diff --git a/server/commands/documentCollaborativeUpdater.ts b/server/commands/documentCollaborativeUpdater.ts
index 205ab7ed6..357640b96 100644
--- a/server/commands/documentCollaborativeUpdater.ts
+++ b/server/commands/documentCollaborativeUpdater.ts
@@ -7,18 +7,23 @@ import { schema, serializer } from "@server/editor";
 import Logger from "@server/logging/Logger";
 import { Document, Event } from "@server/models";
 
+type Props = {
+  /** The document ID to update */
+  documentId: string;
+  /** Current collaobrative state */
+  ydoc: Y.Doc;
+  /** The user ID that is performing the update, if known */
+  userId?: string;
+};
+
 export default async function documentCollaborativeUpdater({
   documentId,
   ydoc,
   userId,
-}: {
-  documentId: string;
-  ydoc: Y.Doc;
-  userId?: string;
-}) {
+}: Props) {
   return sequelize.transaction(async (transaction) => {
     const document = await Document.unscoped()
-      .scope("withState")
+      .scope("withoutState")
       .findOne({
         where: {
           id: documentId,
@@ -36,48 +41,41 @@ export default async function documentCollaborativeUpdater({
     const node = Node.fromJSON(schema, yDocToProsemirrorJSON(ydoc, "default"));
     const text = serializer.serialize(node, undefined);
     const isUnchanged = document.text === text;
-    const hasMultiplayerState = !!document.state;
+    const lastModifiedById = userId ?? document.lastModifiedById;
 
-    if (isUnchanged && hasMultiplayerState) {
+    if (isUnchanged) {
       return;
     }
 
     Logger.info(
       "multiplayer",
-      `Persisting ${documentId}, attributed to ${userId}`
+      `Persisting ${documentId}, attributed to ${lastModifiedById}`
     );
 
     // extract collaborators from doc user data
     const pud = new Y.PermanentUserData(ydoc);
     const pudIds = Array.from(pud.clients.values());
-    const existingIds = document.collaboratorIds;
-    const collaboratorIds = uniq([...pudIds, ...existingIds]);
+    const collaboratorIds = uniq([...document.collaboratorIds, ...pudIds]);
 
     await document.update(
       {
         text,
         state: Buffer.from(state),
-        lastModifiedById:
-          isUnchanged || !userId ? document.lastModifiedById : userId,
+        lastModifiedById,
         collaboratorIds,
       },
       {
         transaction,
-        silent: isUnchanged,
         hooks: false,
       }
     );
 
-    if (isUnchanged) {
-      return;
-    }
-
     await Event.schedule({
       name: "documents.update",
       documentId: document.id,
       collectionId: document.collectionId,
       teamId: document.teamId,
-      actorId: userId ?? document.lastModifiedById,
+      actorId: lastModifiedById,
       data: {
         multiplayer: true,
         title: document.title,
diff --git a/server/models/Document.ts b/server/models/Document.ts
index 6cd0c794e..01a87b7a7 100644
--- a/server/models/Document.ts
+++ b/server/models/Document.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { compact, uniq } from "lodash";
 import randomstring from "randomstring";
 import type { SaveOptions } from "sequelize";
 import {
+  Sequelize,
   Transaction,
   Op,
   FindOptions,
@@ -116,6 +117,17 @@ export const DOCUMENT_VERSION = 2;
       },
     ],
   },
+  withStateIsEmpty: {
+    attributes: {
+      exclude: ["state"],
+      include: [
+        [
+          Sequelize.literal(`CASE WHEN state IS NULL THEN true ELSE false END`),
+          "stateIsEmpty",
+        ],
+      ],
+    },
+  },
   withState: {
     attributes: {
       // resets to include the state column