diff --git a/api/prisma/schema.prisma b/api/prisma/schema.prisma
index f9f055d6480..aedd827ad26 100644
--- a/api/prisma/schema.prisma
+++ b/api/prisma/schema.prisma
@@ -55,11 +55,6 @@ type ProfileUI {
   showTimeLine  Boolean? // Undefined
 }
 
-// Currently unused, so commented out.
-// type ProgressTimestamp {
-//   timestamp Float
-// }
-
 type SavedChallengeFile {
   contents String
   ext      String
@@ -74,11 +69,11 @@ type SavedChallenge {
   lastSavedDate Float
 }
 
+/// Corresponds to the `user` collection.
 model user {
   id                           String                        @id @default(auto()) @map("_id") @db.ObjectId
   about                        String
   acceptedPrivacyTerms         Boolean
-  // badges    Json? // Undefined | { coreTeam [][] } removed, as new API never uses it.
   completedChallenges          CompletedChallenge[]
   completedExams               CompletedExam[] // Undefined
   currentChallengeId           String?
@@ -88,7 +83,6 @@ model user {
   emailVerified                Boolean
   emailVerifyTTL               DateTime? // Null | Undefined
   externalId                   String
-  // github    String? Removed, because value was only ever found to be Null
   githubProfile                String? // Undefined
   isApisMicroservicesCert      Boolean? // Undefined
   isBackEndCert                Boolean? // Undefined
@@ -127,13 +121,20 @@ model user {
   portfolio                    Portfolio[]
   profileUI                    ProfileUI? // Undefined
   progressTimestamps           Json? // ProgressTimestamp[] | Null[] | Int64[] | Double[] - TODO: NORMALIZE
-  // rand Float? // Undefined removed, as new API never uses it.
+  /// A random number between 0 and 1.
+  ///
+  /// Valuable for selectively performing random logic.
+  rand                         Float?
   savedChallenges              SavedChallenge[] // Undefined | SavedChallenge[]
   sendQuincyEmail              Boolean
   theme                        String? // Undefined
   timezone                     String? // Undefined
   twitter                      String? // Null | Undefined
   unsubscribeId                String
+  /// Used to track the number of times the user's record was written to.
+  ///
+  /// This has the main benefit of allowing concurrent ops to check for race conditions.
+  updateCount                  Int?                          @default(0)
   username                     String // TODO(Post-MVP): make this unique
   usernameDisplay              String? // Undefined
   verificationToken            String? // Undefined
diff --git a/api/src/db/extensions.test.ts b/api/src/db/extensions.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2b094bff9ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/src/db/extensions.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+import { defaultUserEmail, setupServer } from '../../jest.utils';
+import { createUserInput } from '../utils/create-user';
+
+describe('prisma client extensions', () => {
+  setupServer();
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.deleteMany({
+      where: { email: defaultUserEmail }
+    });
+  });
+
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.deleteMany({
+      where: { email: defaultUserEmail }
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('updateCount', () => {
+    it('should default to 0', async () => {
+      const user = await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.create({
+        data: createUserInput(defaultUserEmail)
+      });
+
+      expect(user).toMatchObject({
+        updateCount: 0
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should increment by one for updates and creates', async () => {
+      const user = await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.create({
+        data: createUserInput(defaultUserEmail)
+      });
+
+      const updateUser = await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.update({
+        where: { id: user.id },
+        data: { username: 'any-change' }
+      });
+
+      expect(updateUser).toMatchObject({
+        username: 'any-change',
+        updateCount: 1
+      });
+
+      await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.updateMany({
+        where: { id: user.id },
+        // Even no change to values updates the updateCount
+        data: { username: 'any-change' }
+      });
+
+      const updateManyUser = await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.findUnique({
+        where: { id: user.id }
+      });
+
+      expect(updateManyUser).toMatchObject({
+        username: 'any-change',
+        updateCount: 2
+      });
+
+      const upsertUser = await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.upsert({
+        where: { id: user.id },
+        create: createUserInput(defaultUserEmail),
+        update: { username: 'upser-user' }
+      });
+
+      expect(upsertUser).toMatchObject({
+        username: 'upser-user',
+        updateCount: 3
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("should not increment for 'find' queries", async () => {
+      const user = await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.create({
+        data: createUserInput(defaultUserEmail)
+      });
+
+      const findUniqueUser = await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.findUnique({
+        where: { id: user.id }
+      });
+
+      expect(findUniqueUser).toMatchObject({
+        updateCount: 0
+      });
+
+      const findManyUsers = await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.findMany();
+
+      expect(findManyUsers).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(findManyUsers[0]).toMatchObject({
+        updateCount: 0
+      });
+
+      const findFirstUser = await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.findFirst();
+
+      expect(findFirstUser).toMatchObject({
+        updateCount: 0
+      });
+
+      const findRawUser = await fastifyTestInstance.prisma.user.findRaw({
+        filter: { email: defaultUserEmail }
+      });
+
+      expect(findRawUser[0]).toMatchObject({
+        updateCount: 0
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/api/src/db/prisma.ts b/api/src/db/prisma.ts
index f3f54d8629a..397df5b78b1 100644
--- a/api/src/db/prisma.ts
+++ b/api/src/db/prisma.ts
@@ -7,18 +7,20 @@ import { MONGOHQ_URL } from '../utils/env';
 
 declare module 'fastify' {
   interface FastifyInstance {
-    prisma: PrismaClient;
+    prisma: ReturnType<typeof extendClient>;
   }
 }
 
 const prismaPlugin: FastifyPluginAsync = fp(async (server, _options) => {
-  const prisma = new PrismaClient({
-    datasources: {
-      db: {
-        url: MONGOHQ_URL
+  const prisma = extendClient(
+    new PrismaClient({
+      datasources: {
+        db: {
+          url: MONGOHQ_URL
+        }
       }
-    }
-  });
+    })
+  );
 
   await prisma.$connect();
 
@@ -29,4 +31,32 @@ const prismaPlugin: FastifyPluginAsync = fp(async (server, _options) => {
   });
 });
 
+// TODO: It would be nice to split this up into multiple update functions,
+//       but the types are a pain.
+// TODO: Multiple extended clients can be used for different restrictions (e.g. session vs non-session users)
+// TODO: Could be used to add other _easily forgotten_ fields like `progressTimestamp`
+function extendClient(prisma: PrismaClient) {
+  return prisma.$extends({
+    query: {
+      user: {
+        async update({ args, query }) {
+          args.data.updateCount = { increment: 1 };
+          return query(args);
+        },
+        async updateMany({ args, query }) {
+          args.data.updateCount = { increment: 1 };
+          return query(args);
+        },
+        async upsert({ args, query }) {
+          args.update.updateCount = { increment: 1 };
+          return query(args);
+        }
+        // NOTE: raw ops are untouched, as it is meant to be a direct passthrough to mongodb
+        // async findRaw({ model, operation, args, query }) {}
+        // async aggregateRaw({ model, operation, args, query }) {}
+      }
+    }
+  });
+}
+
 export default prismaPlugin;