diff --git a/src/crud/peer.py b/src/crud/peer.py
index acacd235..14f7a652 100644
--- a/src/crud/peer.py
+++ b/src/crud/peer.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from src.cache.client import cache, get_cache_namespace
 from src.config import settings
 from src.crud.workspace import get_or_create_workspace
 from src.exceptions import ConflictException, ResourceNotFoundException
+from src.models import Peer
 from src.utils.filter import apply_filter
 
 logger = getLogger(__name__)
@@ -63,21 +64,37 @@ async def get_or_create_peers(
         .where(models.Peer.name.in_(peer_names))
     )
     result = await db.execute(stmt)
-    existing_peers = list(result.scalars().all())
+    existing_peers: list[Peer] = list(result.scalars().all())
 
     # Create a mapping of peer names to peer schemas for easy lookup
     peer_schema_map = {p.name: p for p in peers}
 
+    # Track which peers actually changed
+    changed_peers: list[Peer] = []
+
     # Update existing peers with metadata and configuration if provided
     for existing_peer in existing_peers:
         peer_schema = peer_schema_map[existing_peer.name]
+        changed = False
 
-        # Update with metadata and configuration if provided
-        if peer_schema.metadata is not None:
+        # Update with metadata if provided AND different
+        if (
+            peer_schema.metadata is not None
+            and existing_peer.h_metadata != peer_schema.metadata
+        ):
             existing_peer.h_metadata = peer_schema.metadata
+            changed = True
 
-        if peer_schema.configuration is not None:
+        # Update with configuration if provided AND different
+        if (
+            peer_schema.configuration is not None
+            and existing_peer.configuration != peer_schema.configuration
+        ):
             existing_peer.configuration = peer_schema.configuration
+            changed = True
+
+        if changed:
+            changed_peers.append(existing_peer)
 
     # Find which peers need to be created
     existing_names = {p.name for p in existing_peers}
@@ -104,10 +121,15 @@ async def get_or_create_peers(
             ) from None
         return await get_or_create_peers(db, workspace_name, peers, _retry=True)
 
-    # Invalidate cache for all updated/created peers - read-through pattern
-    for peer_obj in existing_peers + new_peers:
+    # Only invalidate cache for changed/new peers - read-through pattern
+    for peer_obj in changed_peers + new_peers:
         cache_key = peer_cache_key(workspace_name, peer_obj.name)
         await cache.delete(cache_key)
+        logger.debug(
+            "Peer %s cache invalidated in workspace %s (changed or new)",
+            peer_obj.name,
+            workspace_name,
+        )
 
     # Return combined list of existing and new peers
     return existing_peers + new_peers
@@ -204,16 +226,31 @@ async def update_peer(
         )
     )[0]
 
-    if peer.metadata is not None:
-        honcho_peer.h_metadata = peer.metadata
+    needs_update = False
 
-    if peer.configuration is not None:
+    if peer.metadata is not None and honcho_peer.h_metadata != peer.metadata:
+        honcho_peer.h_metadata = peer.metadata
+        needs_update = True
+
+    if (
+        peer.configuration is not None
+        and honcho_peer.configuration != peer.configuration
+    ):
         honcho_peer.configuration = peer.configuration
+        needs_update = True
+
+    # Early exit if unchanged
+    if not needs_update:
+        logger.debug(
+            "Peer %s unchanged in workspace %s, skipping update",
+            peer_name,
+            workspace_name,
+        )
+        return honcho_peer
 
     await db.commit()
     await db.refresh(honcho_peer)
 
-    # Invalidate cache - read-through pattern
     cache_key = peer_cache_key(workspace_name, honcho_peer.name)
     await cache.delete(cache_key)
 
diff --git a/src/crud/session.py b/src/crud/session.py
index 625626e7..a7ef27d4 100644
--- a/src/crud/session.py
+++ b/src/crud/session.py
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ async def get_or_create_session(
     if honcho_session is not None:
         honcho_session = await db.merge(honcho_session, load=False)
 
+    # Track if we need to update cache
+    needs_cache_update = False
+
     # Check if session already exists
     if honcho_session is None:
         if session.peer_names:
@@ -151,6 +154,7 @@ async def get_or_create_session(
             db.add(honcho_session)
             # Flush to ensure session exists in DB before adding peers
             await db.flush()
+
         except IntegrityError:
             await db.rollback()
             logger.debug(
@@ -163,10 +167,18 @@ async def get_or_create_session(
             return await get_or_create_session(db, session, workspace_name, _retry=True)
     else:
         # Update existing session with metadata and feature flags if provided
-        if session.metadata is not None:
+        if (
+            session.metadata is not None
+            and honcho_session.h_metadata != session.metadata
+        ):
             honcho_session.h_metadata = session.metadata
-        if session.configuration is not None:
+            needs_cache_update = True
+        if (
+            session.configuration is not None
+            and honcho_session.configuration != session.configuration
+        ):
             honcho_session.configuration = session.configuration
+            needs_cache_update = True
 
     # Add all peers to session
     if session.peer_names:
@@ -187,10 +199,16 @@ async def get_or_create_session(
     await db.commit()
     await db.refresh(honcho_session)
 
-    cache_key = session_cache_key(workspace_name, session.name)
-    await cache.set(
-        cache_key, honcho_session, expire=settings.CACHE.DEFAULT_TTL_SECONDS
-    )
+    # Only update cache if session data changed or was newly created
+    if needs_cache_update:
+        cache_key = session_cache_key(workspace_name, session.name)
+        await cache.set(
+            cache_key, honcho_session, expire=settings.CACHE.DEFAULT_TTL_SECONDS
+        )
+        logger.debug(
+            "Session %s cache updated in workspace %s", session.name, workspace_name
+        )
+
     return honcho_session
 
 
@@ -251,16 +269,32 @@ async def update_session(
         db, schemas.SessionCreate(name=session_name), workspace_name=workspace_name
     )
 
-    if session.metadata is not None:
-        honcho_session.h_metadata = session.metadata
+    # Track if anything changed
+    needs_update = False
 
-    if session.configuration is not None:
+    if session.metadata is not None and honcho_session.h_metadata != session.metadata:
+        honcho_session.h_metadata = session.metadata
+        needs_update = True
+
+    if (
+        session.configuration is not None
+        and honcho_session.configuration != session.configuration
+    ):
         honcho_session.configuration = session.configuration
+        needs_update = True
+
+    if not needs_update:
+        logger.debug(
+            "Session %s unchanged in workspace %s, skipping update",
+            session_name,
+            workspace_name,
+        )
+        return honcho_session
 
     await db.commit()
     await db.refresh(honcho_session)
 
-    # Invalidate cache - read-through pattern
+    # Only invalidate if we actually updated
     cache_key = session_cache_key(workspace_name, session_name)
     await cache.delete(cache_key)
 
diff --git a/src/crud/workspace.py b/src/crud/workspace.py
index c872b728..5d212d40 100644
--- a/src/crud/workspace.py
+++ b/src/crud/workspace.py
@@ -172,16 +172,32 @@ async def update_workspace(
         ),
     )
 
-    if workspace.metadata is not None:
-        honcho_workspace.h_metadata = workspace.metadata
+    # Track if anything changed
+    needs_update = False
 
-    if workspace.configuration is not None:
+    if (
+        workspace.metadata is not None
+        and honcho_workspace.h_metadata != workspace.metadata
+    ):
+        honcho_workspace.h_metadata = workspace.metadata
+        needs_update = True
+
+    if (
+        workspace.configuration is not None
+        and honcho_workspace.configuration != workspace.configuration
+    ):
         honcho_workspace.configuration = workspace.configuration
+        needs_update = True
+
+    # Early exit if unchanged
+    if not needs_update:
+        logger.debug("Workspace %s unchanged, skipping update", workspace_name)
+        return honcho_workspace
 
     await db.commit()
     await db.refresh(honcho_workspace)
 
-    # Invalidate cache
+    # Only invalidate if we actually updated
     cache_key = workspace_cache_key(workspace_name)
     await cache.delete(cache_key)
 
diff --git a/src/utils/summarizer.py b/src/utils/summarizer.py
index 67eb3467..3f905a0a 100644
--- a/src/utils/summarizer.py
+++ b/src/utils/summarizer.py
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ async def _create_and_save_summary(
         message_public_id=message_public_id,
     )
 
-    # Only track tokens if this was a real LLM call
+    # Only track tokens and save summary if this was a real LLM call
     if not is_fallback:
         # Get base prompt tokens based on summary type
         if summary_type == SummaryType.SHORT:
@@ -397,12 +397,13 @@ async def _create_and_save_summary(
             component="total",
         ).inc(new_summary["token_count"])
 
-    await _save_summary(
-        db,
-        new_summary,
-        workspace_name,
-        session_name,
-    )
+        # Save summary to database
+        await _save_summary(
+            db,
+            new_summary,
+            workspace_name,
+            session_name,
+        )
 
     accumulate_metric(
         f"summary_{workspace_name}_{message_id}",