diff --git a/packages/api/src/resolvers/recent_emails/index.ts b/packages/api/src/resolvers/recent_emails/index.ts
index b3c28e8aa..ef4955ec0 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/resolvers/recent_emails/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/resolvers/recent_emails/index.ts
@@ -115,6 +115,14 @@ export const markEmailAsItemResolver = authorized<
       },
       newsletterEmail
     )
+    if (!success) {
+      log.info('newsletter not created', recentEmail.id)
+
+      return {
+        errorCodes: [MarkEmailAsItemErrorCode.BadRequest],
+      }
+    }
+
     // update received email type
     await updateReceivedEmail(recentEmail.id, 'article')
 
diff --git a/packages/api/src/routers/svc/newsletters.ts b/packages/api/src/routers/svc/newsletters.ts
index 861ba3d69..537293690 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/routers/svc/newsletters.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/routers/svc/newsletters.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   createPubSubClient,
   readPushSubscription,
 } from '../../datalayer/pubsub'
+import { SubscriptionStatus } from '../../generated/graphql'
 import {
   getNewsletterEmail,
   updateConfirmationCode,
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   saveNewsletterEmail,
 } from '../../services/save_newsletter_email'
 import { saveUrlFromEmail } from '../../services/save_url'
+import { getSubscriptionByNameAndUserId } from '../../services/subscriptions'
 import { isUrl } from '../../utils/helpers'
 
 interface SetConfirmationCodeMessage {
@@ -128,6 +130,16 @@ export function newsletterServiceRouter() {
           return res.status(500).send('Error saving url from email')
         }
       } else {
+        // do not subscribe if subscription already exists and is unsubscribed
+        const existingSubscription = await getSubscriptionByNameAndUserId(
+          data.author,
+          newsletterEmail.user.id
+        )
+        if (existingSubscription?.status === SubscriptionStatus.Unsubscribed) {
+          console.log('newsletter already unsubscribed:', data.author)
+          return res.status(200).send('newsletter already unsubscribed')
+        }
+
         // save newsletter instead
         const result = await saveNewsletterEmail(data, newsletterEmail, saveCtx)
         if (!result) {
diff --git a/packages/api/src/services/save_newsletter_email.ts b/packages/api/src/services/save_newsletter_email.ts
index 2befa5cde..b8e6ee8bf 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/services/save_newsletter_email.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/services/save_newsletter_email.ts
@@ -67,27 +67,24 @@ export const saveNewsletterEmail = async (
     return false
   }
 
-  if (!page.siteIcon || isBase64Image(page.siteIcon)) {
+  let icon = page.siteIcon
+  if (!icon || isBase64Image(icon)) {
     // fetch favicon if not already set or is a base64 image
-    const favicon = await fetchFavicon(page.url)
-    if (favicon) {
-      page.siteIcon = favicon
-      await updatePage(page.id, { siteIcon: favicon }, saveCtx)
+    icon = await fetchFavicon(page.url)
+    if (icon) {
+      await updatePage(page.id, { siteIcon: icon }, saveCtx)
     }
   }
 
-  // creates or updates subscription only if their is a valid unsubscribe link
-  if (data.unsubMailTo || data.unsubHttpUrl) {
-    const subscriptionId = await saveSubscription({
-      userId: newsletterEmail.user.id,
-      name: data.author,
-      newsletterEmail,
-      unsubscribeMailTo: data.unsubMailTo,
-      unsubscribeHttpUrl: data.unsubHttpUrl,
-      icon: page.siteIcon,
-    })
-    console.log('subscription saved', subscriptionId)
-  }
+  const subscriptionId = await saveSubscription({
+    userId: newsletterEmail.user.id,
+    name: data.author,
+    newsletterEmail,
+    unsubscribeMailTo: data.unsubMailTo,
+    unsubscribeHttpUrl: data.unsubHttpUrl,
+    icon,
+  })
+  console.log('subscription saved', subscriptionId)
 
   // adds newsletters label to page
   const result = await addLabelToPage(saveCtx, page.id, {
diff --git a/packages/api/src/services/subscriptions.ts b/packages/api/src/services/subscriptions.ts
index 794dd8404..d00d19f6c 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/services/subscriptions.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/services/subscriptions.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,16 @@ const sendUnsubscribeHttpRequest = async (url: string): Promise<boolean> => {
   }
 }
 
+export const getSubscriptionByNameAndUserId = async (
+  name: string,
+  userId: string
+): Promise<Subscription | null> => {
+  return getRepository(Subscription).findOneBy({
+    name,
+    user: { id: userId },
+  })
+}
+
 export const saveSubscription = async ({
   userId,
   name,