diff --git a/app/models/article.rb b/app/models/article.rb
index ec57ef73b..745dee7a1 100644
--- a/app/models/article.rb
+++ b/app/models/article.rb
@@ -133,10 +133,9 @@ class Article < ApplicationRecord
   scope :cached_tagged_by_approval_with, ->(tag) { cached_tagged_with(tag).where(approved: true) }
 
   scope :active_help, lambda {
-    published
-      .cached_tagged_with("help")
-      .order(created_at: :desc)
-      .where("published_at > ? AND comments_count < ? AND score > ?", 12.hours.ago, 6, -4)
+    stories = published.cached_tagged_with("help").order(created_at: :desc)
+
+    stories.where(published_at: 12.hours.ago.., comments_count: ..5, score: -3..).presence || stories
   }
 
   scope :limited_column_select, lambda {
diff --git a/spec/models/article_spec.rb b/spec/models/article_spec.rb
index ec37651f8..555f6972a 100644
--- a/spec/models/article_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/article_spec.rb
@@ -681,6 +681,22 @@ RSpec.describe Article, type: :model do
     end
   end
 
+  describe ".active_help" do
+    it "returns properly filtered articles under the 'help' tag" do
+      filtered_article = create(:article, user: user, tags: "help",
+                                          published_at: 13.hours.ago, comments_count: 5, score: -3)
+      articles = described_class.active_help
+      expect(articles).to include(filtered_article)
+    end
+
+    it "returns any published articles tagged with 'help' when there are no articles that fit the criteria" do
+      unfiltered_article = create(:article, user: user, tags: "help",
+                                            published_at: 10.hours.ago, comments_count: 8, score: -5)
+      articles = described_class.active_help
+      expect(articles).to include(unfiltered_article)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe ".seo_boostable" do
     let!(:top_article) do
       create(:article, organic_page_views_past_month_count: 20, score: 30, tags: "good, greatalicious", user: user)