diff --git a/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb b/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
index 659693ef6..75bd052dc 100644
--- a/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# rubocop:disable Metrics/ClassLength
 # Provides mainly web actions for using and making comments.
 class CommentsController < ApplicationController
   before_action :authenticate_user!, except: [:post, :show, :thread, :thread_content]
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ class CommentsController < ApplicationController
   before_action :check_restrict_access, only: [:thread_restrict]
   before_action :check_thread_access, only: [:thread, :thread_content, :thread_followers]
   before_action :check_unrestrict_access, only: [:thread_unrestrict]
-  before_action :check_if_target_post_locked, only: [:create, :post_follow]
+  before_action :check_if_target_post_locked, only: [:create, :create_thread]
   before_action :check_if_parent_post_locked, only: [:update, :destroy]
 
   def create_thread
@@ -46,12 +45,9 @@ def create_thread
 
     if success
       notification = "New comment thread on #{@comment.root.title}: #{@comment_thread.title}"
-      unless @comment.post.user == current_user
-        @comment.post.user.create_notification(notification, helpers.comment_link(@comment))
-      end
 
       ThreadFollower.where(post: @post).each do |tf|
-        unless tf.user == current_user || tf.user == @comment.post.user
+        unless tf.user == current_user
           tf.user.create_notification(notification, helpers.comment_link(@comment))
         end
         ThreadFollower.create(user: tf.user, comment_thread: @comment_thread)
@@ -253,8 +249,7 @@ def thread_unrestrict
       end
       @comment_thread.update(deleted: false, deleted_by: nil)
     when 'follow'
-      tf = ThreadFollower.find_by(comment_thread: @comment_thread, user: current_user)
-      tf&.destroy
+      ThreadFollower.where(comment_thread: @comment_thread, user: current_user).destroy_all
     else
       return not_found!
     end
@@ -428,4 +423,3 @@ def audit(event_type, comment, audit_comment = '')
                              user: current_user)
   end
 end
-# rubocop:enable Metrics/ClassLength
diff --git a/app/controllers/posts_controller.rb b/app/controllers/posts_controller.rb
index e1af10966..354e45b2a 100644
--- a/app/controllers/posts_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/posts_controller.rb
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ def create
 
     if @post.save
       @post.update(last_activity: @post.created_at, last_activity_by: current_user)
+      ThreadFollower.create user: @post.user, post: @post
       if @post_type.has_parent?
         unless @post.user_id == @post.parent.user_id
           @post.parent.user.create_notification("New response to your post #{@post.parent.title}",
diff --git a/app/models/comment_thread.rb b/app/models/comment_thread.rb
index 2508e88c5..3c9012405 100644
--- a/app/models/comment_thread.rb
+++ b/app/models/comment_thread.rb
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ class CommentThread < ApplicationRecord
   validate :maximum_title_length
   validates :title, presence: { message: I18n.t('comments.errors.title_presence') }
 
-  after_create :create_follower
-
   # Gets threads appropriately scoped for a given user & post
   # @param user [User, nil] user to check
   # @para post [Post] post to check
@@ -78,15 +76,4 @@ def maximum_title_length
       errors.add(:title, "can't be more than #{max_len} characters")
     end
   end
-
-  private
-
-  # Comment author and post author are automatically followed to the thread. Question author is NOT
-  # automatically followed on new answer comment threads. Comment author follower creation is done
-  # on the Comment model.
-  def create_follower
-    if post.user.preference('auto_follow_comment_threads') == 'true'
-      ThreadFollower.create comment_thread: self, user: post.user
-    end
-  end
 end
diff --git a/test/controllers/comments/post_follow_test.rb b/test/controllers/comments/post_follow_test.rb
index 2547d6114..48f07791a 100644
--- a/test/controllers/comments/post_follow_test.rb
+++ b/test/controllers/comments/post_follow_test.rb
@@ -49,4 +49,25 @@ class CommentsControllerTest < ActionController::TestCase
     # Assert user still only follows post once
     assert_equal 1, ThreadFollower.where(['post_id = ? AND user_id = ?', question, user]).count
   end
+
+  test 'post author can unfollow post then follow' do
+    user = users(:standard_user)
+    sign_in user
+    question = posts(:question_one)
+
+    # Assert user follows post
+    assert_equal 1, ThreadFollower.where(['post_id = ? AND user_id = ?', question, user]).count
+
+    try_post_unfollow(question)
+    assert_response(:found)
+
+    # Assert user does not follow post
+    assert_equal 0, ThreadFollower.where(['post_id = ? AND user_id = ?', question, user]).count
+
+    try_post_follow(question)
+    assert_response(:found)
+
+    # Assert user follows post
+    assert_equal 1, ThreadFollower.where(['post_id = ? AND user_id = ?', question, user]).count
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/controllers/posts/create_test.rb b/test/controllers/posts/create_test.rb
index 255f50742..0cb3cb4d7 100644
--- a/test/controllers/posts/create_test.rb
+++ b/test/controllers/posts/create_test.rb
@@ -118,6 +118,16 @@ class PostsControllerTest < ActionController::TestCase
     assert_redirected_to_sign_in
   end
 
+  test 'should make post author a thread follower of the post' do
+    user = users(:standard_user)
+    sign_in user
+    try_create_post
+    assert_response(:found)
+
+    # Assert user follows post
+    assert_equal 1, ThreadFollower.where(['post_id = ? AND user_id = ?', assigns(:post), user]).count
+  end
+
   private
 
   # Attempts to create a post