diff --git a/packages/api/src/resolvers/article/index.ts b/packages/api/src/resolvers/article/index.ts
index bf26872c5..bf7dc89f9 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/resolvers/article/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/resolvers/article/index.ts
@@ -62,11 +62,11 @@ import {
 } from '../../services/labels'
 import {
   createLibraryItem,
-  findLibraryItemById,
   findLibraryItemByUrl,
   findLibraryItemsByPrefix,
   searchLibraryItems,
   updateLibraryItem,
+  updateLibraryItemReadingProgress,
   updateLibraryItems,
 } from '../../services/library_item'
 import { parsedContentToLibraryItem } from '../../services/save_page'
@@ -572,14 +572,8 @@ export const saveArticleReadingProgressResolver = authorized<
         readingProgressTopPercent,
       },
     },
-    { uid, pubsub }
+    { log, pubsub, uid }
   ) => {
-    const libraryItem = await findLibraryItemById(id, uid)
-
-    if (!libraryItem) {
-      return { errorCodes: [SaveArticleReadingProgressErrorCode.NotFound] }
-    }
-
     if (
       readingProgressPercent < 0 ||
       readingProgressPercent > 100 ||
@@ -590,40 +584,26 @@ export const saveArticleReadingProgressResolver = authorized<
     ) {
       return { errorCodes: [SaveArticleReadingProgressErrorCode.BadData] }
     }
-    // If we have a top percent, we only save it if it's greater than the current top percent
-    // or set to zero if the top percent is zero.
-    const readingProgressTopPercentToSave = readingProgressTopPercent
-      ? Math.max(
-          readingProgressTopPercent,
-          libraryItem.readingProgressTopPercent || 0
-        )
-      : readingProgressTopPercent === 0
-      ? 0
-      : undefined
-    // If setting to zero we accept the update, otherwise we require it
-    // be greater than the current reading progress.
-    const updatedPart: QueryDeepPartialEntity<LibraryItem> = {
-      readingProgressBottomPercent:
-        readingProgressPercent === 0
-          ? 0
-          : Math.max(
-              readingProgressPercent,
-              libraryItem.readingProgressBottomPercent
-            ),
-      readingProgressHighestReadAnchor:
-        readingProgressAnchorIndex === 0
-          ? 0
-          : Math.max(
-              readingProgressAnchorIndex || 0,
-              libraryItem.readingProgressHighestReadAnchor
-            ),
-      readingProgressTopPercent: readingProgressTopPercentToSave,
-      readAt: new Date(),
-    }
-    const updatedItem = await updateLibraryItem(id, updatedPart, uid, pubsub)
+    try {
+      const updatedItem = await updateLibraryItemReadingProgress(
+        id,
+        uid,
+        readingProgressPercent,
+        readingProgressTopPercent,
+        readingProgressAnchorIndex,
+        pubsub
+      )
+      if (!updatedItem) {
+        return { errorCodes: [SaveArticleReadingProgressErrorCode.BadData] }
+      }
 
-    return {
-      updatedArticle: libraryItemToArticle(updatedItem),
+      return {
+        updatedArticle: libraryItemToArticle(updatedItem),
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      log.error('saveArticleReadingProgressResolver error', error)
+
+      return { errorCodes: [SaveArticleReadingProgressErrorCode.Unauthorized] }
     }
   }
 )
diff --git a/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts b/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts
index 07be9f885..8dab74fc5 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts
@@ -438,6 +438,75 @@ export const updateLibraryItem = async (
   return updatedLibraryItem
 }
 
+export const updateLibraryItemReadingProgress = async (
+  id: string,
+  userId: string,
+  bottomPercent: number,
+  topPercent: number | null = null,
+  anchorIndex: number | null = null,
+  pubsub = createPubSubClient()
+): Promise<LibraryItem | null> => {
+  // If we have a top percent, we only save it if it's greater than the current top percent
+  // or set to zero if the top percent is zero.
+  const result = (await authTrx(
+    async (tx) =>
+      tx.getRepository(LibraryItem).query(
+        `
+      UPDATE omnivore.library_item
+      SET reading_progress_top_percent = CASE
+        WHEN reading_progress_top_percent < $2 THEN $2
+        WHEN $2 = 0 THEN 0
+        ELSE reading_progress_top_percent
+      END,
+      reading_progress_bottom_percent = CASE
+        WHEN reading_progress_bottom_percent < $3 THEN $3
+        WHEN $3 = 0 THEN 0
+        ELSE reading_progress_bottom_percent
+      END,
+      reading_progress_highest_read_anchor = CASE
+        WHEN reading_progress_top_percent < $4 THEN $4
+        WHEN $4 = 0 THEN 0
+        ELSE reading_progress_highest_read_anchor
+      END,
+      read_at = now()
+      WHERE id = $1 AND (
+        (reading_progress_top_percent < $2 OR $2 = 0) OR
+        (reading_progress_bottom_percent < $3 OR $3 = 0) OR
+        (reading_progress_highest_read_anchor < $4 OR $4 = 0)
+      )
+      RETURNING
+        id,
+        reading_progress_top_percent as "readingProgressTopPercent",
+        reading_progress_bottom_percent as "readingProgressBottomPercent",
+        reading_progress_highest_read_anchor as "readingProgressHighestReadAnchor",
+        read_at as "readAt"
+      `,
+        [id, topPercent, bottomPercent, anchorIndex]
+      ),
+    undefined,
+    userId
+  )) as [LibraryItem[], number]
+  if (result[1] === 0) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  const updatedItem = result[0][0]
+  await pubsub.entityUpdated<QueryDeepPartialEntity<LibraryItem>>(
+    EntityType.PAGE,
+    {
+      id,
+      readingProgressBottomPercent: updatedItem.readingProgressBottomPercent,
+      readingProgressTopPercent: updatedItem.readingProgressTopPercent,
+      readingProgressHighestReadAnchor:
+        updatedItem.readingProgressHighestReadAnchor,
+      readAt: updatedItem.readAt,
+    },
+    userId
+  )
+
+  return updatedItem
+}
+
 export const createLibraryItems = async (
   libraryItems: DeepPartial<LibraryItem>[],
   userId: string
diff --git a/packages/api/test/resolvers/article.test.ts b/packages/api/test/resolvers/article.test.ts
index e3b13c0d1..083bd389e 100644
--- a/packages/api/test/resolvers/article.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api/test/resolvers/article.test.ts
@@ -706,7 +706,6 @@ describe('Article API', () => {
       ).to.eq(75)
 
       // Now try to set to a lower value (50), value should not be updated
-      // refresh index to ensure the reading progress is updated
       const secondQuery = saveArticleReadingProgressQuery(itemId, 50)
       const secondRes = await graphqlRequest(secondQuery, authToken).expect(200)
       expect(