
+    const [base, count] = v.split(".")
+    const recoveredNum = Number(count ?? 0)
+    const safeNum = Number.isNaN(recoveredNum) ? 0 : recoveredNum
+    const BASE_DEFAULT = "Jupiter"
+    return testUpdate ? `${base || BASE_DEFAULT}.${safeNum + 1}` : v
+  })
+}
 </script>
 
 <template>
@@ -19,12 +31,21 @@ const planetState = getFieldState("planet")
     <h1>Fancy Form "{{ key }}"</h1>
 
     <input
+      v-if="!hideInput"
       v-register="register('planet')"
       placeholder="Enter your favorite planet"
     >
 
     <p>Favorite Planet field state:</p>
     <pre>{{ JSON.stringify(planetState, null, 2) }}</pre>
+
+    <button @click="hideInput = !hideInput">
+      {{ hideInput ? 'show input' : 'hide input' }}
+    </button>
+
+    <button @click="updateVal(true)">
+      Update value programmatically
+    </button>
     <hr>
   </div>
 </template>
diff --git a/src/runtime/lib/core/composables/use-meta-tracker-store.ts b/src/runtime/lib/core/composables/use-meta-tracker-store.ts
index a3e0b89..db23d38 100644
--- a/src/runtime/lib/core/composables/use-meta-tracker-store.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/lib/core/composables/use-meta-tracker-store.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-// import { useState } from "#app"
-// import { useState } from "nuxt/app"
-import { merge } from "lodash-es"
+import { isEqual, merge } from "lodash-es"
 import { useState } from "nuxt/app"
 import { computed } from "vue"
 import type {
@@ -41,8 +39,11 @@ export function updateMetaTracker(config: UpdateMetaTrackerConfig) {
     = typeof basePath === "string"
       ? metaTracker[basePath]?.updatedAt ?? null
       : null
+
+  const hasRawValueChanged = basePath === null ? true : !isEqual(metaTracker[basePath]?.rawValue, rawValue)
+  const newTime = hasRawValueChanged ? new Date().toISOString() : lastKnownTime
   const updatedAt
-    = updateTime ?? true ? new Date().toISOString() : lastKnownTime
+    = (updateTime ?? true) ? newTime : lastKnownTime
 
   const flattenedObject = flattenObjectWithBaseKey(
     rawValue,
diff --git a/src/runtime/lib/core/utils/register.ts b/src/runtime/lib/core/utils/register.ts
index 9d84764..53923ca 100644
--- a/src/runtime/lib/core/utils/register.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/lib/core/utils/register.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ export function registerFactory<Form extends GenericForm>(
             basePath: path,
             metaTracker: metaTracker.value,
             rawValue: metaTracker.value?.[path]?.rawValue ?? get(form, path),
-            updateTime: false,
             isConnected: true,
           })
         }
@@ -72,7 +71,6 @@ export function registerFactory<Form extends GenericForm>(
           basePath: path,
           metaTracker: metaTracker.value,
           rawValue: metaTracker.value?.[path]?.rawValue ?? get(form, path),
-          updateTime: false, // for consistency, only recompute `updatedAt` when form value changes
           isConnected: !!remainingElementCount, // only mark as disconnected if all elements are unmounted
         })
       },
diff --git a/src/runtime/types/types-api.ts b/src/runtime/types/types-api.ts
index b2753c9..f9b1069 100644
--- a/src/runtime/types/types-api.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/types/types-api.ts
@@ -134,16 +134,36 @@ export type CustomRegisterDirective<T, Modifiers extends string = string> = Obje
   [S: symbol]: CustomDirectiveRegisterAssignerFn
 }, RegisterValue, Modifiers, string>
 
+// bring in this RegisterModelDynamicCustomDirective type once PR #12605 in vuejs/core enters production (currently in main but not released)
+// https://github.com/vuejs/core/pull/12605
+// export type RegisterTextCustomDirective = CustomRegisterDirective<
+// HTMLInputElement | HTMLTextAreaElement,
+// "trim" | "number" | "lazy"
+// >
+
 export type RegisterTextCustomDirective = CustomRegisterDirective<
-HTMLInputElement | HTMLTextAreaElement,
-"trim" | "number" | "lazy"
+  HTMLInputElement | HTMLTextAreaElement, string
 >
 
 export type RegisterCheckboxCustomDirective = CustomRegisterDirective<HTMLInputElement>
 export type RegisterRadioCustomDirective = CustomRegisterDirective<HTMLInputElement>
-export type RegisterSelectCustomDirective = CustomRegisterDirective<HTMLSelectElement, "number">
+
+// bring in this RegisterModelDynamicCustomDirective type once PR #12605 in vuejs/core enters production (currently in main but not released)
+// https://github.com/vuejs/core/pull/12605
+// export type RegisterTextCustomDirective = CustomRegisterDirective<
+// HTMLInputElement | HTMLTextAreaElement,
+// "trim" | "number" | "lazy"
+// >
+// export type RegisterSelectCustomDirective = CustomRegisterDirective<HTMLSelectElement, "number">
+export type RegisterSelectCustomDirective = CustomRegisterDirective<HTMLSelectElement, string>
+
+// bring in this RegisterModelDynamicCustomDirective type once PR #12605 in vuejs/core enters production (currently in main but not released)
+// https://github.com/vuejs/core/pull/12605
+// export type RegisterModelDynamicCustomDirective = ObjectDirective<
+// HTMLInputElement | HTMLSelectElement | HTMLTextAreaElement, RegisterValue, "trim" | "number" | "lazy"
+// >
 export type RegisterModelDynamicCustomDirective = ObjectDirective<
-HTMLInputElement | HTMLSelectElement | HTMLTextAreaElement, RegisterValue, "trim" | "number" | "lazy"
+HTMLInputElement | HTMLSelectElement | HTMLTextAreaElement, RegisterValue, string
 >
 export type RegisterDirective =
   | RegisterTextCustomDirective