diff --git a/app/Config/Constants.php b/app/Config/Constants.php
index d792d7b28..bf48752d8 100644
--- a/app/Config/Constants.php
+++ b/app/Config/Constants.php
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ const CHECKBOX = 'CHECKBOX';
 const NO_DEFINITION_ID = 0;
 const CATEGORY_DEFINITION_ID = -1;
 const DEFINITION_TYPES = [GROUP, DROPDOWN, DECIMAL, TEXT, DATE, CHECKBOX];
+const ATTRIBUTE_VALUE_TYPES = ['attribute_value', 'attribute_decimal', 'attribute_date'];
 
 /**
  * Item Related Constants.
diff --git a/app/Controllers/Items.php b/app/Controllers/Items.php
index 609dbf1bb..7650e4493 100644
--- a/app/Controllers/Items.php
+++ b/app/Controllers/Items.php
@@ -1200,9 +1200,8 @@ class Items extends Secure_Controller
      */
     private function saveAttributeData(array $row, array $itemData, array $definitions): bool
     {
+        helper('attribute');
         foreach ($definitions as $definition) {
-            $attribute_name = $definition['definition_name'];
-            $attribute_value = $row["attribute_$attribute_name"];
             $attributeName = $definition['definition_name'];
             $attributeValue = $row["attribute_$attributeName"];
 
@@ -1245,10 +1244,6 @@ class Items extends Secure_Controller
 
         $this->attribute->deleteAttributeLinks($itemId, $attributeData['definition_id']);
 
-        if (!$attribute_id) {
-            $attribute_id = $this->attribute->saveAttributeValue($value, $attribute_data['definition_id'], $item_id, false, $attribute_data['definition_type']);
-        } elseif (!$this->attribute->saveAttributeLink($item_id, $attribute_data['definition_id'], $attribute_id)) {
-            return false;
         if (!$attributeId) {
             $attributeId = $this->attribute->saveAttributeValue($value, $attributeData['definition_id'], $itemId, false, $attributeData['definition_type']);
         } else {
@@ -1378,16 +1373,15 @@ class Items extends Secure_Controller
             switch ($definitionType) {
                 case DROPDOWN:
                     $attributeId = $attributeValue;
+                    $this->attribute->saveAttributeLink($itemId, $definitionId, $attributeId);
                     break;
                 case DECIMAL:
                     $attributeValue = parse_decimals($attributeValue);
-                // Fall through to save the attribute value
+                    // no break
                 default:
                     $attributeId = $this->attribute->saveAttributeValue($attributeValue, $definitionId, $itemId, $attributeIds[$definitionId], $definitionType);
                     break;
             }
-
-            $this->attribute->saveAttributeLink($itemId, $definitionId, $attributeId);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/Helpers/attribute_helper.php b/app/Helpers/attribute_helper.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d6712369
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Helpers/attribute_helper.php
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * Translates the attribute type to the corresponding database column name.
+ *
+ * Maps attribute type constants to their corresponding attribute_values table columns.
+ * Defaults to 'attribute_value' for TEXT, DROPDOWN and CHECKBOX attribute types.
+ *
+ * @param string $input The attribute type constant (DATE, DECIMAL, etc.)
+ * @return string The database column name for storing this attribute type
+ */
+function getAttributeDataType(string $input): string
+{
+    $columnMap = [
+        DATE => 'attribute_date',
+        DECIMAL => 'attribute_decimal',
+    ];
+
+    return $columnMap[$input] ?? 'attribute_value';
+}
+
+/**
+ * Validates that the provided data type is an allowed attribute value type.
+ *
+ * @param string $dataType
+ * @return void
+ */
+function validateAttributeValueType(string $dataType): void
+{
+    if (!in_array($dataType, ATTRIBUTE_VALUE_TYPES, true)) {
+        throw new InvalidArgumentException('Invalid data type');
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/Models/Attribute.php b/app/Models/Attribute.php
index 7e9030544..a06e6acbb 100644
--- a/app/Models/Attribute.php
+++ b/app/Models/Attribute.php
@@ -708,6 +708,31 @@ class Attribute extends Model
         return $this->getEmptyObject('attribute_values');
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Gets a single attribute value by attribute ID.
+     *
+     * @param int $attributeId The attribute ID to look up
+     * @param string $dataType The column name to retrieve (attribute_value, attribute_date, or attribute_decimal)
+     * @return string|float|null The attribute value. Note: MySQL returns values as follows:
+     *                           - attribute_value (TEXT): string
+     *                           - attribute_date (DATE): string in 'Y-m-d' format
+     *                           - attribute_decimal (DECIMAL): string or float depending on CodeIgniter configuration
+     *                           Returns null if the attribute_id is not found.
+     */
+    public function getAttributeValueByAttributeId(int $attributeId, string $dataType): string|float|null
+    {
+        helper('attribute');
+        validateAttributeValueType($dataType);
+
+        $builder = $this->db->table('attribute_values');
+        $builder->select($dataType);
+        $builder->where('attribute_id', $attributeId);
+        $builder->limit(1);
+        $row = $builder->get()->getRow();
+
+        return $row ? $row->$dataType : null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Initializes an empty object based on database definitions
      * @param string $table_name
@@ -816,20 +841,10 @@ class Attribute extends Model
 
         $existingAttributeId = $this->attributeValueExists($attributeValue, $definitionType);
 
-        // New Attribute
-        if (empty($attribute_id) || empty($item_id) || $attribute_id == -1) {
-            $attribute_id = $this->attributeValueExists($attribute_value, $definition_type);
         // Update
         if ($existingAttributeId) {
-
-            if (!$attribute_id) {
-
-                $builder = $this->db->table('attribute_values');
-                $builder->set(["attribute_$data_type" => $attribute_value]);
-                $builder->insert();
-
-                $attribute_id = $this->db->insertID();
-            }
+            $attributeId = $existingAttributeId;
+            $storedValue = $this->getAttributeValueByAttributeId($attributeId, $dataType);
 
             if ($dataType === 'attribute_value'
                 && is_string($storedValue)