diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/discovery/topics.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/discovery/topics.hbs
index 8dcea658dea..663818a51aa 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/discovery/topics.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/discovery/topics.hbs
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@
     <TopicList
       @highlightLastVisited={{true}}
       @top={{this.top}}
+      @hot={{this.hot}}
       @showTopicPostBadges={{this.showTopicPostBadges}}
       @showPosters={{true}}
       @canBulkSelect={{@canBulkSelect}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/discovery/topics.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/discovery/topics.js
index 7e4ff6a1164..bb2e9ae38e4 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/discovery/topics.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/discovery/topics.js
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ export default class DiscoveryTopics extends Component {
     return filterTypeForMode(this.args.model.filter) === "top";
   }
 
+  get hot() {
+    return filterTypeForMode(this.args.model.filter) === "hot";
+  }
+
   get new() {
     return filterTypeForMode(this.args.model.filter) === "new";
   }
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/topic-list.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/topic-list.js
index 9e4a2b4d4d5..83c43e0eb5a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/topic-list.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/topic-list.js
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export default Component.extend(LoadMore, {
     }
   },
 
-  @observes("topics", "order", "ascending", "category", "top")
+  @observes("topics", "order", "ascending", "category", "top", "hot")
   lastVisitedTopicChanged() {
     this.refreshLastVisited();
   },
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ export default Component.extend(LoadMore, {
     onScroll.call(this);
   },
 
-  _updateLastVisitedTopic(topics, order, ascending, top) {
+  _updateLastVisitedTopic(topics, order, ascending, top, hot) {
     this.set("lastVisitedTopic", null);
 
     if (!this.highlightLastVisited) {
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ export default Component.extend(LoadMore, {
       return;
     }
 
-    if (top) {
+    if (top || hot) {
       return;
     }
 
@@ -156,7 +156,8 @@ export default Component.extend(LoadMore, {
       this.topics,
       this.order,
       this.ascending,
-      this.top
+      this.top,
+      this.hot
     );
   },
 
diff --git a/app/models/topic_hot_score.rb b/app/models/topic_hot_score.rb
index 6e874cd050e..5f40ad08438 100644
--- a/app/models/topic_hot_score.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic_hot_score.rb
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class TopicHotScore < ActiveRecord::Base
       max: max,
       private_message: Archetype.private_message,
       recent_cutoff: now - SiteSetting.hot_topics_recent_days.days,
+      regular: Post.types[:regular],
     }
 
     # insert up to BATCH_SIZE records that are missing from table
@@ -70,6 +71,9 @@ class TopicHotScore < ActiveRecord::Base
                 FROM post_actions pa
                 JOIN posts p2 ON p2.id = pa.post_id
                 WHERE p2.topic_id = t.id
+                  AND p2.post_type = :regular
+                  AND p2.deleted_at IS NULL
+                  AND p2.user_deleted = false
                   AND pa.post_action_type_id = 2 -- action_type for 'like'
                   AND pa.created_at >= :recent_cutoff
                   AND pa.deleted_at IS NULL
@@ -84,10 +88,12 @@ class TopicHotScore < ActiveRecord::Base
               AND t.archetype <> 'private_message'
               AND t.deleted_at IS NULL
               AND p.deleted_at IS NULL
+              AND p.user_deleted = false
               AND t.created_at <= :now
               AND t.bumped_at >= :recent_cutoff
               AND p.created_at < :now
               AND p.created_at >= :recent_cutoff
+              AND p.post_type = :regular
           GROUP BY
               t.id
         ) AS new_values
diff --git a/spec/models/topic_hot_scores_spec.rb b/spec/models/topic_hot_scores_spec.rb
index 8f2a3ddbea4..407890286a5 100644
--- a/spec/models/topic_hot_scores_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/topic_hot_scores_spec.rb
@@ -34,12 +34,24 @@ RSpec.describe TopicHotScore do
 
       hot_scoring = TopicHotScore.find_by(topic_id: topic.id)
 
-      expect(hot_scoring.recent_likes).to eq(3)
       expect(hot_scoring.recent_posters).to eq(2)
+      expect(hot_scoring.recent_likes).to eq(3)
       expect(hot_scoring.recent_first_bumped_at).to eq_time(new_reply.created_at)
       expect(hot_scoring.score).to be_within(0.001).of(1.771)
 
       expect(TopicHotScore.find_by(topic_id: -1).recent_likes).to eq(0)
+
+      # make sure we exclude whispers, deleted posts, small posts, etc
+      whisper =
+        Fabricate(:post, topic: topic, created_at: 1.hour.ago, post_type: Post.types[:whisper])
+      PostActionCreator.like(Fabricate(:admin), whisper)
+
+      TopicHotScore.update_scores
+
+      hot_scoring = TopicHotScore.find_by(topic_id: topic.id)
+
+      expect(hot_scoring.recent_posters).to eq(2)
+      expect(hot_scoring.recent_likes).to eq(3)
     end
 
     it "prefers recent_likes to topic like count for recent topics" do