diff --git a/src/Controller/Booking/Edit/ParticipantController.php b/src/Controller/Booking/Edit/ParticipantController.php
index 8b690a5..82cf967 100644
--- a/src/Controller/Booking/Edit/ParticipantController.php
+++ b/src/Controller/Booking/Edit/ParticipantController.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use App\Entity\User;
 use App\Form\BookingParticipantType;
 use App\Form\Model\BookingDto;
 use App\Htmx\HxTrait;
+use App\Service\BookingChangeTracker;
 use App\Service\BookingConfigurator;
 use App\Service\BookingEditContextFactory;
 use App\Service\BookingEditDataLoader;
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ class ParticipantController extends AbstractController
         private readonly BookingEditDraftManager $draftService,
         private readonly BookingEditContextFactory $editContextFactory,
         private readonly BookingConfigurator $bookingConfigurator,
+        private readonly BookingChangeTracker $changeTracker,
         private readonly BookingSessionManager $bookingSessionService,
         private readonly ParticipantDataPrefiller $prepopulationService,
         private readonly ParticipantFormSupport $participantFormSupportService,
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@ class ParticipantController extends AbstractController
             $this->prepopulationService->fillDummyParticipant($bookingDto->participants[$index], $index);
 
             $this->bookingSessionService->saveBookingDto($request, $bookingDto, BookingDto::MODE_EDIT);
-            $this->draftService->saveDraft($user, $bookingId, $bookingDto);
+            $this->persistDraftState($user, $bookingId, $bookingDto);
 
             $form = $this->createParticipantForm($bookingDto, $index);
 
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ class ParticipantController extends AbstractController
 
         if ($form->isSubmitted() && $form->isValid()) {
             $this->bookingSessionService->saveBookingDto($request, $bookingDto, BookingDto::MODE_EDIT);
-            $this->draftService->saveDraft($user, $bookingId, $bookingDto);
+            $this->persistDraftState($user, $bookingId, $bookingDto);
             $this->addNotificationsAsFlashMessages($notifications);
 
             return $this->redirectToRoute('app_booking_edit', ['bookingId' => $bookingId]);
@@ -196,6 +198,24 @@ class ParticipantController extends AbstractController
         return $response;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Persists the draft only while there is something to draft.
+     *
+     * Saving a draft that reproduces the API state exactly would make the next
+     * overview load report a restored draft for edits the user never made.
+     * Such a draft is obsolete, so it is removed instead.
+     */
+    private function persistDraftState(User $user, int $bookingId, BookingDto $bookingDto): void
+    {
+        if (true === $this->changeTracker->isDirty($bookingDto)) {
+            $this->draftService->saveDraft($user, $bookingId, $bookingDto);
+
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $this->draftService->deleteDraft($user, $bookingId);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param array<array{type: string, message: string}> $notifications
      */
diff --git a/src/Service/BookingEditDataLoader.php b/src/Service/BookingEditDataLoader.php
index 41a3452..587f771 100644
--- a/src/Service/BookingEditDataLoader.php
+++ b/src/Service/BookingEditDataLoader.php
@@ -172,9 +172,11 @@ class BookingEditDataLoader
         $draft = $this->draftService->findDraft($user, $bookingId);
         if (null !== $draft) {
             $applied = $this->draftService->applyDraftToDto($draft, $formData, $travelData);
-            if (true === $applied) {
-                $this->draftRestored = true;
-            }
+
+            // A draft that reproduces the API state exactly is not a restore. Reporting
+            // it would tell the user their draft was restored for edits they never made.
+            $this->draftRestored = true === $applied
+                && $formData->originalFingerprint !== $this->fingerprintService->generateFingerprint($formData);
         }
 
         $this->bookingSessionService->saveBookingDto($request, $formData, BookingDto::MODE_EDIT);
diff --git a/tests/Controller/Booking/Edit/ParticipantControllerTest.php b/tests/Controller/Booking/Edit/ParticipantControllerTest.php
index 89d9511..7ae29a5 100644
--- a/tests/Controller/Booking/Edit/ParticipantControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Controller/Booking/Edit/ParticipantControllerTest.php
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ class ParticipantControllerTest extends TestCase
         $bookingDto = $this->createBookingDto();
         $bookingData = $this->createBooking();
         $participant = $bookingDto->participants[0];
+        $bookingDto->originalFingerprint = (new BookingChangeTracker())->generateFingerprint($bookingDto);
         $participant->lastName = ParticipantDataPrefiller::TOKEN;
 
         $form = $this->createMock(FormInterface::class);
@@ -254,6 +255,96 @@ class ParticipantControllerTest extends TestCase
         $this->assertSame(['participant_form', 'booking_summary'], $controller->renderedBlocks);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Regression: saving the participant form without touching anything used to write a
+     * draft identical to the API state. The overview then reloaded from the API, found
+     * that draft, applied it and told the user their draft had been restored — for edits
+     * they never made.
+     */
+    public function testSubmitWithoutChangesDeletesDraftInsteadOfSavingIt(): void
+    {
+        $draftService = $this->createMock(BookingEditDraftManager::class);
+        $draftService->expects($this->never())->method('saveDraft');
+        $draftService->expects($this->once())->method('deleteDraft')->with($this->isInstanceOf(User::class), 42);
+
+        $this->runValidSubmit($draftService, dirty: false);
+    }
+
+    public function testSubmitWithChangesPersistsDraft(): void
+    {
+        $draftService = $this->createMock(BookingEditDraftManager::class);
+        $draftService->expects($this->once())->method('saveDraft');
+        $draftService->expects($this->never())->method('deleteDraft');
+
+        $this->runValidSubmit($draftService, dirty: true);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Drives editParticipant() through a valid, non-dummy submit.
+     */
+    private function runValidSubmit(BookingEditDraftManager $draftService, bool $dirty): void
+    {
+        $request = Request::create('/bookings/42/edit/participants/0', 'POST');
+        $user = $this->createUser();
+        $bookingDto = $this->createBookingDto();
+        $bookingData = $this->createBooking();
+        $participant = $bookingDto->participants[0];
+        $participant->firstName = 'Anna';
+
+        $bookingDto->originalFingerprint = (new BookingChangeTracker())->generateFingerprint($bookingDto);
+
+        if (true === $dirty) {
+            $participant->firstName = 'Berta';
+        }
+
+        $form = $this->createStub(FormInterface::class);
+        $form->method('handleRequest')->willReturnSelf();
+        $form->method('isSubmitted')->willReturn(true);
+        $form->method('isValid')->willReturn(true);
+
+        $dataLoader = $this->createStub(BookingEditDataLoader::class);
+        $dataLoader->method('fetchBookingData')->willReturn($bookingData);
+
+        $bookingSessionService = $this->createMock(BookingSessionManager::class);
+        $bookingSessionService->method('getBookingDto')->willReturn($bookingDto);
+        $bookingSessionService->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('saveBookingDto')
+            ->with($request, $bookingDto, BookingDto::MODE_EDIT);
+
+        $participantFormSupportService = $this->createStub(ParticipantFormSupport::class);
+        $participantFormSupportService->method('ensureParticipantExists')->willReturn($participant);
+        $participantFormSupportService->method('createParticipantEditDto')
+            ->willReturn(new ParticipantEditDto($participant, $bookingDto));
+        $participantFormSupportService->method('getParticipantFormOptions')
+            ->willReturn(['booking_context' => $bookingDto]);
+        $participantFormSupportService->method('collectAndClearNotifications')->willReturn([]);
+
+        $contextFactory = $this->createStub(BookingEditContextFactory::class);
+        $contextFactory->method('createParticipantContext')->willReturn(
+            new BookingEditContext($bookingDto, $bookingData, null, $this->createStub(BookingSummaryDto::class))
+        );
+
+        $controller = new TestableParticipantController(
+            $dataLoader,
+            $draftService,
+            $contextFactory,
+            $this->createStub(BookingConfigurator::class),
+            $bookingSessionService,
+            new ParticipantDataPrefiller(
+                $this->createStub(ApiClient::class),
+                $this->createStub(Crypt::class),
+                $this->createStub(LoggerInterface::class),
+            ),
+            $participantFormSupportService,
+            $user,
+            $form,
+        );
+
+        $response = $controller->editParticipant(42, 0, $request);
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(RedirectResponse::class, $response);
+    }
+
     private function createUser(): User
     {
         return new User('tester@example.com');
@@ -445,6 +536,7 @@ final class TestableParticipantController extends ParticipantController
             $draftService,
             $editContextFactory,
             $bookingService,
+            new BookingChangeTracker(),
             $bookingSessionService,
             $prepopulationService,
             $participantFormSupportService,
diff --git a/tests/Service/BookingEditDataLoaderDraftRestoreTest.php b/tests/Service/BookingEditDataLoaderDraftRestoreTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc5e111
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Service/BookingEditDataLoaderDraftRestoreTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace App\Tests\Service;
+
+use App\BusProNet\ApiClient;
+use App\BusProNet\DataProcessor\BookingDataProcessor;
+use App\BusProNet\Model\BaseData;
+use App\BusProNet\Model\Booking;
+use App\BusProNet\Model\ServiceAvailabilityResponse;
+use App\BusProNet\Model\Travel;
+use App\BusProNet\XmlLoader\AgencyLoader;
+use App\Entity\BookingEditDraft;
+use App\Entity\User;
+use App\Form\Model\BookingDto;
+use App\Form\Model\ParticipantDto;
+use App\Security\Crypt;
+use App\Service\BookingChangeTracker;
+use App\Service\BookingEditDataLoader;
+use App\Service\BookingEditDraftManager;
+use App\Service\BookingSessionManager;
+use App\Service\TravelDataProvider;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
+use Symfony\Contracts\Cache\TagAwareCacheInterface;
+
+/**
+ * Covers the "draft restored" signal that drives the overview flash message.
+ *
+ * A draft is written on every participant save, including saves that changed nothing.
+ * Such a draft reproduces the API state exactly, so applying it is a no-op and must not
+ * be reported as a restore — otherwise the user is told their draft was restored for
+ * edits they never made.
+ */
+class BookingEditDataLoaderDraftRestoreTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public function testNoOpDraftIsNotReportedAsRestored(): void
+    {
+        $loader = $this->createLoader(static function (BookingDto $dto): void {
+            // Draft reproduces the API state: nothing changes.
+        });
+
+        $loader->initializeFromApi(new Request(), 42, $this->createUser());
+
+        $this->assertFalse($loader->isDraftRestored());
+    }
+
+    public function testDraftThatChangesDataIsReportedAsRestored(): void
+    {
+        $loader = $this->createLoader(static function (BookingDto $dto): void {
+            $dto->participants[0]->firstName = 'Berta';
+        });
+
+        $loader->initializeFromApi(new Request(), 42, $this->createUser());
+
+        $this->assertTrue($loader->isDraftRestored());
+    }
+
+    private function createUser(): User
+    {
+        $user = new User('tester@example.com');
+        $user->setPassword('encrypted');
+
+        return $user;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param callable(BookingDto): void $applyDraft what the stored draft does to the DTO
+     */
+    private function createLoader(callable $applyDraft): BookingEditDataLoader
+    {
+        $booking = new Booking();
+        $booking->id = 42;
+        $booking->dateId = 1234;
+        $booking->hotelId = 7;
+
+        $travel = new Travel();
+        $travel->id = 1234;
+
+        $bookingDto = new BookingDto($travel, 77);
+        $bookingDto->booking = $booking;
+        $participant = new ParticipantDto();
+        $participant->index = 0;
+        $participant->firstName = 'Anna';
+        $bookingDto->participants = [$participant];
+
+        $cache = $this->createStub(TagAwareCacheInterface::class);
+        $cache->method('get')->willReturn($booking);
+
+        $travelDataService = $this->createStub(TravelDataProvider::class);
+        $travelDataService->method('getTravelData')->willReturn($travel);
+        $travelDataService->method('getMutabilityData')->willReturn($this->createStub(BaseData::class));
+        $travelDataService->method('getAvailabilityData')
+            ->willReturn($this->createStub(ServiceAvailabilityResponse::class));
+
+        $bookingDataProcessor = $this->createStub(BookingDataProcessor::class);
+        $bookingDataProcessor->method('createBookingDtoFromBooking')->willReturn($bookingDto);
+
+        $draftService = $this->createStub(BookingEditDraftManager::class);
+        $draftService->method('findDraft')->willReturn($this->createStub(BookingEditDraft::class));
+        $draftService->method('applyDraftToDto')->willReturnCallback(
+            static function (BookingEditDraft $draft, BookingDto $dto, Travel $travel) use ($applyDraft): bool {
+                $applyDraft($dto);
+
+                return true;
+            }
+        );
+
+        $crypt = $this->createStub(Crypt::class);
+        $crypt->method('decrypt')->willReturn('secret');
+
+        return new BookingEditDataLoader(
+            $this->createStub(ApiClient::class),
+            $bookingDataProcessor,
+            $this->createStub(BookingSessionManager::class),
+            new BookingChangeTracker(),
+            $travelDataService,
+            $draftService,
+            $this->createStub(AgencyLoader::class),
+            $crypt,
+            $cache,
+        );
+    }
+}