diff --git a/services/npm/npm-base.js b/services/npm/npm-base.js
index cf1afeb894..033e3b0709 100644
--- a/services/npm/npm-base.js
+++ b/services/npm/npm-base.js
@@ -81,8 +81,11 @@ export default class NpmBase extends BaseJsonService {
   }
 
   async _requestJson(data) {
-    return super._requestJson(
-      this.authHelper.withBearerAuthHeader({
+    let payload
+    if (data?.options?.headers?.Accept) {
+      payload = data
+    } else {
+      payload = {
         ...data,
         options: {
           headers: {
@@ -91,8 +94,9 @@ export default class NpmBase extends BaseJsonService {
             Accept: '*/*',
           },
         },
-      }),
-    )
+      }
+    }
+    return super._requestJson(this.authHelper.withBearerAuthHeader(payload))
   }
 
   async fetchPackageData({ registryUrl, scope, packageName, tag }) {
@@ -144,7 +148,13 @@ export default class NpmBase extends BaseJsonService {
     return this.constructor._validate(packageData, packageDataSchema)
   }
 
-  async fetch({ registryUrl, scope, packageName, schema }) {
+  async fetch({
+    registryUrl,
+    scope,
+    packageName,
+    schema,
+    abbreviated = false,
+  }) {
     registryUrl = registryUrl || this.constructor.defaultRegistryUrl
     let url
 
@@ -158,9 +168,15 @@ export default class NpmBase extends BaseJsonService {
       url = `${registryUrl}/${scoped}`
     }
 
+    // https://github.com/npm/registry/blob/main/docs/responses/package-metadata.md
+    const options = abbreviated
+      ? { headers: { Accept: 'application/vnd.npm.install-v1+json' } }
+      : {}
+
     return this._requestJson({
       url,
       schema,
+      options,
       httpErrors: { 404: 'package not found' },
     })
   }
diff --git a/services/npm/npm-last-update.service.js b/services/npm/npm-last-update.service.js
index e68a424285..5f3ded018b 100644
--- a/services/npm/npm-last-update.service.js
+++ b/services/npm/npm-last-update.service.js
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@ import dayjs from 'dayjs'
 import { InvalidResponse, NotFound, pathParam, queryParam } from '../index.js'
 import { formatDate } from '../text-formatters.js'
 import { age as ageColor } from '../color-formatters.js'
-import NpmBase, { packageNameDescription } from './npm-base.js'
+import NpmBase, {
+  packageNameDescription,
+  queryParamSchema,
+} from './npm-base.js'
 
-const updateResponseSchema = Joi.object({
-  time: Joi.object({
-    created: Joi.string().required(),
-    modified: Joi.string().required(),
-  })
+const fullSchema = Joi.object({
+  time: Joi.object()
     .pattern(Joi.string().required(), Joi.string().required())
     .required(),
   'dist-tags': Joi.object()
@@ -17,28 +17,31 @@ const updateResponseSchema = Joi.object({
     .required(),
 }).required()
 
-export class NpmLastUpdate extends NpmBase {
+const abbreviatedSchema = Joi.object({
+  modified: Joi.string().required(),
+}).required()
+
+class NpmLastUpdateBase extends NpmBase {
   static category = 'activity'
 
-  static route = this.buildRoute('npm/last-update', { withTag: true })
+  static defaultBadgeData = { label: 'last updated' }
+
+  static render({ date }) {
+    return {
+      message: formatDate(date),
+      color: ageColor(date),
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+export class NpmLastUpdateWithTag extends NpmLastUpdateBase {
+  static route = {
+    base: 'npm/last-update',
+    pattern: ':scope(@[^/]+)?/:packageName/:tag',
+    queryParamSchema,
+  }
 
   static openApi = {
-    '/npm/last-update/{packageName}': {
-      get: {
-        summary: 'NPM Last Update',
-        parameters: [
-          pathParam({
-            name: 'packageName',
-            example: 'verdaccio',
-            packageNameDescription,
-          }),
-          queryParam({
-            name: 'registry_uri',
-            example: 'https://registry.npmjs.com',
-          }),
-        ],
-      },
-    },
     '/npm/last-update/{packageName}/{tag}': {
       get: {
         summary: 'NPM Last Update (with dist tag)',
@@ -61,15 +64,6 @@ export class NpmLastUpdate extends NpmBase {
     },
   }
 
-  static defaultBadgeData = { label: 'last updated' }
-
-  static render({ date }) {
-    return {
-      message: formatDate(date),
-      color: ageColor(date),
-    }
-  }
-
   async handle(namedParams, queryParams) {
     const { scope, packageName, tag, registryUrl } =
       this.constructor.unpackParams(namedParams, queryParams)
@@ -78,25 +72,63 @@ export class NpmLastUpdate extends NpmBase {
       registryUrl,
       scope,
       packageName,
-      schema: updateResponseSchema,
+      schema: fullSchema,
     })
 
-    let date
+    const tagVersion = packageData['dist-tags'][tag]
 
-    if (tag) {
-      const tagVersion = packageData['dist-tags'][tag]
-
-      if (!tagVersion) {
-        throw new NotFound({ prettyMessage: 'tag not found' })
-      }
-
-      date = dayjs(packageData.time[tagVersion])
-    } else {
-      const timeKey = packageData.time.modified ? 'modified' : 'created'
-
-      date = dayjs(packageData.time[timeKey])
+    if (!tagVersion) {
+      throw new NotFound({ prettyMessage: 'tag not found' })
     }
 
+    const date = dayjs(packageData.time[tagVersion])
+
+    if (!date.isValid) {
+      throw new InvalidResponse({ prettyMessage: 'invalid date' })
+    }
+
+    return this.constructor.render({ date })
+  }
+}
+
+export class NpmLastUpdate extends NpmLastUpdateBase {
+  static route = this.buildRoute('npm/last-update', { withTag: false })
+
+  static openApi = {
+    '/npm/last-update/{packageName}': {
+      get: {
+        summary: 'NPM Last Update',
+        parameters: [
+          pathParam({
+            name: 'packageName',
+            example: 'verdaccio',
+            packageNameDescription,
+          }),
+          queryParam({
+            name: 'registry_uri',
+            example: 'https://registry.npmjs.com',
+          }),
+        ],
+      },
+    },
+  }
+
+  async handle(namedParams, queryParams) {
+    const { scope, packageName, registryUrl } = this.constructor.unpackParams(
+      namedParams,
+      queryParams,
+    )
+
+    const packageData = await this.fetch({
+      registryUrl,
+      scope,
+      packageName,
+      schema: abbreviatedSchema,
+      abbreviated: true,
+    })
+
+    const date = dayjs(packageData.modified)
+
     if (!date.isValid) {
       throw new InvalidResponse({ prettyMessage: 'invalid date' })
     }
diff --git a/services/npm/npm-last-update.tester.js b/services/npm/npm-last-update.tester.js
index 8a0efa6452..7fcead5b5f 100644
--- a/services/npm/npm-last-update.tester.js
+++ b/services/npm/npm-last-update.tester.js
@@ -3,51 +3,79 @@ import { createServiceTester } from '../tester.js'
 
 export const t = await createServiceTester()
 
-t.create('last updated date (valid package)')
+t.create('last updated date, no tag, valid package')
   .get('/verdaccio.json')
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'last updated',
     message: isFormattedDate,
   })
 
-t.create('last updated date (invalid package)')
+t.create('last updated date, no tag, invalid package')
   .get('/not-a-package.json')
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'last updated',
     message: 'package not found',
   })
 
-t.create('last update from custom repository (valid scenario)')
+t.create('last updated date, no tag, custom repository, valid package')
   .get('/verdaccio.json?registry_uri=https://registry.npmjs.com')
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'last updated',
     message: isFormattedDate,
   })
 
-t.create('last update scoped package (valid scenario)')
+t.create('last updated date, no tag, valid package with scope')
   .get('/@npm/types.json')
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'last updated',
     message: isFormattedDate,
   })
 
-t.create('last update scoped package (invalid scenario)')
+t.create('last updated date, no tag, invalid package with scope')
   .get('/@not-a-scoped-package/not-a-valid-package.json')
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'last updated',
     message: 'package not found',
   })
 
-t.create('last updated date with tag (valid scenario)')
+t.create('last updated date, with tag, valid package')
   .get('/verdaccio/latest.json')
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'last updated',
     message: isFormattedDate,
   })
 
-t.create('last updated date (invalid tag)')
+t.create('last updated date, with tag, invalid package')
+  .get('/not-a-package/doesnt-matter.json')
+  .expectBadge({
+    label: 'last updated',
+    message: 'package not found',
+  })
+
+t.create('last updated date, with tag, invalid tag')
   .get('/verdaccio/not-a-valid-tag.json')
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'last updated',
     message: 'tag not found',
   })
+
+t.create('last updated date, with tag, custom repository, valid package')
+  .get('/verdaccio/latest.json?registry_uri=https://registry.npmjs.com')
+  .expectBadge({
+    label: 'last updated',
+    message: isFormattedDate,
+  })
+
+t.create('last updated date, with tag, valid package with scope')
+  .get('/@npm/types/latest.json')
+  .expectBadge({
+    label: 'last updated',
+    message: isFormattedDate,
+  })
+
+t.create('last updated date, with tag, invalid package with scope')
+  .get('/@not-a-scoped-package/not-a-valid-package/doesnt-matter.json')
+  .expectBadge({
+    label: 'last updated',
+    message: 'package not found',
+  })