diff --git a/database/application.go b/database/application.go
index ccad458b8..73757de3c 100644
--- a/database/application.go
+++ b/database/application.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func (d *GormDatabase) GetApplicationsByUser(userID uint) ([]*model.Application,
 
 // UpdateApplication updates an application.
 func (d *GormDatabase) UpdateApplication(app *model.Application) error {
-	return d.DB.Save(app).Error
+	return d.updateExisting(app)
 }
 
 // UpdateApplicationTokenLastUsed updates the last used time of the application token.
diff --git a/database/application_test.go b/database/application_test.go
index 2c38e7561..50881aa1f 100644
--- a/database/application_test.go
+++ b/database/application_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gotify/server/v3/model"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func (s *DatabaseSuite) TestApplication() {
@@ -99,3 +100,16 @@ func (s *DatabaseSuite) TestDeleteAppDeletesMessages() {
 		assert.NotEmpty(s.T(), msgs)
 	}
 }
+
+func (s *DatabaseSuite) TestUpdateDeletedApplicationDoesNotRecreateIt() {
+	app := &model.Application{UserID: 1, Token: "ASTALE", Name: "backup"}
+	require.NoError(s.T(), s.db.CreateApplication(app))
+	require.NoError(s.T(), s.db.DeleteApplicationByID(app.ID))
+
+	app.Name = "renamed"
+	assert.NoError(s.T(), s.db.UpdateApplication(app))
+
+	if a, err := s.db.GetApplicationByID(app.ID); assert.NoError(s.T(), err) {
+		assert.Nil(s.T(), a)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/database/client.go b/database/client.go
index aa87b37c2..25e11c13c 100644
--- a/database/client.go
+++ b/database/client.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func (d *GormDatabase) DeleteClientByID(id uint) error {
 // UpdateClient updates a client.
 func (d *GormDatabase) UpdateClient(client *model.Client) error {
 	client.PopulateExpiresAt()
-	return d.DB.Save(client).Error
+	return d.updateExisting(client)
 }
 
 // UpdateClientTokensLastUsed updates the last used timestamp of clients and
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func (d *GormDatabase) UpdateClientTokensLastUsedAndExpiresAt(tokens []string, t
 		for _, c := range clients {
 			c.LastUsed = t
 			c.PopulateExpiresAt()
-			if err := tx.Save(c).Error; err != nil {
+			if err := tx.Model(c).Select("last_used", "expires_at").Updates(c).Error; err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/database/client_test.go b/database/client_test.go
index 6d6edd6bd..45e7f8cd5 100644
--- a/database/client_test.go
+++ b/database/client_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gotify/server/v3/model"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func (s *DatabaseSuite) TestClient() {
@@ -194,3 +195,19 @@ func (s *DatabaseSuite) TestClientSelectHidesExpired() {
 		assert.Equal(s.T(), valid.Token, cs[0].Token)
 	}
 }
+
+func (s *DatabaseSuite) TestUpdateDeletedClientDoesNotRecreateIt() {
+	user := &model.User{Name: "stale", Pass: []byte{1}}
+	require.NoError(s.T(), s.db.CreateUser(user))
+
+	client := &model.Client{UserID: user.ID, Token: "CSTALE", Name: "android"}
+	require.NoError(s.T(), s.db.CreateClient(client))
+	require.NoError(s.T(), s.db.DeleteClientByID(client.ID))
+
+	client.Name = "renamed"
+	assert.NoError(s.T(), s.db.UpdateClient(client))
+
+	if c, err := s.db.GetClientByID(client.ID); assert.NoError(s.T(), err) {
+		assert.Nil(s.T(), c)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/database/database.go b/database/database.go
index 8da809064..b99e261b6 100644
--- a/database/database.go
+++ b/database/database.go
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@ func New(dialect, connection, defaultUser, defaultPass string, strength int, cre
 	return &GormDatabase{DB: db}, nil
 }
 
+func (d *GormDatabase) updateExisting(value any) error {
+	return d.DB.Select("*").Updates(value).Error
+}
+
 func fillMissingCreatedAt(db *gorm.DB, now time.Time) error {
 	models := []any{
 		new(model.User),
diff --git a/database/plugin.go b/database/plugin.go
index 32ea5951d..04f051ace 100644
--- a/database/plugin.go
+++ b/database/plugin.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func (d *GormDatabase) GetPluginConfByID(id uint) (*model.PluginConf, error) {
 
 // UpdatePluginConf updates plugin configuration.
 func (d *GormDatabase) UpdatePluginConf(p *model.PluginConf) error {
-	return d.DB.Save(p).Error
+	return d.updateExisting(p)
 }
 
 // DeletePluginConfByID deletes a plugin configuration by its id.
diff --git a/database/plugin_test.go b/database/plugin_test.go
index 9948b4584..e449195a1 100644
--- a/database/plugin_test.go
+++ b/database/plugin_test.go
@@ -68,3 +68,16 @@ func (s *DatabaseSuite) TestPluginConf() {
 	assert.Equal(s.T(), false, pluginConf.Enabled)
 	assert.Equal(s.T(), testConf, string(pluginConf.Config))
 }
+
+func (s *DatabaseSuite) TestUpdateDeletedPluginConfDoesNotRecreateIt() {
+	conf := &model.PluginConf{UserID: 1, ModulePath: "github.com/gotify/stale", Token: "PSTALE"}
+	require.NoError(s.T(), s.db.CreatePluginConf(conf))
+	require.NoError(s.T(), s.db.DeletePluginConfByID(conf.ID))
+
+	conf.Enabled = true
+	assert.NoError(s.T(), s.db.UpdatePluginConf(conf))
+
+	if c, err := s.db.GetPluginConfByToken(conf.Token); assert.NoError(s.T(), err) {
+		assert.Nil(s.T(), c)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/database/user.go b/database/user.go
index a2bdcde14..02fd5c6a0 100644
--- a/database/user.go
+++ b/database/user.go
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ func (d *GormDatabase) DeleteUserByID(id uint) error {
 
 // UpdateUser updates a user.
 func (d *GormDatabase) UpdateUser(user *model.User) error {
-	return d.DB.Save(user).Error
+	return d.updateExisting(user)
 }
 
 // CreateUser creates a user.
diff --git a/database/user_test.go b/database/user_test.go
index c10d97a89..9051a4764 100644
--- a/database/user_test.go
+++ b/database/user_test.go
@@ -180,3 +180,16 @@ func (s *DatabaseSuite) TestDeleteUserDeletesApplicationsAndClientsAndPluginConf
 	require.NoError(s.T(), err)
 	assert.NotNil(s.T(), msg)
 }
+
+func (s *DatabaseSuite) TestUpdateDeletedUserDoesNotRecreateIt() {
+	user := &model.User{Name: "stale", Pass: []byte{1}}
+	require.NoError(s.T(), s.db.CreateUser(user))
+	require.NoError(s.T(), s.db.DeleteUserByID(user.ID))
+
+	user.Admin = true
+	assert.NoError(s.T(), s.db.UpdateUser(user))
+
+	if u, err := s.db.GetUserByID(user.ID); assert.NoError(s.T(), err) {
+		assert.Nil(s.T(), u)
+	}
+}