diff --git a/backend/api/tests/fixtures.py b/backend/api/tests/fixtures.py
index 1f99d0316b..0b717f6cba 100644
--- a/backend/api/tests/fixtures.py
+++ b/backend/api/tests/fixtures.py
@@ -101,9 +101,11 @@ def create_languages(db):
     from languages.languages import LANGUAGES
 
     for language in LANGUAGES:
-        Language.objects.create(name=language["English"], code=language["alpha2"])
+        Language.objects.get_or_create(
+            name=language["English"], code=language["alpha2"]
+        )
 
-    Locale.objects.create(
+    Locale.objects.get_or_create(
         language_code=get_supported_content_language_variant(settings.LANGUAGE_CODE),
     )
 
diff --git a/backend/reviews/templates/proposals-recap.html b/backend/reviews/templates/proposals-recap.html
index fad90845ad..f22ba08e20 100644
--- a/backend/reviews/templates/proposals-recap.html
+++ b/backend/reviews/templates/proposals-recap.html
@@ -394,14 +394,14 @@ <h3>Show proposals with pending status:</h3>
               <script>
                 submissionsById[{{ item.id }}] = {
                   id: {{ item.id }},
-                  status: "{{ item.pending_status }}",
-                  originalStatus: "{{ item.pending_status }}",
+                  status: "{{ item.current_or_pending_status }}",
+                  originalStatus: "{{ item.current_or_pending_status }}",
                   audienceLevel: {{ item.audience_level.id }},
                   languages: [{% for language in item.languages.all %}"{{language.code}}",{% endfor %}],
                   numOfVotes: {{item.userreview_set.count}},
                 };
               </script>
-              <tr class="proposal-item" id="submission-{{item.id}}" data-original-status="{{ item.pending_status }}">
+              <tr class="proposal-item" id="submission-{{item.id}}" data-original-status="{{ item.current_or_pending_status }}">
                 <td>{{forloop.counter}}</td>
                 <td class="results-title">
                   <a
diff --git a/backend/submissions/admin.py b/backend/submissions/admin.py
index 72944c9a74..7201ad726e 100644
--- a/backend/submissions/admin.py
+++ b/backend/submissions/admin.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 from import_export.resources import ModelResource
 
 from django import forms
-from django.db.models import F
 from django.db import transaction
 from django.contrib import admin, messages
 from django.utils.html import mark_safe
@@ -356,6 +355,7 @@ def apply_and_notify_status_change(modeladmin, request, queryset):
 
     for submission in objs:
         submission.status = submission.pending_status
+        submission.pending_status = None
         placeholders = {
             "conference_name": conference.name.localize("en"),
             "proposal_title": submission.title.localize("en"),
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ def apply_and_notify_status_change(modeladmin, request, queryset):
 
     Submission.objects.bulk_update(
         objs,
-        ["status"],
+        ["status", "pending_status"],
     )
 
     messages.add_message(
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ def get_queryset(self, request):
             super()
             .get_queryset(request)
             .exclude(
-                pending_status=F("status"),
+                pending_status__isnull=True,
             )
         )
 
diff --git a/backend/submissions/migrations/0028_alter_submission_pending_status.py b/backend/submissions/migrations/0028_alter_submission_pending_status.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2f1256ac5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/submissions/migrations/0028_alter_submission_pending_status.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.1.4 on 2025-11-01 18:50
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('submissions', '0027_submissionconfirmpendingstatusproxy'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name='submission',
+            name='pending_status',
+            field=models.CharField(blank=True, choices=[('proposed', 'Proposed'), ('accepted', 'Accepted'), ('waiting_list', 'Waiting list'), ('rejected', 'Rejected'), ('cancelled', 'Cancelled')], max_length=20, null=True, verbose_name='pending status'),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/backend/submissions/models.py b/backend/submissions/models.py
index a3e4e6c80b..66066c306b 100644
--- a/backend/submissions/models.py
+++ b/backend/submissions/models.py
@@ -104,15 +104,11 @@ class Submission(TimeStampedModel):
         _("status"), choices=STATUS, max_length=20, default=STATUS.proposed
     )
     pending_status = models.CharField(
-        _("pending status"), choices=STATUS, max_length=20, default="", blank=True
+        _("pending status"), choices=STATUS, max_length=20, null=True, blank=True
     )
 
     objects = SubmissionQuerySet().as_manager()
 
-    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
-        self._original_status = self.status
-
     @property
     def hashid(self):
         return encode_hashid(self.pk)
@@ -197,13 +193,11 @@ def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
             if update_fields:
                 update_fields.append("slug")
 
-        if self.pending_status == self._original_status:
-            self.pending_status = self.status
-
-            if update_fields:
-                update_fields.append("pending_status")
+        super().save(*args, **kwargs)
 
-        return super().save(*args, **kwargs)
+    @property
+    def current_or_pending_status(self):
+        return self.pending_status or self.status
 
     def __str__(self):
         return (
diff --git a/backend/submissions/tests/test_admin.py b/backend/submissions/tests/test_admin.py
index e89ec8817e..12f8577a04 100644
--- a/backend/submissions/tests/test_admin.py
+++ b/backend/submissions/tests/test_admin.py
@@ -109,6 +109,17 @@ def test_apply_and_notify_status_change(rf, mocker):
         queryset=Submission.objects.filter(status=Submission.STATUS.proposed),
     )
 
+    accepted_submission.refresh_from_db()
+    rejected_submission.refresh_from_db()
+    waiting_list_proposal.refresh_from_db()
+
+    assert accepted_submission.status == Submission.STATUS.accepted
+    assert accepted_submission.pending_status is None
+    assert rejected_submission.status == Submission.STATUS.rejected
+    assert rejected_submission.pending_status is None
+    assert waiting_list_proposal.status == Submission.STATUS.waiting_list
+    assert waiting_list_proposal.pending_status is None
+
     assert SentEmail.objects.filter(
         recipient=accepted_submission.speaker,
         email_template=proposal_accepted_template,
diff --git a/backend/submissions/tests/test_models.py b/backend/submissions/tests/test_models.py
index 7f78f016dc..b28fbb8732 100644
--- a/backend/submissions/tests/test_models.py
+++ b/backend/submissions/tests/test_models.py
@@ -26,31 +26,34 @@ def test_slug_is_not_regenerated_when_changing_title():
     assert submission.slug == "ciao"
 
 
-def test_syncs_pending_status_when_changing_status():
+def test_current_or_pending_status_returns_pending_if_set():
     submission = SubmissionFactory(
-        status=Submission.STATUS.accepted,
+        status=Submission.STATUS.proposed,
         pending_status=Submission.STATUS.accepted,
     )
 
-    submission.status = Submission.STATUS.rejected
-    submission.save(update_fields=["status"])
+    assert submission.current_or_pending_status == Submission.STATUS.accepted
 
-    submission.refresh_from_db()
 
-    assert submission.status == Submission.STATUS.rejected
-    assert submission.pending_status == Submission.STATUS.rejected
+def test_current_or_pending_status_returns_current_if_pending_none():
+    submission = SubmissionFactory(
+        status=Submission.STATUS.rejected,
+        pending_status=None,
+    )
 
+    assert submission.current_or_pending_status == Submission.STATUS.rejected
 
-def test_leaves_pending_status_unchanged_if_different():
+
+def test_pending_status_not_automatically_synced():
     submission = SubmissionFactory(
         status=Submission.STATUS.proposed,
-        pending_status=Submission.STATUS.rejected,
+        pending_status=Submission.STATUS.accepted,
     )
 
-    submission.status = Submission.STATUS.waiting_list
-    submission.save()
+    submission.status = Submission.STATUS.rejected
+    submission.save(update_fields=["status"])
 
     submission.refresh_from_db()
 
-    assert submission.status == Submission.STATUS.waiting_list
-    assert submission.pending_status == Submission.STATUS.rejected
+    assert submission.status == Submission.STATUS.rejected
+    assert submission.pending_status == Submission.STATUS.accepted  # Should remain unchanged