diff --git a/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/ItemState.scala b/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/ItemState.scala
index 506e803d..77766295 100644
--- a/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/ItemState.scala
+++ b/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/ItemState.scala
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
 package docspell.common
 
 import io.circe.{Decoder, Encoder}
+import cats.data.NonEmptyList
 
 sealed trait ItemState { self: Product =>
 
   final def name: String =
     productPrefix.toLowerCase
+
+  def isValid: Boolean =
+    ItemState.validStates.exists(_ == this)
+
+  def isInvalid: Boolean =
+    ItemState.invalidStates.exists(_ == this)
 }
 
 object ItemState {
@@ -24,8 +31,11 @@ object ItemState {
       case _            => Left(s"Invalid item state: $str")
     }
 
-  val validStates: Seq[ItemState] =
-    Seq(Created, Confirmed)
+  val validStates: NonEmptyList[ItemState] =
+    NonEmptyList.of(Created, Confirmed)
+
+  val invalidStates: NonEmptyList[ItemState] =
+    NonEmptyList.of(Premature, Processing)
 
   def unsafe(str: String): ItemState =
     fromString(str).fold(sys.error, identity)
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala
index 12c0d436..2b789ff1 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ object NotifyDueItemsTask {
         QItem.Query
           .empty(ctx.args.account.collective)
           .copy(
-            states = ItemState.validStates,
+            states = ItemState.validStates.toList,
             tagsInclude = ctx.args.tagsInclude,
             tagsExclude = ctx.args.tagsExclude,
             dueDateFrom = ctx.args.daysBack.map(back => now - Duration.days(back.toLong)),
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/ItemHandler.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/ItemHandler.scala
index 0ce3f9b5..4334ece4 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/ItemHandler.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/ItemHandler.scala
@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@ object ItemHandler {
   def itemStateTask[F[_]: Sync, A](
       state: ItemState
   )(data: ItemData): Task[F, A, ItemData] =
-    Task(ctx => ctx.store.transact(RItem.updateState(data.item.id, state)).map(_ => data))
+    Task(ctx =>
+      ctx.store
+        .transact(RItem.updateState(data.item.id, state, ItemState.invalidStates))
+        .map(_ => data)
+    )
 
   def isLastRetry[F[_]: Sync, A](ctx: Context[F, A]): F[Boolean] =
     for {
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/LinkProposal.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/LinkProposal.scala
index 7552b8db..a6d7bc16 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/LinkProposal.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/LinkProposal.scala
@@ -9,21 +9,26 @@ import docspell.store.records.RItem
 object LinkProposal {
 
   def apply[F[_]: Sync](data: ItemData): Task[F, ProcessItemArgs, ItemData] =
-    Task { ctx =>
-      // sort by weight; order of equal weights is not important, just
-      // choose one others are then suggestions
-      // doc-date is only set when given explicitely, not from "guessing"
-      val proposals = MetaProposalList
-        .flatten(data.metas.map(_.proposals))
-        .filter(_.proposalType != MetaProposalType.DocDate)
-        .sortByWeights
+    if (data.item.state.isValid)
+      Task
+        .log[F, ProcessItemArgs](_.debug(s"Not linking proposals on existing item"))
+        .map(_ => data)
+    else
+      Task { ctx =>
+        // sort by weight; order of equal weights is not important, just
+        // choose one others are then suggestions
+        // doc-date is only set when given explicitely, not from "guessing"
+        val proposals = MetaProposalList
+          .flatten(data.metas.map(_.proposals))
+          .filter(_.proposalType != MetaProposalType.DocDate)
+          .sortByWeights
 
-      ctx.logger.info(s"Starting linking proposals") *>
-        MetaProposalType.all
-          .traverse(applyValue(data, proposals, ctx))
-          .map(result => ctx.logger.info(s"Results from proposal processing: $result"))
-          .map(_ => data)
-    }
+        ctx.logger.info(s"Starting linking proposals") *>
+          MetaProposalType.all
+            .traverse(applyValue(data, proposals, ctx))
+            .map(result => ctx.logger.info(s"Results from proposal processing: $result"))
+            .map(_ => data)
+      }
 
   def applyValue[F[_]: Sync](
       data: ItemData,
@@ -40,8 +45,9 @@ object LinkProposal {
             Result.single(mpt)
           )
       case Some(a) =>
+        val ids = a.values.map(_.ref.id.id)
         ctx.logger.info(
-          s"Found many (${a.size}, ${a.values.map(_.ref.id.id)}) candidates for ${a.proposalType}. Setting first."
+          s"Found many (${a.size}, ${ids}) candidates for ${a.proposalType}. Setting first."
         ) *>
           setItemMeta(data.item.id, ctx, a.proposalType, a.values.head.ref.id).map(_ =>
             Result.multiple(mpt)
diff --git a/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/conv/Conversions.scala b/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/conv/Conversions.scala
index ea262bce..125d6ae0 100644
--- a/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/conv/Conversions.scala
+++ b/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/conv/Conversions.scala
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ trait Conversions {
       coll,
       m.name,
       if (m.inbox) Seq(ItemState.Created)
-      else ItemState.validStates,
+      else ItemState.validStates.toList,
       m.direction,
       m.corrPerson,
       m.corrOrg,
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/records/RItem.scala b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/records/RItem.scala
index 756ef292..05f06e9f 100644
--- a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/records/RItem.scala
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/records/RItem.scala
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 package docspell.store.records
 
-import cats.implicits._
+import cats.data.NonEmptyList
 import cats.effect.Sync
+import cats.implicits._
 import doobie._
 import doobie.implicits._
 import docspell.common._
@@ -110,12 +111,16 @@ object RItem {
   def getCollective(itemId: Ident): ConnectionIO[Option[Ident]] =
     selectSimple(List(cid), table, id.is(itemId)).query[Ident].option
 
-  def updateState(itemId: Ident, itemState: ItemState): ConnectionIO[Int] =
+  def updateState(
+      itemId: Ident,
+      itemState: ItemState,
+      existing: NonEmptyList[ItemState]
+  ): ConnectionIO[Int] =
     for {
       t <- currentTime
       n <- updateRow(
         table,
-        id.is(itemId),
+        and(id.is(itemId), state.isIn(existing)),
         commas(state.setTo(itemState), updated.setTo(t))
       ).update.run
     } yield n