diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 537a031a8..cbb39f0c2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 # Unreleased
+* (bugfix) Update existing check runs without first attempting a duplicate insert. Concurrent
+  creations still update the existing run, and a savepoint keeps enclosing transactions usable.
 
 # 0.45.4
 * (performance) Preload commit statuses and check runs when serializing deploys. `DeploySerializer`
diff --git a/app/models/shipit/check_run.rb b/app/models/shipit/check_run.rb
index c2b91db75..a7f8d97b8 100644
--- a/app/models/shipit/check_run.rb
+++ b/app/models/shipit/check_run.rb
@@ -19,9 +19,16 @@ class CheckRun < ApplicationRecord
 
     class << self
       def create_or_update_by!(selector:, attributes: {})
-        create!(selector.merge(attributes))
-      rescue ActiveRecord::RecordNotUnique
-        record = find_by!(selector)
+        record = find_by(selector)
+        unless record
+          begin
+            return transaction(requires_new: true) { create!(selector.merge(attributes)) }
+          rescue ActiveRecord::RecordNotUnique
+            # A concurrent insert may have created the run after the initial lookup.
+            # Locking also makes this a current read on MySQL within an enclosing transaction.
+            record = lock.find_by!(selector)
+          end
+        end
 
         # Checkruns can jump between states and conclusions, and the github timestamps are low precision and unreliable.
         # Since there's a conflict and the webhook seems older, enqueue a refresh.
diff --git a/test/models/shipit/check_run_test.rb b/test/models/shipit/check_run_test.rb
index 138c3c182..276285a98 100644
--- a/test/models/shipit/check_run_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/shipit/check_run_test.rb
@@ -73,6 +73,74 @@ class CheckRunTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       end
     end
 
+    test ".create_or_update_from_github! updates existing runs without SQL errors" do
+      completed_at = Time.now
+      check_run = @commit.check_runs.create_or_update_from_github!(
+        @stack.id,
+        github_check_run(conclusion: nil, completed_at:)
+      )
+      sql_errors = []
+      subscriber = lambda do |event|
+        sql_errors << event.payload[:exception] if event.payload[:exception]
+      end
+
+      ActiveSupport::Notifications.subscribed(subscriber, 'sql.active_record') do
+        assert_no_difference -> { @commit.check_runs.count } do
+          @commit.check_runs.create_or_update_from_github!(
+            @stack.id,
+            github_check_run(conclusion: 'success', completed_at: completed_at + 1.minute)
+          )
+        end
+      end
+
+      assert_equal 'success', check_run.reload.conclusion
+      assert_empty sql_errors
+    end
+
+    test ".create_or_update_from_github! scopes matching GitHub IDs to the commit" do
+      check_run = nil
+      assert_difference -> { CheckRun.where(github_id: @check_run.github_id).count }, +1 do
+        check_run = @commit.check_runs.create_or_update_from_github!(
+          @stack.id,
+          github_check_run(conclusion: 'failure')
+        )
+      end
+
+      @commit.check_runs.create_or_update_from_github!(
+        @stack.id,
+        github_check_run(conclusion: 'cancelled')
+      )
+
+      assert_equal @commit.id, check_run.commit_id
+      assert_equal 'cancelled', check_run.reload.conclusion
+      assert_equal 'success', @check_run.reload.conclusion
+    end
+
+    test ".create_or_update_from_github! handles a concurrent insert inside a transaction" do
+      completed_at = Time.now
+      check_run = @commit.check_runs.create_or_update_from_github!(
+        @stack.id,
+        github_check_run(conclusion: 'success', completed_at:)
+      )
+      CheckRun.expects(:find_by).with({ github_id: check_run.github_id }).returns(nil)
+
+      result = nil
+      CheckRun.transaction(requires_new: true) do
+        assert_no_difference -> { @commit.check_runs.count } do
+          assert_enqueued_with(job: RefreshCheckRunsJob, args: [{ commit_id: @commit.id }]) do
+            result = @commit.check_runs.create_or_update_from_github!(
+              @stack.id,
+              github_check_run(conclusion: 'failure', completed_at: completed_at - 1.minute)
+            )
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      assert_equal check_run.id, result.id
+      assert_equal 'failure', check_run.reload.conclusion
+      assert_equal 'success', @check_run.reload.conclusion
+    end
+
     test ".create_or_update_from_github! enqueues refresh and updates record when new statuses have stale timestamps" do
       completed_at = Time.now
       assert_difference -> { @commit.check_runs.count }, +1 do