From 50170b0fb055a2cfc294f4eb1402e0a20efb6dc1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Rajib Gupta <rajib.gupta@ogmaconceptions.com>
Date: Sat, 16 May 2026 02:52:56 +0530
Subject: [PATCH] fix(payload): preserve published main document when saving
 draft

---
 .../operations/utilities/update.ts            | 11 +++--
 .../payload/src/globals/operations/update.ts  |  5 +--
 test/versions/int.spec.ts                     | 40 +++++++++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 49 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/packages/payload/src/collections/operations/utilities/update.ts b/packages/payload/src/collections/operations/utilities/update.ts
index deeaaee0bd2..64b66408a01 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/collections/operations/utilities/update.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/collections/operations/utilities/update.ts
@@ -110,9 +110,7 @@ export const updateDocument = async <
       ? unpublishAllLocalesArg === 'true'
       : !!unpublishAllLocalesArg
   const isSavingDraft =
-    Boolean(draftArg && hasDraftsEnabled(collectionConfig)) &&
-    data._status !== 'published' &&
-    !publishAllLocales
+    Boolean(draftArg && hasDraftsEnabled(collectionConfig)) && !publishAllLocales
   const shouldSavePassword = Boolean(
     password &&
       collectionConfig.auth &&
@@ -124,6 +122,13 @@ export const updateDocument = async <
 
   if (isSavingDraft) {
     data._status = 'draft'
+
+    if (!req.context) {
+      req.context = {}
+    }
+
+    // Used by storage plugins to persist adapter metadata without updating the published document
+    req.context.internalSavingDraft = true
   }
 
   // /////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/globals/operations/update.ts b/packages/payload/src/globals/operations/update.ts
index e46c354e8d3..60e17bd0fec 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/globals/operations/update.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/globals/operations/update.ts
@@ -113,10 +113,7 @@ export const updateOperation = async <
       typeof unpublishAllLocalesArg === 'string'
         ? unpublishAllLocalesArg === 'true'
         : !!unpublishAllLocalesArg
-    const isSavingDraft =
-      Boolean(draftArg && hasDraftsEnabled(globalConfig)) &&
-      data._status !== 'published' &&
-      !publishAllLocales
+    const isSavingDraft = Boolean(draftArg && hasDraftsEnabled(globalConfig)) && !publishAllLocales
 
     if (isSavingDraft) {
       data._status = 'draft'
diff --git a/test/versions/int.spec.ts b/test/versions/int.spec.ts
index e0ac68888e0..b99a84e0121 100644
--- a/test/versions/int.spec.ts
+++ b/test/versions/int.spec.ts
@@ -2571,6 +2571,46 @@ describe('Versions', () => {
       expect(jsonByID.parent).toBe(autosavePost.id)
     })
 
+    it('should preserve published main document when saving a draft with _status published', async () => {
+      const initialDoc = await payload.create({
+        collection: draftCollectionSlug,
+        data: {
+          title: 'Published title',
+          description: 'Published description',
+          _status: 'published',
+        },
+      })
+
+      await payload.update({
+        id: initialDoc.id,
+        collection: draftCollectionSlug,
+        data: {
+          title: 'Draft title',
+          _status: 'published',
+        },
+        draft: true,
+      })
+
+      const mainDoc = await payload.findByID({
+        collection: draftCollectionSlug,
+        id: initialDoc.id,
+      })
+
+      expect(mainDoc.title).toBe('Published title')
+      expect(mainDoc._status).toBe('published')
+
+      const versions = await payload.findVersions({
+        collection: draftCollectionSlug,
+        where: {
+          parent: {
+            equals: initialDoc.id,
+          },
+        },
+      })
+
+      expect(versions.docs.some((doc) => doc.version.title === 'Draft title')).toBe(true)
+    })
+
     it('should allow query by latest', async () => {
       async function createVersion({ title }: { title: string }) {
         return payload.create({