diff --git a/packages/api/src/routers/svc/following.ts b/packages/api/src/routers/svc/following.ts
index 3e0b0eedb..261dbf4ee 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/routers/svc/following.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/routers/svc/following.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import {
   PageType,
   PreparedDocumentInput,
 } from '../../generated/graphql'
-import { isUniqueViolation } from '../../repository'
 import { createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem } from '../../services/labels'
 import { createLibraryItem } from '../../services/library_item'
 import { parsedContentToLibraryItem } from '../../services/save_page'
@@ -126,29 +125,18 @@ export function followingServiceRouter() {
         state: ArticleSavingRequestStatus.ContentNotFetched,
       })
 
-      try {
-        const newItem = await createLibraryItem(itemToSave, userId)
-        logger.info('feed item saved in following')
+      const newItem = await createLibraryItem(itemToSave, userId)
+      logger.info('feed item saved in following')
 
-        // save RSS label in the item
-        await createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem(
-          newItem.id,
-          userId,
-          [{ name: 'RSS' }],
-          feedUrl
-        )
+      // save RSS label in the item
+      await createAndSaveLabelsInLibraryItem(
+        newItem.id,
+        userId,
+        [{ name: 'RSS' }],
+        feedUrl
+      )
 
-        logger.info('RSS label added to the item')
-      } catch (error) {
-        if (isUniqueViolation(error)) {
-          logger.info('feed item already saved')
-          return res.sendStatus(200)
-        }
-
-        logger.error('error saving feed item', error)
-
-        return res.sendStatus(500)
-      }
+      logger.info('RSS label added to the item')
 
       return res.sendStatus(200)
     }
diff --git a/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts b/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts
index be5a9d4e4..11a7ee92a 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts
@@ -8,16 +8,18 @@ import { Label } from '../entity/label'
 import { LibraryItem, LibraryItemState } from '../entity/library_item'
 import { BulkActionType, InputMaybe, SortParams } from '../generated/graphql'
 import { createPubSubClient, EntityType } from '../pubsub'
+import { redisDataSource } from '../redis_data_source'
 import {
   authTrx,
   getColumns,
+  isUniqueViolation,
   queryBuilderToRawSql,
   valuesToRawSql,
 } from '../repository'
 import { libraryItemRepository } from '../repository/library_item'
 import { setRecentlySavedItemInRedis, wordsCount } from '../utils/helpers'
+import { logger } from '../utils/logger'
 import { parseSearchQuery } from '../utils/search'
-import { redisDataSource } from '../redis_data_source'
 
 enum ReadFilter {
   ALL = 'all',
@@ -811,43 +813,68 @@ export const createLibraryItem = async (
   pubsub = createPubSubClient(),
   skipPubSub = false
 ): Promise<LibraryItem> => {
-  const newLibraryItem = await authTrx(
-    async (tx) =>
-      tx.withRepository(libraryItemRepository).save({
-        ...libraryItem,
-        wordCount:
-          libraryItem.wordCount ??
-          wordsCount(libraryItem.readableContent || ''),
-      }),
-    undefined,
-    userId
-  )
+  if (!libraryItem.originalUrl) {
+    throw new Error('Original url is required')
+  }
 
-  // set recently saved item in redis if redis is enabled
-  if (redisDataSource.redisClient) {
-    await setRecentlySavedItemInRedis(
-      redisDataSource.redisClient,
-      userId,
-      newLibraryItem.originalUrl
+  try {
+    const newLibraryItem = await authTrx(
+      async (tx) =>
+        tx.withRepository(libraryItemRepository).save({
+          ...libraryItem,
+          wordCount:
+            libraryItem.wordCount ??
+            wordsCount(libraryItem.readableContent || ''),
+        }),
+      undefined,
+      userId
+    )
+    logger.info('item created', { url: libraryItem.originalUrl })
+
+    // set recently saved item in redis if redis is enabled
+    if (redisDataSource.redisClient) {
+      await setRecentlySavedItemInRedis(
+        redisDataSource.redisClient,
+        userId,
+        newLibraryItem.originalUrl
+      )
+    }
+
+    if (skipPubSub) {
+      return newLibraryItem
+    }
+
+    await pubsub.entityCreated<DeepPartial<LibraryItem>>(
+      EntityType.PAGE,
+      {
+        ...newLibraryItem,
+        // don't send original content and readable content
+        originalContent: undefined,
+        readableContent: undefined,
+      },
+      userId
     )
-  }
 
-  if (skipPubSub) {
     return newLibraryItem
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (isUniqueViolation(error)) {
+      logger.info('item already created', { url: libraryItem.originalUrl })
+
+      const existingItem = await findLibraryItemByUrl(
+        libraryItem.originalUrl,
+        userId
+      )
+
+      if (!existingItem) {
+        throw new Error(`Item not found for url: ${libraryItem.originalUrl}`)
+      }
+
+      return existingItem
+    }
+
+    logger.error('error creating item', error)
+    throw error
   }
-
-  await pubsub.entityCreated<DeepPartial<LibraryItem>>(
-    EntityType.PAGE,
-    {
-      ...newLibraryItem,
-      // don't send original content and readable content
-      originalContent: undefined,
-      readableContent: undefined,
-    },
-    userId
-  )
-
-  return newLibraryItem
 }
 
 export const findLibraryItemsByPrefix = async (
diff --git a/packages/api/test/db.ts b/packages/api/test/db.ts
index d7ed692d9..26a02e965 100644
--- a/packages/api/test/db.ts
+++ b/packages/api/test/db.ts
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ export const createTestLibraryItem = async (
   userId: string,
   labels?: Label[]
 ): Promise<LibraryItem> => {
-  const item: DeepPartial<LibraryItem> = {
+  const item = {
     user: { id: userId },
     title: 'test title',
     originalContent: '<p>test content</p>',