diff --git a/backend/canisters/community/impl/src/lib.rs b/backend/canisters/community/impl/src/lib.rs
index 6191904f57..738e3e9999 100644
--- a/backend/canisters/community/impl/src/lib.rs
+++ b/backend/canisters/community/impl/src/lib.rs
@@ -324,23 +324,23 @@ fn init_instruction_counts_log() -> InstructionCountsLog {
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
 struct Data {
-    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_maybe_timestamped")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_to_timestamped")]
     is_public: Timestamped<bool>,
-    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_maybe_timestamped")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_to_timestamped")]
     name: Timestamped<String>,
-    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_maybe_timestamped")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_to_timestamped")]
     description: Timestamped<String>,
-    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_maybe_timestamped")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_to_timestamped")]
     rules: Timestamped<AccessRulesInternal>,
-    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_optional_document")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_to_timestamped")]
     avatar: Timestamped<Option<Document>>,
-    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_optional_document")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_to_timestamped")]
     banner: Timestamped<Option<Document>>,
-    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_maybe_timestamped")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_to_timestamped")]
     permissions: Timestamped<CommunityPermissions>,
-    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_maybe_timestamped")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_to_timestamped")]
     gate_config: Timestamped<Option<AccessGateConfigInternal>>,
-    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_maybe_timestamped")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_to_timestamped")]
     primary_language: Timestamped<String>,
     user_index_canister_id: CanisterId,
     local_user_index_canister_id: CanisterId,
@@ -355,9 +355,9 @@ struct Data {
     channels: Channels,
     events: CommunityEvents,
     invited_users: InvitedUsers,
-    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_maybe_timestamped")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_to_timestamped")]
     invite_code: Timestamped<Option<u64>>,
-    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_maybe_timestamped")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_to_timestamped")]
     invite_code_enabled: Timestamped<bool>,
     frozen: Timestamped<Option<FrozenGroupInfo>>,
     timer_jobs: TimerJobs<TimerJob>,
@@ -386,27 +386,6 @@ struct Data {
     bot_permissions: BTreeMap<UserId, SlashCommandPermissions>,
 }
 
-fn deserialize_maybe_timestamped<'de, D: Deserializer<'de>, T: Deserialize<'de>>(d: D) -> Result<Timestamped<T>, D::Error> {
-    let maybe_timestamped = MaybeTimestamped::deserialize(d)?;
-    Ok(maybe_timestamped.into())
-}
-
-#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
-#[serde(untagged)]
-pub enum MaybeTimestamped<T> {
-    Timestamped(Timestamped<T>),
-    Value(T),
-}
-
-impl<T> From<MaybeTimestamped<T>> for Timestamped<T> {
-    fn from(value: MaybeTimestamped<T>) -> Self {
-        match value {
-            MaybeTimestamped::Timestamped(ts) => ts,
-            MaybeTimestamped::Value(value) => Timestamped::new(value, now_millis()),
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 impl Data {
     #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
     fn new(
@@ -966,7 +945,7 @@ pub struct AddUsersToChannelResult {
     pub users_limit_reached: Vec<UserId>,
 }
 
-fn deserialize_optional_document<'de, D: Deserializer<'de>>(d: D) -> Result<Timestamped<Option<Document>>, D::Error> {
-    let document = Option::deserialize(d)?;
-    Ok(Timestamped::new(document, now_millis()))
+fn deserialize_to_timestamped<'de, D: Deserializer<'de>, T: Deserialize<'de>>(d: D) -> Result<Timestamped<T>, D::Error> {
+    let value = T::deserialize(d)?;
+    Ok(Timestamped::new(value, now_millis()))
 }