diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 311e2707d..b1c58551b 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 # usethis (development version)
 
+* `use_tidy_upkeep_issue()` now records the year it is being run in the
+  `Config/usethis/upkeep` field in DESCRIPTION. If this value exists it is
+  furthermore used to filter the checklist when making the issue.
+
 ## Bug fixes and minor improvements
 
 * `use_package()` now decreases a package minimum version required when
   `min_version` is lower than what is currently specified in the DESCRIPTION
   file (@jplecavalier, #1957).
-  
+
 * `use_data()` now uses serialization version 3 by default. (@laurabrianna, #2044)
 
-* Reverse dependency checks are only suggested if they exist 
+* Reverse dependency checks are only suggested if they exist
   (#1817, @seankross).
 
 # usethis 3.0.0
diff --git a/R/upkeep.R b/R/upkeep.R
index 0de6d48fb..2c4823fe0 100644
--- a/R/upkeep.R
+++ b/R/upkeep.R
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@
 #' @export
 #' @examples
 #' \dontrun{
-#' use_upkeep_issue(2023)
+#' use_upkeep_issue()
 #' }
 use_upkeep_issue <- function(year = NULL) {
   make_upkeep_issue(year = year, tidy = FALSE)
 }
 
-make_upkeep_issue <- function(year, tidy) {
+make_upkeep_issue <- function(year, last_year, tidy) {
   who <- if (tidy) "use_tidy_upkeep_issue()" else "use_upkeep_issue()"
   check_is_package(who)
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ make_upkeep_issue <- function(year, tidy) {
 
   gh <- gh_tr(tr)
   if (tidy) {
-    checklist <- tidy_upkeep_checklist(year, repo_spec = tr$repo_spec)
+    checklist <- tidy_upkeep_checklist(last_year, repo_spec = tr$repo_spec)
   } else {
     checklist <- upkeep_checklist(tr)
   }
@@ -118,10 +118,12 @@ upkeep_checklist <- function(target_repo = NULL) {
 
 #' @export
 #' @rdname tidyverse
-#' @param year Approximate year when you last touched this package. If `NULL`,
-#'   the default, will give you a full set of actions to perform.
-use_tidy_upkeep_issue <- function(year = NULL) {
-  make_upkeep_issue(year = year, tidy = TRUE)
+#' @param year Approximate year when you last touched this package. Default will
+#' use the recorded year of the last upkeep issue or, if missing, show the full
+#' checklist
+use_tidy_upkeep_issue <- function(year = last_upkeep_year()) {
+  make_upkeep_issue(year = NULL, last_year = year, tidy = TRUE)
+  record_upkeep_year(format(Sys.Date(), "%Y"))
 }
 
 # for mocking
@@ -327,3 +329,11 @@ has_old_cran_comments <- function() {
   file_exists(cc) &&
     any(grepl("# test environment", readLines(cc), ignore.case = TRUE))
 }
+
+last_upkeep_year <- function() {
+  as.integer(proj_desc()$get_field("Config/usethis/upkeep", 2000L))
+}
+
+record_upkeep_year <- function(year) {
+  desc <- proj_desc_field_update("Config/usethis/upkeep", as.character(year))
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-upkeep.R b/tests/testthat/test-upkeep.R
index f0da07051..c757d91ba 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-upkeep.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-upkeep.R
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 test_that("tidy upkeep bullets don't change accidentally", {
   create_local_package()
   use_mit_license()
+  expect_equal(last_upkeep_year(), 2000L)
+  record_upkeep_year(2022L)
+  expect_equal(last_upkeep_year(), 2022L)
 
   local_mocked_bindings(
     Sys.Date = function() as.Date("2023-01-01"),