diff --git a/services/search/pkg/search/service.go b/services/search/pkg/search/service.go
index 47c9161d33..75741bf52d 100644
--- a/services/search/pkg/search/service.go
+++ b/services/search/pkg/search/service.go
@@ -735,8 +735,12 @@ func (s *Service) doUpsertItem(ctx context.Context, ref *provider.Reference, bat
 	// the facet keys are ours, so the ones this extraction did not produce
 	// describe content the resource no longer has
 	var stale []string
-	for k := range stat.GetInfo().GetArbitraryMetadata().GetMetadata() {
-		if _, ok := metadata[k]; !ok && strings.HasPrefix(k, facetKeyPrefix) {
+	for k, stored := range stat.GetInfo().GetArbitraryMetadata().GetMetadata() {
+		value, ok := metadata[k]
+		switch {
+		case ok && value == stored:
+			delete(metadata, k)
+		case !ok && strings.HasPrefix(k, facetKeyPrefix):
 			stale = append(stale, k)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/services/search/pkg/search/service_test.go b/services/search/pkg/search/service_test.go
index eecf3f986e..ffccf65d04 100644
--- a/services/search/pkg/search/service_test.go
+++ b/services/search/pkg/search/service_test.go
@@ -248,18 +248,32 @@ var _ = Describe("Searchprovider", func() {
 				}, nil)
 
 				s.UpsertItem(&sprovider.Reference{ResourceId: info.GetId()})
-				Expect(calls).To(Equal([]string{"set", "unset"}))
+				Expect(calls).To(Equal([]string{"unset"}))
 				Expect(unset).To(ConsistOf("libre.graph.retiredFacet.field"))
 			})
 
-			It("removes nothing when the extraction still produces every stored facet", func() {
+			It("writes only the keys whose value changed", func() {
+				extractor.On("Extract", mock.Anything, mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(content.Document{
+					Photo:    &libregraph.Photo{CameraMake: libregraph.PtrString("Canon"), Iso: libregraph.PtrInt32(200)},
+					Location: &libregraph.GeoCoordinates{Altitude: libregraph.PtrFloat64(12), Latitude: libregraph.PtrFloat64(48.1)},
+				}, nil)
+
+				s.UpsertItem(&sprovider.Reference{ResourceId: info.GetId()})
+				Expect(calls).To(Equal([]string{"set"}))
+				Expect(set).To(Equal(map[string]string{
+					"libre.graph.photo.iso":         "200",
+					"libre.graph.location.latitude": "48.1",
+				}))
+			})
+
+			It("does not touch the storage when the extraction still produces every stored facet unchanged", func() {
 				extractor.On("Extract", mock.Anything, mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(content.Document{
 					Photo:    &libregraph.Photo{CameraMake: libregraph.PtrString("Canon"), Iso: libregraph.PtrInt32(100)},
 					Location: &libregraph.GeoCoordinates{Altitude: libregraph.PtrFloat64(12)},
 				}, nil)
 
 				s.UpsertItem(&sprovider.Reference{ResourceId: info.GetId()})
-				Expect(calls).To(Equal([]string{"set"}))
+				Expect(calls).To(BeEmpty())
 			})
 		})
 	})