diff --git a/PKVault.Backend/db/services/SessionService.cs b/PKVault.Backend/db/services/SessionService.cs
index 261051b1..b160dec6 100644
--- a/PKVault.Backend/db/services/SessionService.cs
+++ b/PKVault.Backend/db/services/SessionService.cs
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public async Task StartNewSession(bool checkInitialActions, DataUpdateFlags? fla
     {
         StartTime = timeProvider.GetUtcNow().DateTime;
 
-        using var _ = log.Time("Starting new session");
+        using var _ = log.Time($"Starting new session, checkInitialActions={checkInitialActions}");
 
         Actions.Clear();
 
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ await Task.WhenAll(
                     .ContextId.InstanceId;
 
                 var hadDataToNormalize = await CheckDataToNormalize(scope, flags);
+                log.LogDebug($"Session - hadDataToNormalize={hadDataToNormalize}");
 
                 await CheckSaveToSynchronize(scope, flags);
 
@@ -110,6 +111,8 @@ private async Task<bool> CheckDataToNormalize(IServiceScope scope, DataUpdateFla
         var dataNormalizeAction = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<DataNormalizeAction>();
         var updateExternalPkmAction = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<UpdateExternalPkmAction>();
 
+        var hadDataToNormalize = false;
+
         var dataToNormalizeInput = await dataNormalizeAction.HasDataToNormalize();
 
         if (dataToNormalizeInput.ShouldRun)
@@ -117,6 +120,8 @@ private async Task<bool> CheckDataToNormalize(IServiceScope scope, DataUpdateFla
             await actionService.DataNormalize(dataToNormalizeInput, scope, flags);
         }
 
+        hadDataToNormalize |= dataToNormalizeInput.ShouldRun;
+
         try
         {
             var externalPkmsToUpdateInput = await updateExternalPkmAction.HasExternalPkmsToUpdate();
@@ -126,13 +131,14 @@ private async Task<bool> CheckDataToNormalize(IServiceScope scope, DataUpdateFla
                 await actionService.UpdateExternalPkm(externalPkmsToUpdateInput, scope, flags);
             }
 
-            return externalPkmsToUpdateInput.ShouldRun;
+            hadDataToNormalize |= externalPkmsToUpdateInput.ShouldRun;
         }
         catch (Exception ex)
         {
             log.LogError(ex, "Exception during external-pkms check/update");
         }
-        return false;
+
+        return hadDataToNormalize;
     }
 
     private async Task CheckSaveToSynchronize(IServiceScope scope, DataUpdateFlags flags)
@@ -158,15 +164,12 @@ private async Task CheckSaveToSynchronize(IServiceScope scope, DataUpdateFlags f
      */
     private async Task CheckFirstRunAutoSave(IServiceScope scope, DataUpdateFlags flags)
     {
-        var savesLoaders = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<ISavesLoadersService>();
-        var pkmVariantLoader = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<IPkmVariantLoader>();
-
-        var hasAnyData = savesLoaders.GetAllLoaders().Length > 0
-            || await pkmVariantLoader.Any();
+        var hasAnyData = HasMainDb();
+        log.LogDebug($"Check fresh start auto-save, hasAnyData={hasAnyData}");
 
         if (!hasAnyData)
         {
-            log.LogInformation($"Fresh start detected - Session persisting & retarting");
+            log.LogInformation($"Fresh start detected - Session persisting & restart");
             await PersistSession(scope);
             await StartNewSession(checkInitialActions: false, flags);
         }
diff --git a/PKVault.Backend/settings/routes/SettingsRoute.cs b/PKVault.Backend/settings/routes/SettingsRoute.cs
index c6feaf74..1bdf00c1 100644
--- a/PKVault.Backend/settings/routes/SettingsRoute.cs
+++ b/PKVault.Backend/settings/routes/SettingsRoute.cs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public async Task<ActionResult<DataDTO>> Edit([BindRequired] SettingsMutableDTO
 
         DataUpdateFlags flags = new();
 
-        var (RestartSession, PersistSession, ScanSaves) = settingsService.GetUpdateDiff(settingsMutable, flags);
+        var (RestartSession, ScanSaves) = settingsService.GetUpdateDiff(settingsMutable, flags);
 
         if ((RestartSession || ScanSaves) && !sessionService.HasEmptyActionList())
         {
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public async Task<ActionResult<DataDTO>> Edit([BindRequired] SettingsMutableDTO
             throw new ArgumentException($"Language value not allowed: {settingsMutable.LANGUAGE}");
         }
 
-        await settingsService.UpdateSettings(settingsMutable, RestartSession, PersistSession, ScanSaves, flags);
+        await settingsService.UpdateSettings(settingsMutable, RestartSession, ScanSaves, flags);
 
         return await dataService.CreateDataFromUpdateFlags(flags);
     }
diff --git a/PKVault.Backend/settings/services/SettingsService.cs b/PKVault.Backend/settings/services/SettingsService.cs
index fe498525..d44382b6 100644
--- a/PKVault.Backend/settings/services/SettingsService.cs
+++ b/PKVault.Backend/settings/services/SettingsService.cs
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@
 
 public interface ISettingsService
 {
-    public Task UpdateSettings(SettingsMutableDTO settingsMutable, bool restartSession, bool persistSession, bool scanSaves, DataUpdateFlags flags);
+    public Task UpdateSettings(SettingsMutableDTO settingsMutable, bool restartSession, bool scanSaves, DataUpdateFlags flags);
     public Task<SettingsDTO> GetSettingsWithUserId();
     public SettingsDTO GetSettings();
     public SettingsDTO RefreshSettings(DataUpdateFlags flags);
-    public (bool RestartSession, bool PersistSession, bool ScanSaves) GetUpdateDiff(SettingsMutableDTO updatedSettingsMutable, DataUpdateFlags flags);
+    public (bool RestartSession, bool ScanSaves) GetUpdateDiff(SettingsMutableDTO updatedSettingsMutable, DataUpdateFlags flags);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ public class SettingsService(IServiceProvider sp) : ISettingsService
 
     private SettingsDTO? BaseSettings;
 
-    public async Task UpdateSettings(SettingsMutableDTO settingsMutable, bool restartSession, bool persistSession, bool scanSaves, DataUpdateFlags flags)
+    public async Task UpdateSettings(SettingsMutableDTO settingsMutable, bool restartSession, bool scanSaves, DataUpdateFlags flags)
     {
         await fileIOService.WriteJSONFile(
             FilePath,
@@ -52,12 +52,6 @@ await fileIOService.WriteJSONFile(
             UserId = userId
         };
 
-        if (persistSession && !sessionService.HasEmptyActionList())
-        {
-            await sessionService.PersistSession(scope);
-            await sessionService.StartNewSession(checkInitialActions: false, flags);
-        }
-
         if (restartSession)
         {
             await sessionService.StartNewSession(checkInitialActions: true, flags);
@@ -80,7 +74,7 @@ await fileIOService.WriteJSONFile(
      * 
      * Returns if session should be restarted or persisted.
      */
-    public (bool RestartSession, bool PersistSession, bool ScanSaves) GetUpdateDiff(SettingsMutableDTO updatedSettingsMutable, DataUpdateFlags flags)
+    public (bool RestartSession, bool ScanSaves) GetUpdateDiff(SettingsMutableDTO updatedSettingsMutable, DataUpdateFlags flags)
     {
         var currentSettingsMutable = ReadBaseSettings().SettingsMutable;
 
@@ -97,7 +91,6 @@ static string GetSavePathOverridesChecksum(IDictionary<uint, string>? savePathOv
         ]);
 
         bool restartSession = false;
-        bool persistSession = false;
         bool scanSaves = false;
 
         var hasPathChanges = currentSettingsMutable.DB_PATH != updatedSettingsMutable.DB_PATH
@@ -106,12 +99,6 @@ static string GetSavePathOverridesChecksum(IDictionary<uint, string>? savePathOv
             || GetArrayChecksum(currentSettingsMutable.SAVE_GLOBS) != GetArrayChecksum(updatedSettingsMutable.SAVE_GLOBS)
             || GetArrayChecksum(currentSettingsMutable.PKM_EXTERNAL_GLOBS) != GetArrayChecksum(updatedSettingsMutable.PKM_EXTERNAL_GLOBS);
 
-        var hasFirstLanguageChange = currentSettingsMutable.LANGUAGE == null && updatedSettingsMutable.LANGUAGE != null;
-        if (hasFirstLanguageChange)
-        {
-            persistSession = true;
-        }
-
         if (hasPathChanges)
         {
             restartSession = true;
@@ -150,7 +137,7 @@ static string GetSavePathOverridesChecksum(IDictionary<uint, string>? savePathOv
             scanSaves = true;
         }
 
-        return (restartSession, persistSession, scanSaves);
+        return (restartSession, scanSaves);
     }
 
     public async Task<SettingsDTO> GetSettingsWithUserId()